Matthew 4:1-11.  Jesus responded rightly to each of the devil’s temptations in this narrative.  He used the word of God to combat the challenges the tempter brought to him.  Yet it is equally clear that there are fundamental flaws in the challenges themselves.  Sometimes our prayers sound more like Satan’s temptations.

1. “Lord, I need something, and I am looking for your miraculous provision.  Give me this one thing and I will know that you are the Son of God”  (3-4).
2. “Lord, I have placed myself in this dangerous position because I just know that you are going to miraculously rescue me. I claim your promises from Psalm 91!”  (5-7).
3. “Lord, I have given up something for you, so I know you are going to give me what I want”  (8-10).

When our prayer lives amount to nothing more than testing the LORD to see how much he is willing to do for us, we have missed the point of coming to him.  Prayer is not about putting the Lord to the test.  It is learning to live on every word that comes from his mouth as if it were our daily bread.  It is taking our eyes off our own desires and needs, and worshipping and serving him alone.

LORD, teach us to pray in such a way that we do not imitate the tempter.  May we learn to come to you for your sake, not our own.