Paul promised that God makes “the way of escape” (1 Corinthians 10:13). One way out is prayer. Psalm 141 is a prayer David prayed when he wanted to stay away from sin.
Come quickly. “Lord, I cry out to You; Make haste to me!” (Psalm 141:1). Make haste means hurry. When temptation comes, you can call on God right away.
Before, not after. David prayed before he fell, not only after. The best time to ask for help is when the pull to do wrong first starts.
A guard. David asked, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth” (141:3). He wanted God to keep watch over him.
The heart. Then he prayed, “Do not incline my heart to any evil thing” (141:4). To incline is to lean toward something. Every sin begins with a heart that leans toward it.
Wanting wrong. Temptation often starts as a wish: wanting something that is not ours, wanting our own way, or wanting to be liked by doing wrong. David asked God to change what he wanted.
Bad company. David did not want to practice wicked works “With men who work iniquity” (141:4). Iniquity means sinful things. He asked God to keep him from joining people who do wrong.
Friends who pull. Sometimes friends want us to join them in doing wrong. It can be hard to say no to friends, because we want them to like us.
Their treats. He prayed, “And do not let me eat of their delicacies” (141:4). Delicacies are tasty, special foods. Sin often looks like a tasty treat at first.
Why sin looks sweet. Temptation shows you the fun at the start and hides the hurt at the end. David asked God to help him say no to the treat.
Choosing friends. You do not have to be unkind to anyone, but you can choose not to join in when others do wrong. Look for friends who love Jesus.
Tell someone. If anyone pushes you to do wrong, or offers you a treat to keep a secret, tell a parent or a trusted grown-up. That is a way of escape.
Our sin. We have all wanted wrong things and joined in wrong things. We need more than a guard; we need forgiveness.
The Savior. Jesus never wanted what was wrong, and He never joined in sin. He died on the cross for our sins and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Everyone who trusts Him is forgiven and given a new heart.
What to do. Pray David’s prayer this week: Lord, keep my heart from leaning toward wrong.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says God makes a way of escape. The Bible also gives us a picture of where to run.
A strong tower. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10). Long ago, cities built tall stone towers. When enemies came, people ran inside.
His name. God’s name stands for who He is: strong, faithful and good. Running to His name means running to God Himself.
Run, do not stroll. The righteous do not stroll slowly toward the tower. They run. When temptation comes, do not wait. Run to God.
Safe. Inside the tower, people were safe. With God, you are safe too.
Run every time. You may need to run to God many times in one day. He never gets tired of you coming to Him.
Not our own tower. We cannot build a tower strong enough to keep ourselves safe. Only the Lord is that tower.
Snares and traps. David prayed, “Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, And from the traps of the workers of iniquity” (Psalm 141:9). A snare is a hidden trap.
Hidden traps. Temptation is often hidden. It can look fun or harmless until you are caught.
Pulled out. In another psalm David prayed, “Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength” (Psalm 31:4).
Escape safely. David ended Psalm 141 by praying, “Let the wicked fall into their own nets, While I escape safely” (141:10). God can bring His people through safely.
Traps from people. Some traps are set by people who want us to do wrong. If someone tries to trick you into doing wrong or keeping a secret, run to a parent or a trusted grown-up. It is never your fault when someone else does wrong to you.
Our sin. Sometimes we walk right into the trap. We all have sinned.
Jesus rescues. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). He rescues everyone who trusts Him.
Plan your run. Decide now what you will do when temptation comes: stop, pray, walk away, and tell a trusted grown-up if you need help.
What to do. This week, when you are tempted, say, The Lord is my strong tower, and run to Him in prayer.
Complete all sections to finish!
Read each section and answer the questions correctly.