“Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil”
A Call for Deliverance from the Cross
“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him; ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God’, he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.'” (Luke 23:39-43)
When we pray the different phrases of the Lord’s prayer we can find ourselves using our own words to reach out to our Father. Each phrase can trigger us to pray specifically as it applies to our lives. In the Scripture above there is a famous example of someone praying a prayer of deliverance. He is not quoting Scripture or even a written prayer. He is not at an altar in a church or kneeling at his bedside. He is in the process of being executed by crucifixion…nailed to a cross…along with two others.
Those around the cross of Jesus were mocking Him and casting insults upon Him continuously. Shouts and challenges for Him to “deliver” Himself were soaked with sarcasm. “If you are the Messiah then deliver yourself!” We are told that even one of the other criminals being crucified joined in. From the other side of Jesus the other criminal addresses the first. “What do you think your doing?” “We deserve this. He is innocent.”
Then, amidst the noise and ridicule…like a small light in the darkness…a voice is heard…
“Jesus”.
It is the thief. The one who has confessed that he was being “justly” punished. He is now talking to Jesus. Among the shouting and the hatred being thrown at our Savior there is a word spoken by a dying man…
“Jesus”
Oh, how did that sound in the ears of our suffering Lord? To hear His name being spoken from a desperate soul in need of a deliverer. Can you imagine with me the compassion of Jesus as He turned His head against the cross to look toward this condemned soul…and in the moment when He was becoming the deliverer for us all…He became the deliverer of one.
“Today, you will be with me…”
Some are content to be condemned to die in the very presence of their deliverer. They do not cry out like this thief and experience it personally. Today, as you pray the part of the prayer about deliverance, make it personal.
“Jesus…remember me”