It ‘s popular to shout Satan down in prayer. "Satan, bite the dust! I bind your forces in Jesus name! Go ahead--bring on your attacks I'm prepared for the fight!" If all this confidence is biblical, then why did Jesus teach us to pray "Lead us not into the time of testing--of temptation?" The sixth petition of the Lord's prayer is our subject today and it raises this issue of the believers attitude toward the battle with evil and hand to hand combat with the evil one.

It ‘s popular to shout Satan down in prayer. "Satan, bite the dust! I bind your forces in Jesus name! Go ahead--bring on your attacks I'm prepared for the fight!" If all this confidence is biblical, then why did Jesus teach us to pray "Lead us not into the time of testing--of temptation?" The sixth petition of the Lord's prayer is our subject today and it raises this issue of the believers attitude toward the battle with evil and hand to hand combat with the evil one.

Remember the friends you used to get together with at least once a week, but now you can hardly get out a brief greeting when you run in to them at the post office? What happened to this relationship? Is there one of your adult children who hardly ever calls you on the phone or refuses to let you take care of your grandchildren? Why haven't you healed from the blow up that you had with them years ago? Maybe neither of these illustrations apply to you, but if you stop and think about it--unforgiveness is as common as sneezing and runny noses in allergy season. How can we stop ourselves from becoming more and more closed to relationships as we grow older?

Remember the friends you used to get together with at least once a week, but now you can hardly get out a brief greeting when you run in to them at the post office? What happened to this relationship? Is there one of your adult children who hardly ever calls you on the phone or refuses to let you take care of your grandchildren? Why haven't you healed from the blow up that you had with them years ago? Maybe neither of these illustrations apply to you, but if you stop and think about it--unforgiveness is as common as sneezing and runny noses in allergy season. How can we stop ourselves from becoming more and more closed to relationships as we grow older?

"If someone offered you fifty thousand dollars, a contract to be a regular commentator on a popular daily television show, and a platform to motivate millions of young Americans to develop a deep appreciation for higher education and the arts, wouldn't a little innocent deception in cheating on a popular game show be worth the price?" As jaded as our culture has become, something still stirs within us when someone chooses to lie for money over telling the truth. But where can we get the courage and the strength to tell the truth when fifty, one hundred or a million dollars is staring us in the face? The answer to this question is really quite simple--we need to learn to pray--pray the way Jesus taught us to pray.

"If someone offered you fifty thousand dollars, a contract to be a regular commentator on a popular daily television show, and a platform to motivate millions of young Americans to develop a deep appreciation for higher education and the arts, wouldn't a little innocent deception in cheating on a popular game show be worth the price?" As jaded as our culture has become, something still stirs within us when someone chooses to lie for money over telling the truth. But where can we get the courage and the strength to tell the truth when fifty, one hundred or a million dollars is staring us in the face? The answer to this question is really quite simple--we need to learn to pray--pray the way Jesus taught us to pray.

The tabloids cannot get enough of scandal. I am sure you are tired of hearing the constant gossip. Kings and queens are supposed to be above us all. Princesses are supposed to marry princes and to ride off in the sun set to live happily ever after. All the pomp and circumstance is supposed to applaud these who are bigger than life. No wonder the entire charade comes crashing down. But there is a king you can hail who will never disappoint you in scandal. For two thousand years he has stood every criticism hurled against him and to think he came riding a donkey and not a Rolls Royce.

The tabloids cannot get enough of scandal. I am sure you are tired of hearing the constant gossip. Kings and queens are supposed to be above us all. Princesses are supposed to marry princes and to ride off in the sun set to live happily ever after. All the pomp and circumstance is supposed to applaud these who are bigger than life. No wonder the entire charade comes crashing down. But there is a king you can hail who will never disappoint you in scandal. For two thousand years he has stood every criticism hurled against him and to think he came riding a donkey and not a Rolls Royce.

Little children killing each other in Chicago, terrorist groups bombing, an economic boom that inflates for everyone else except you, a lump in your breast, a miss in your heart beat. Have the public and personal headlines of your life caused you to lose hope? Has life become a boring routine with no more expectancy? Then you have tuned in to Truth Encounter at just the right time. There is a new day coming that is radiant and glorious! There is a hope that will not deflate! There is a good chance that you have repeatedly mentioned this hope but you might not have recognized what you were really asking for.

Little children killing each other in Chicago, terrorist groups bombing, an economic boom that inflates for everyone else except you, a lump in your breast, a miss in your heart beat. Have the public and personal headlines of your life caused you to lose hope? Has life become a boring routine with no more expectancy? Then you have tuned in to Truth Encounter at just the right time. There is a new day coming that is radiant and glorious! There is a hope that will not deflate! There is a good chance that you have repeatedly mentioned this hope but you might not have recognized what you were really asking for.