NEWS MERCIES DAILY!
DATE: Thursday, August 7, 2025
THEME: The Journey Called Life.
TITLE: Lord, Don’t Let My Next Step Be a Trap (3)
SCRIPTURE TEXT: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” – Matthew 6:13
BY: Dr. Effiong Etok
Carrier of God’s Word
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
“You don’t need to be reckless to fall—sometimes all it takes is one well-disguised decision.”
MAIN MESSAGE:
Jesus didn’t just teach us to pray for food or forgiveness—but for protection from missteps: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” That prayer wasn’t just for the weak—it was for the discerning. Because even sincere people can walk into a net if it looks like a path.
There’s a kind of heartbreak that doesn’t come from obvious sin—but from steps taken too quickly, or with people we thought were right. A business deal that promised peace but brought chaos. A relocation that felt like promotion but ended in spiritual emptiness. A relationship that looked like healing but slowly drained life and joy.
Someone once said through tears, “I kept asking God to open the door—I never asked who was standing behind it.”
Beloved, not every opportunity is divine. Not every “yes” is God’s “yes.” And not every delay is an attack—some are rescues in disguise. That’s why we must pray: Lord, don’t let my next step be a trap.
Even if it looks like destiny—if it’s bait from hell, block us. Even if it seems right—if it will ruin us, stop us. It’s better to cry over a closed door than to be destroyed behind an open one.
God sees beyond our view—the hidden motives, the disguised danger, the subtle destruction. When we pray like Jesus taught, we’re not just avoiding sin—we’re escaping destruction disguised as direction.
Lot saw land that looked green and promising. He didn’t ask God—he just stepped. But what looked like progress led him into Sodom. By the time he saw the trap, his peace was gone and his home was in ruins.
Many still walk that path today:
Some stepped into relationships that felt right—but now cry in silence.
Some married without asking God—and now live in regret.
Some trusted friendships that seemed safe—but now feel betrayed.
Others rushed into ventures that promised much—now nursing losses.
They called it an opportunity… but now they’re healing from what broke them.
May God never allow us to walk into what looks right but is all wrong.
May He open our eyes before our feet move.
May He stop us, even painfully, before we step into a trap.
In Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen.
CLOSING PRAYER POINTS:
1. Father, we may not see the danger behind the smile, but You do. Lead us away from every disguised trap , in Jesus’ Mighty Name!
2. Lord, if what we’re planning will destroy us, interrupt us. Shatter the illusion if You must—but don’t let us walk into a grave with grateful hearts, in Jesus’ Name!
3. Holy Spirit, even when we’re sure we’re right, if we’re wrong—break us, stop us, re-route us. Just don’t let our next step be a trap! In Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen!
4. Merciful God, for anyone already trapped—emotionally, financially, relationally, or spiritually—stretch forth Your hand. Rescue them, restore them, and rewrite their story, in Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen!
