Scripture

Our verse for today comes from James 4:2-3, “You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

Background

Have you ever wondered why some prayers go unanswered? Sometimes the timing of our prayers is not right. At other times our prayers may be focused on wrong issues, or our motives or intent in asking may be off track. And, as hard as it is to admit, there may be those times when we do not see answered prayer because we simply have not prayed about a matter. Andrew Murray, South African pastor and theologian, once said, “God must give, we must ask.” His statement reminds us that as followers of Christ our role in prayer is not to tell God how to answer our prayers, or when to answer our prayers. We are to be faithful in our task of asking.

Application

In today’s text, James challenges believers to evaluate their faithfulness in asking and to be sure that they pray with proper motives. If the church is going to be faithful to take the gospel to the world, we must be faithful first to ask, and then to trust God to do the answering! Paul reminds us in Ephesians 3:20 that when God answers prayer it is usually, “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Will we ask? And will we ask with the right motives?

Charge

As we seek Him today, pray for the Holy Spirit to search you for wrong motives in prayer. Pray for faithfulness and discipline in your personal prayer life.

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words