The Lord's Prayer - Lead Us Not.. Deliver Us from Evil

Intro..

For the last year or two, I've been trying to pattern my morning prayers after the Lord's Prayer.  I find that the structure allows me to be more consistent (if sometimes somewhat repetitive at times) in the discipline of prayer.  I've realized that there's nothing wrong with being consistent and somewhat repetitive.  Jesus related in his parable about the persistent widow who kept asking for the same thing over and over until she got it.  Here's a link to previous posts about this: 

Part 1 - Our Father...  

Part 2 - Your kingdom come, Your will be done... 

Part 3 - On earth as it is in heaven. 

Part 4 - Give us this day...

Part 5 - Forgive us our sins...

Part 6 - Lead us not... But deliver us...   Deliver Us from Evil is below.  I realize I'm skipping some sections making this one Part 3, but as you'll see below, my recent experience seemed to justify this.

Lead Us Not Into Temptation

So where does God leads us then?  Would God lead us into temptation?  

I like to think of Psalm 23 to answer both of these questions.  It says as our shepherd, God leads us by still waters, and guides us in paths of righteousness, for His namesake (click on the links to read some posts I've done about those specific pieces of that Psalm).  

Interestingly though, the following phrase in Psalm 23 talks about 'walking through the valley of the shadow of death.'  If we're being guided on His paths, how do we end up in the valley of the shadow of death?  It seems His paths of righteousness sometimes head that direction...

Las Vegas - Google Next 2025

Last week (early April 2025) I was on a business trip to the Google Next 2025 conference which happened to be held in Las Vegas.  As I was praying in my mornings and evenings in the hotel there, this passage '...lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil...' seemed very apropros.  Las Vegas - otherwise known as 'Sin City' is the place one supposedly goes to forget the responsibilities, disciplines, and proper conduct of true life.  Every hotel/resort (including the one we were put up in) close to the main drag had casinos, slot machines, entertainment, pools, and food establishments design for escape.  

Looking at a map of 'the strip', I was struck with its similarity to a spiritual 'valley of death.'  Everything is there on that valley of a road through the middle of Las Vegas, with 'hills' of hotels and casinos on each side, that will tempt you to some kind of literal or spiritual death.  

Deliver Us from Evil

Thankfully, our Good Shepherd doesn't leave us lost and alone in the Valley of the Shadow of Death.  The psalmist says that God is with us, there. 

- And because He is with us, we don't have to fear! 
    '...I will not fear for You are with me.  Your rod and staff comfort me.'  

- And He feeds and sustains us there!  

    'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.'  

Jesus prayed for his followers in the Garden of Gethsemane in his last hours before his death.  This is one of the most detailed accounts of a prayer of Jesus.  Its interesting to see that one of the pivotal points of his prayer is John 17:15 'My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.'  Its a prayer I try and remember to pray for the people on my prayer list, and again, seemed very applicable for my stay in Las Vegas that week.