Prayer Focus: Resistance to Temptation
Central Scripture: “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.” (James 1:14)
Prayer:
God, You are good. You are faithful. You are merciful and compassionate and gracious. In every situation, You are the light that shines to pierce the darkness and the truth that silences all other voices.
Father, thank You for Your wisdom in the ways You reach out to us. You knew before you created us that we would fall away, so in Your perfect love You initiated a plan to draw us back before we ever realized we had strayed. You provide a way out for every temptation we face, never wanting to abandon us in a time of need and always keeping the road open for us to come running back to You.
Thank You, Lord, for not forcing us to remain enslaved to our sinful natures.
I pray for my family today, God, that they would draw close to You. The closer to You we are, the more clearly we can hear Your voice. The more clearly we can hear Your voice, the more ridiculous all the voices of the world will sound. Help my husband and children to pull into You daily, before the noise and clamor of the world begins. Help them to be so acclimated to the sound of Your voice that they never hesitate when You speak.
Let my family not be dragged away and enticed by their sinful natures. Conform their hearts and minds to Yours, God, that their greatest desires are in line with Yours. Help them to resist the instant gratification the world offers for their every appetite. Teach them patience and strength in the face of temptations that seem too much for them. Show them Your sufficiency, that nothing else will appeal.
God, the way men are made puts my husband at risk for temptations that I will never be able to understand. Guard His eyes, Lord, and protect His mind from the attacks of the enemy. Help Him to resist temptations of the flesh, relying on Your Spirit to pull him through every moment of weakness.
Father, please help my children to resist the temptations of youth. Peer pressure is a real threat to a child’s identity, but when that child’s identity is grounded in who You say they are, they are less likely to be influenced. Help my children to identify themselves as Your children. Give them wisdom and strength to withstand the inevitable situations they will face, and help them to stand strong in Your truth.
Gracious God, You do not tempt, but You provide us a way out when the tempter comes. Help my family to follow the model of Christ when our enemy presses in, wielding our swords of truth as expert warriors. Protect my family, God, and let them not fall prey to the temptations and plans of the enemy.
Amen.