John 17:15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.”
This isn’t a new prayer. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, Matthew 6:13 “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Notice again the impact of these words on John as he wrote his first epistle. 1 John 5:19 “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” Those who are in and of the world do not believe and receive Jesus’ words and hate us because they lay in the power of the evil one. So as long as we are in this world manifesting the name and love of Jesus, we need to be kept from Satan’s power. And what is his power? It’s the power to steal, kill, and destroy. We can be confident that as long as we are in this world, as long as we are alive and live to love with Jesus, this prayer of Jesus will be answered. We will not be people who steal, kill, and destroy, but people who give generously, give and protect life, and restore, build up, and encourage.
Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com
