God please don't tempt me

The above phrase is one I have heard alot as a kid. I have also seen it on movies as well. The idea is for God tempting you in order to test your willingness to serve Him. However, is this really scriptural, according to God's Word?

Some may think on Job and his dire straights. But the answer I found wasn't even in the Old Testament. Rather I found the answer in the New Testament within the book of James.

In James chapter one verse 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

According to this, someone is only tempted when that individual chooses to be drawn away by their own desires. Now, I am always a skeptic of someone pulling each individual verse to justify ones answer. So let's look at verses 13 through 18 in context.

"Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethern. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of his own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures."

Looking at the verses in context one reads that God Himself does not tempt anyone. The second verse tells us who acutally tempts us. The answer is ourselves. How do we tempt ourselves? The answer is by our own desires.

That is a hard pill to swallow. Because, that means we have only ourselves to blame for being tempted.

So when you hear someone (or think yourself), God please don't tempt me, quote James chapter one verse 14. "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed".

Ask the question, what is the desire that is pulling you away to temptation.