Our present Pope (well, not mine, and probably not yours. But the one reigning in Rome at present...) tells us that the 2,000-year history of the wording of the Model Prayer needs a tweak for our generation.

You see, Jesus told us to pray, "Lead us not into temptation..."

And Papa says, Nix! God cannot lead us into temptation. To give him the benefit of the doubt (a doubtful offer to be sure) we can say he was trying to reconcile Jesus' words with Brother James who specifically said that God cannot tempt us to do evil.

True enough. Will never happen. But then, when God specifically asks one to do something, the fact that it comes from God, makes that thing NOT evil. BUt that's another issue...

James or Jesus? Never is the Scripture pitting one against the other in terms of eternal truth. No contradiction here.

The Father is holy, impeccable, cannot sin. How could He ever entice His own people to sin?

But the same Father is on record as being quite willing, able, and because of us, needing, to test His people, if you prefer that word (though test and tempt come from the same Greek, peirazo.)

Sometimes that test comes directly from the Father, and sometimes that test is allowed by the Father of Satan the Enemy.

Jesus wants God's people to be praying to be delivered from testing that would cause them to fall. For the rest of the plea is, "Deliver us from evil." We want nothing to do with wickedness, Lord, so lead us in your perfect path of righteousness by which we will never be overcome with the evil intentions of your enemy.

One could also tie this section of the prayer to the one before it... "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us..." Father, we have sinned. Forgive us our sin. And keep us from sinning any more. Lead us in the righteous path, not that other one.