James 1:13
Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one…
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The devil knows when to hit me, when to tempt me so I may sin against God and against the people I love. He knows he cannot hit me in the morning. When I wake up, I am strong in mind, body and spirit – prayer time, meditation time through the Rosary, write my daily devotions, hearty breakfast, kiss my wife and off I go to the office.
But he knows he can hit me in the evening. After a long day in the office, I would be at my lowest ebb. Very tired from work, hungry, my brain is simply not functioning anymore, and to think that I still have to finish another presentation before I retire at night (that is if I still have then energy to finish it), “I am really ripe for the devil’s picking”.
He would tempt me to be a glutton at dinner (“hey, I need the energy”), tempt me to watch TV and ignore my kid’s plea to help them in their homework (“sorry, my brain is out there, somewhere”).
But I can always ignore Satan. How about another prayer time in the evening, asking God to give me more strength – to resist evil and to look after the needs of my spirit and my loved ones.
It is not hard to do, if I can put my heart into it.
Almighty Father, You are my strength, and to You I would forever be faithful; You will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I can bear. But I firmly believe that when I am tempted, You will also provide a way out so that I can stand up under it, and simply say no to Satan.
Let us pray +
Oh Lord, to struggle courageously against temptation is one of the most meritorious acts we can perform; and once we have triumphed with Your grace, may we receive the crown of life that You have promised to those who fully and truly love You. Amen +
Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.
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