Pray Lest Ye Enter Into Temptation

In the Lord’s Prayer we find this plea from the Savior to the Father, “And suffer us not to be led into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (JST Matt. 6:13).  I think it is significant that in this very short example on prayer Jesus would include the request to the Father to not be led into temptation.  As I’ve searched in the scriptures I’ve realized that over and over we see the invitation to pray to be protected from temptation.  It seems to me that this is something that we don’t often think about praying for, and yet how great is our need to have strength to overcome temptation! 

                Here are some of the scriptural invitations to pray about temptations.  On the night of His atoning sacrifice the Savior told His disciples, “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation” (Mark 14:38).  When He found them sleeping He rebuked them saying, “Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation” (Luke 22:46).  When the Savior visited the Nephites He told them in no uncertain terms about the devil’s desire to destroy them: “Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat” (3 Nephi 18:18).  It takes great prayer to keep us safe from the temptations all around us that the adversary seeks to ensnare us with.  Alma said this about the Zoramites who failed to pray for strength against temptation: “Neither would they observe the performances of the church, to continue in prayer and supplication to God daily, that they might not enter into temptation” (Alma 31:10).  I think the implication is that at least part of the reason for the terrible spiritual condition of the Zoramites was their failure to consistently pray to overcome temptation.  A few chapter later Amulek told this people, “Yea, and I also exhort you, my brethren, that ye be watchful unto prayer continually, that ye may not be led away by the temptations of the devil, that he may not overpower you, that ye may not become his subjects at the last day” (Alma 34:39).  Prayer will protect us from the temptations of the adversary in a very real way.

                In the Doctrine and Covenants we have the same invitation.  To the Prophet Joseph the Lord said, “Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work” (D&C 10:5).  The key—or at least one key—to overcoming Satan is to pray for the strength to do just that.  In the revelation that came with the organization of the Church we have this instruction: “Therefore let the church take heed and pray always, lest they fall into temptation” (D&C 20:33).  Later the Lord told Thomas B. Marsh, “Pray always, lest you enter into temptation and lose your reward” (D&C 31:12).  In another revelation to the Prophet Joseph the Lord concluded with these words, “Pray always that you enter not into temptation, that you may abide the day of his coming” (D&C 61:39).  Prayer is essential for us to overcome the endless barrage of temptation that the world attacks us with, and these words should constantly be in our hearts: “Suffer us not to be led into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”