"Don’t bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One. Amen." Matthew 6:13
So, are we to pray for God to not allow us to be tempted?
Does that mean if I fall into temptation it is I haven't prayed in the right way?
To clarify the gist of this phrase in The Lord's Prayer take a look at this verse:
"When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed." James 1:13-14
Obviously, God does not bring me into situations that would tempt me to sin!
The word used for "temptation" in the Greek can mean "temptation" or it can mean "trial". Since James established a Scriptural principle that God cannot cause us to sin we must assume this use of the word is referring to trials that test us not temptations that entice us.
After all, Matthew 4:1 says, "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."
Was the Holy Spirit leading Jesus into the desert to sin? Of course not!
You don't need to pray that God will lead you into a morally or spiritually compromising situation. You are quite capable of that yourself. You do need to pray that He will prepare you for the testing of your faith. You have a promise to cling to as you pray:
"No temptation (trial) has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted (tried) beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted (tried), he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." I Corinthians 10:13
So, I think you do no injustice to this Scripture to rephrase this prayer: "When you lead me to times of testing lead me THROUGH times of testing without failing the test."
You are either in a time of testing or headed to one so why not pray this prayer today?
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