November 12 Petition Mission

“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mt 26:41).

As Leonard Ravenhill put it, “A sinning man stops praying; a praying man stops sinning.” The spirit of a believer, referred to as “that which is born of God” (neuter), always votes for the Lord’s will. The more we positively respond when “the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom 8:16), the more we know victory over temptation. Temptation in every case is offering us some pleasure or satisfaction that is impossible to have or to keep outside of the Lord. It is an idol, professing a link that does not exist.

Prayer, on the other hand, is connection with the Source of all lasting blessing, all heavenly wisdom, all true pleasure. And here is His Red Line Promise: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able” (1 Cor 10:13). Lord, keep us today!