November 8, 2024
Justin Tucker
LHC Worship Pastor
James 4:1-3
What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from your passions that wage war within you? 2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
This passage reveals that our prayers sometimes don’t go answered the way we expect because they are driven by selfish motives. Rather than seeking God’s will, we may be focused on what will bring us satisfaction or personal gain. When we approach prayer with a heart that is centered on ourselves, we miss the deeper purpose of prayer, to align ourselves with God's heart and His plans.
God desires to bless us, but He is more concerned with our spiritual growth and well-being than simply giving us everything we ask for. When we pray, we must seek to understand His will and align our desires with His. Instead of asking for things that serve our own interests, we should pray with humility, asking God to shape our hearts and make us more like Christ.
To receive from God, we should approach Him with sincere motives, asking for things that will glorify Him and further His kingdom. Our prayers should reflect a heart of submission, trusting that God knows what is best for us. As we grow in our relationship with God, our desires begin to shift, and our prayers become more in tune with His will, allowing us to receive what we ask for in a way that honors Him.
As you pray today, ask God to show you His will. Ask Him to impact the lives of others through healing or life transformation. We know that God wants to hear from us, He tells us in 1 Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. Then wait and listen because His timing and answers are perfect.
LHC Worship Pastor
James 4:1-3
What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from your passions that wage war within you? 2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
This passage reveals that our prayers sometimes don’t go answered the way we expect because they are driven by selfish motives. Rather than seeking God’s will, we may be focused on what will bring us satisfaction or personal gain. When we approach prayer with a heart that is centered on ourselves, we miss the deeper purpose of prayer, to align ourselves with God's heart and His plans.
God desires to bless us, but He is more concerned with our spiritual growth and well-being than simply giving us everything we ask for. When we pray, we must seek to understand His will and align our desires with His. Instead of asking for things that serve our own interests, we should pray with humility, asking God to shape our hearts and make us more like Christ.
To receive from God, we should approach Him with sincere motives, asking for things that will glorify Him and further His kingdom. Our prayers should reflect a heart of submission, trusting that God knows what is best for us. As we grow in our relationship with God, our desires begin to shift, and our prayers become more in tune with His will, allowing us to receive what we ask for in a way that honors Him.
As you pray today, ask God to show you His will. Ask Him to impact the lives of others through healing or life transformation. We know that God wants to hear from us, He tells us in 1 Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. Then wait and listen because His timing and answers are perfect.
Posted in Daily Devos