What Are You Praying For?
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Scripture Readings: James 4, Psalm 139
How is your prayer life? In our lives, we get so consumed with the things we want out of this life. Money, good health, a good life, possessions are just a few things all of us pray for. It's hard to admit, but most of the time, when we pray, we ask for things that are vain, shallow, or just outright selfish.
Don’t get me wrong, we all have needs, and it's not bad to pray for them, but in order to get God’s blessing, we need to pray for the right things or they become amiss. Let's take a look at James 4:2-3, which says, Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. James was talking to fellow Christians who believed in God but didn't trust Him fully to know that God provides for their needs. Instead, they go to God in prayer to try to inquire about their own lustful desires of this world. Simply put, God will not answer your prayers if your intention is for the desire of self-ambition and envy.
Prayers are answered with the proper trust we put in our Lord, with a sound heart and sound mind. Verse 8 says, Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. We must come to Him in prayer with humility and meekness, with a right heart, and a striving to live life without sin in it. Verse 6 says, But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
When we go to God in prayer, are we asking for the right things? Instead of saying, “Lord, give me this job I've wanted,” what you should say is, “Lord, if this is where You want me to work, open the opportunity.” Instead of saying, “Lord, take away my problems,” say, “Lord, guide me through this problem, and that You may gain the glory in this situation.” We have to stop asking for what we want for ourselves, but instead, ask for what God wants for us.
When we go to prayer, it's not about praying for things, it's about praying for the right things. We must be fervent in prayer and pray for things like spiritual strength, wisdom, and serving to fulfill God’s good work and His will. In the things that we pray for, we must recognize if they're on the top of our spiritual priority list. More so, don’t be selfish in your prayers. We must go to Him with a humble heart, and the core of being humble is by loving others and putting their needs above our own.
All in all, when we pray, we must pray for the right things. If our prayers are filled with vain things and desires, then the motive of our prayer is wrong. I like to check my prayer motives with Psalm 139:23-24, which says, Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Give Him the glory in your prayers and ask if what you're praying for will lift Him up on high. Remember, it's not about praying for what you want for yourself, it's about praying for what God wants for you. God Bless!