如何勝過試探或試煉？

馬太福音6:13不叫我們遇見試探。

柔和地面對試煉

上帝自己已經稱我們的生命是一場試煉，因為試煉是不可避免的。我們的身體、財物、和榮譽都受到攻擊。我們也一定會遭遇不公正。我們必須柔和地看待這些，有智慧地接受它，說：「這是生命的一部分。我可以做什麼呢？這是試煉，並會持續下去。不可避免。願上帝幫助我，這樣我就不至於驚慌，也不會跌倒。」

禱告勝過試探

沒有人可以躲過試探。但是我們可以保衛自己抵擋試探，並藉著禱告懇求上帝的幫助，來戰勝試探。我們在讀《隱士之書》時，看到一個年輕人盼望去除他頭腦裡不潔的想法。一位年長的隱士對他說：「親愛的弟兄啊，你不能防止鳥兒從你頭上飛過，但是你可以阻止它們在你的頭髮裡築巢。」 這樣，正如聖奧古斯丁宣告地那樣：我們不能防止試探和試煉發生，但是藉著我們的禱告，祈求上帝的幫助，可以阻止試探勝過我們。

——馬丁路德（LW42:73）摘錄自《解釋主禱文》

禱告：主啊，你為我受的苦難證明我們不能逃避試探和試煉，求讓我們信心堅固，勝過這兩樣，因為你話語應許：（詩34:19）義人多有苦難，但耶和華救他脫離這一切。奉主耶穌基督的名。阿們。

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation,

But since God himself has called our life a trial, and since it is inevitable that we are assailed in our body, our goods, and our honor, and since injustice is bound to face us, we must view this kindly and accept it wisely, saying, “Well, this is a part of life. What am I to do about it? It is a trial and remains a trial. It is unavoidable. May God aid me so that it does not alarm me or bring me to fall.”

So you see that no one is free from trials. However, we can defend ourselves against them and check them by entreating God’s help in prayer. Thus we read in the book of hermits how a young brother longed to rid himself of his thoughts. The aged hermit said to him, “Dear brother, you cannot prevent the birds from flying over your head, but you can certainly keep them from building a nest in your hair.” Thus, as St. Augustine declares, we cannot prevent trials and temptations from overtaking us, but with our prayer and our invocation of God’s assistance we can stave off their victory over us. （LW42:73）from “An Exposition of the Lord’s Prayer for Simple Laymen”