The Seventh and Last Petition
[112] But deliver us from evil. Amen.
[113] In the Greek text this petition reads, “Deliver or preserve us from the evil one,” or “the hateful one.” It looks like Jesus was speaking about the devil, like He would summarize every petition in one. So the entire substance of all our prayer is directed against our chief enemy. For it is he who hinders among us everything that we pray for: God’s name or honor, God’s kingdom and will, our daily bread, a cheerful good conscience, and so forth.
[114] Therefore, we finally sum it all up and say, “Dear Father, grant that we be rid of all these disasters.” [115] But there is also included in this petition whatever evil may happen to us under the devil’s kingdom: poverty, shame, death, and, in short, all the agonizing misery and heartache of which there is such an unnumbered multitude on the earth. Since the devil is not only a liar, but also a murderer [John 8:44], he constantly seeks our life. He wreaks his vengeance whenever he can afflict our bodies with misfortune and harm. Therefore, it happens that he often breaks men’s necks or drives them to insanity, drowns some, and moves many to commit suicide and to many other terrible disasters [e.g., Mark 9:17–22]. [116] So there is nothing for us to do upon earth but to pray against this archenemy without stopping. For unless God preserved us, we would not be safe from this enemy even for an hour.
[117] You see again how God wishes for us to pray to Him also for all the things that affect our bodily interests, so that we seek and expect help nowhere else except in Him. [118] But He has put this matter last. For if we are to be preserved and delivered from all evil, God’s name must first be hallowed in us, His kingdom must be with us, and His will must be done. After that He will finally preserve us from sin and shame, and, besides, from everything that may hurt or harm us.
[119] So God has briefly placed before us all the distress that may ever come upon us, so that we might have no excuse whatever for not praying. But all depends upon this, that we learn also to say “Amen.” This means that we do not doubt that our prayer is surely heard and that what we pray shall be done [2 Corinthians 1:20]. [120] This is nothing else than the word of undoubting faith, which does not pray on a dare but knows that God does not lie to him [Titus 1:2]. For He has promised to grant it. Therefore, where there is no such faith, there cannot be true prayer either.
[121] It is, therefore, an evil deception on those who pray as though they could not dare from the heart to say “Yes!” and positively conclude that God hears them. Instead, they remain in doubt and say, “How can I be so bold as to boast that God hears my prayer? For I am but a poor sinner,” and other such things.
[122] The reason for this is, they do not respect God’s promise, but they rely on their own work and worthiness, by which they despise God and accuse Him of lying. [123] Therefore, they receive nothing. As St. James says, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” [1:6–7]. [124] Behold, God attaches such importance to this fact that we can be sure we do not pray in vain, so that we do not despise our prayer in any way.