Tempted Help

When You’re Tempted, God Wants to Help

When You’re Tempted, God Wants to Help
By Rick Warren

“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.”

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?