When it comes right down to it, we all like to get something for nothing. For many that live in the world today, they would prefer to have a celestial Santa Claus rather than a divine Lord and Savior.  Especially when something drastic happens in our life and we are desperate for help from God, because we realize that only He can help us.

It is disappointing then when God doesn’t immediately give us the things that we perceive as important needs. If not careful, we can get discouraged and blame God. In these situations, it is often the case that our needs are really just our wants.  We all know that this is confused thinking, but how easy it is to fall into this especially if our prayer life is limited or non-existent.

James points this out in James 4:3, where he says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” I’ve caught myself praying for situations or people because they are in a tough spot or need help, not really thinking about why I am praying for them.  My motive, I tell myself, is that I feel compassion for the other person. When down deep if I really am truthful to myself, I realize that I could easily be in the same situation and would want God to help me. With wrong motives we end up with what the Psalmist says in Psalm 66:18 “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear;”

It’s only when we recognize the wrong thinking and repent that we are able to turn ourselves away from our selfish thoughts and towards the One that matters. When we live the Godly life, seeking His will and living for God, we have the confidence expressed by the apostle John in 1 John 5:14-15
14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

But we can rejoice in the “Good News” because no matter what happens or how often we fail, how often our motives are not pure, God still loves us. His love is perfect and His grace showers over us. So we can be confident that no matter what we ask of Him, He will always give us what we need and what is good for us.

Join us this Tuesday at 7pm as we pray confidently according to His will.

Always praying for the glory of God,
Chris McKean