When You’re Tempted, God Wants to Help

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Connecting With God

When You're Tempted, God Wants to Help By Rick Warren — Jun 24, 2016 “Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me” (Psalm 50:15 NIV). The Bible tells us that God is ready to help. He says we’re to pray, “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” That is the prayer of deliverance. You ask God for help. The prayer of deliverance is often just one word: Help! It doesn’t have to be “Our gracious heavenly Father …” No. When you come to the prayer of deliverance, you can do a microwave prayer: “Help! Keep my eyes straight. I don’t like this person. I do not like the way my relative treats me, and I’m going to see her today. Oh, God! You’ve got to help me! I lose my Christianity when I’m around that person. I really need your help today, because everything in me just wants to slug her!” The Bible is full of examples of people who’ve prayed for deliverance, such as David, Daniel, Peter, and Paul. God provides assistance for anybody who asks. Why can I expect God to help me when I pray the prayer of deliverance? Because God has promised it. Psalm 50:15 says, “Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me” (NIV). God says you don’t have to have a long conversation. You can just say, “Help! Mayday! SOS! God, I’m facing something now that willpower won’t help me get through.” God is sympathetic to your situation. He knows everything that’s going on in your life. He knows how irritating those people are. He knows the things that tempt you. In fact, look at this verse: “Jesus understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:15-16 NLT, second edition). Notice he says Jesus understands. Why is he sympathetic? Because he faced the same temptation. You say, “Wait a minute. Are you saying Jesus was tempted to get angry?” Yes, I am. “You’re telling me Jesus was tempted to have self pity?” Yes. The Bible says he was tempted in all the ways we are, yet he did not sin. That’s the difference. He never gave in. He had the freedom to choose. But even better is the fact that he never sinned. What does that mean? He can help you overcome. So the Bible says, “Come boldly to God.” Come and say, “I need your help!” God isn’t ticked with you when you get tempted. He’s not going to scold you when you’re tempted. He says, “I’m here to help.” PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over How will your prayers change when you understand that God wants to help you with your temptation? Think of a time when you prayed for deliverance. How did God respond? How does knowing Jesus was tempted but never sinned give you confidence that he can help you in your temptation? Our Gift: Connecting with God: The Lord's Prayer - 8 CD Boxed Set and Bonus Music CD: FIRST The Bible says very clearly that you were created for connections. In this new message series, Connecting with God: The Lord's Prayer, Rick Warren lays out practical steps for you to connect with God and loved ones by examining the Lord’s Prayer. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren Connecting With God teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: ​You've Got To Get Connected Message 2: ​​​​​​​​​The Prayer of Connection Message 3: ​​The Prayer of Surrender Message 4: ​The Prayer of Dependence Message 5: ​The Prayer of Cleansing Message 6: ​​The Prayer of Release Message 7: The Prayer of Deliverance Message 8: The Prayer of Fulfillment PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe