A Prayer for Little Children

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Matthew 6:13 (KJV)

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: – Although Yeshua gave profound insight and offered a depth of knowledge, He enforced a simplicity in worship. Just take a look at the Lord’s Prayer.

Prior to this instructional prayer, Yeshua directs His people not to pray in vain repetition. Memorizing prayers for the sake of memorization and as a display of one’s knowledge is considered vain. However, memorizing prayers with understanding and earnest devotion is good.

So Yeshua offers us an example prayer. Verse 13 provides a hint to the level of simplicity that He desired when praying.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

This particular line comes from a Jewish prayer for young children to say upon waking in the morning.

Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who removest sleep from mine eyes, and slumber from mine eyelids.

I give thanks unto thee, O living and eternal Kind who hast restored my soul unto me in mercy: great is thy faithfulness.

Hear, O Israel: the LORD is our God, the LORD is One. Blessed be His Name, whose glorious kingdom is for ever and ever. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Moses commanded us the Torah as an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.

Hearken, my child, to the instructions of thy father; and despise not the teaching of thy mother. Then shalt thou find grace and good repute in the eyes of God and man.

O my God, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking guile. O lead me not into temptation; keep me far from a bad man and a bad companion; and bestow thy lovingkindness upon me.

Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast made me an Israelite.

Notice the similarity between what Yeshua suggests, and the Jewish prayer for young children about not leading to temptation and keeping from an evil one? Yeshua is often recognized for teaching that one must be as a child toward their Father in heaven—even in prayer.