Daily Devotionals

Escaping Ordinary Week 1: Wednesday

Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. James 4:3

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who talked the entire time about themselves without stopping to listen to what you have to say or asking you any questions about yourself? I have, and it is never fun. You walk away from that conversation feeling more disconnected than ever. Selfishness is at the core of these one-sided conversations. It can also creep into our conversations with God if we are not careful. One way to keep us from having an extraordinary prayer life is by praying selfishly, with the wrong motives.

James warns us about praying with the wrong motives in James 4. He begins this chapter by talking about how some people go to extreme lengths to get the things they want, even when it causes harm to someone else. He says, “You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it” (verse 3). Let’s pause here. Some people don’t have it because they do not ask God for it. Instead, they try extreme measures to get what they want. Friends, I wonder how often we don’t have something because we don’t ask God for it. God does not give us everything we want, but it does mean that sometimes when we ask God for things, the answer is “yes.” James continued, “And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.” It is possible to pray with the wrong motives. We all do this sometimes. God wants us to express our desires and the things we need, but what we want must not be the main motive of our prayers. We have to keep God’s Kingdom in mind when we pray. These prayers, where God and His kingdom are at the forefront, are the prayers God answers.

If we want an extraordinary prayer life, we must pray with the right motives. We have to pray with God and His kingdom at the forefront of our minds. We have to pray the kind of prayer Jesus prayed, where He prayed for God’s will to be done even over His own will and desires. These kinds of prayers are, indeed, extraordinary.

Moving toward action

Spend a few minutes evaluating your prayer life. Has selfishness crept in? Have you been praying with the wrong motives? Have you focused solely on yourself rather than praying for God’s will to be done? And for the advancement of His kingdom? If so, take a few minutes to pray and confess these things. Confess to Him that you know that you have prayed selfishly and with the wrong motives, and ask for His forgiveness. Then, ask Him to help you pray with the right motives, seeking His kingdom and will over all else.

Going Deeper

James 4:1-10 (NLT)

" What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,

“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor."