Bible Studies

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Do you have the right intentions?

Many of us pray for things we desire, and then when we don’t get everything we want, God gets the blame. James 4:3 says: Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Clearly, you can’t just have what you want. Lust means you desire something. To ask amiss is to miss the mark.

A rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked him how he could have eternal life. Jesus told him to follow the commandments. The man answered that he did. “I don't commit adultery. I don't kill. I don't steal." So Jesus tells him to go sell all he has and come follow Him. At that point, the man turns around and leaves. His heart was divided. He trusted in uncertain riches, rather than loving the Lord whole-heartedly. It was like he was saying, "I can believe you here, God, but I can't believe you here."

Jesus then went on to teach about how hard it is for a man with riches to enter heaven. In Mark 10:25 Jesus says, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. A “needle” here is not a threading needle. It's a small opening in a fort they used to drag camels through on their knees when invading armies were coming. It wasn't impossible; it was just aggravating.

God wants His people to have wealth. But your heart has to be right first. Why would He bring wealth into your life if it will drive you away? If you're lusting for money, you're asking amiss. What you should be asking is that your heart be changed so that God can open the gates of heaven and pour you out a blessing. When your lusts and desires become that of God’s, I believe He opens the floodgates and wealth comes into your life. I believe you have more than enough. But the fact is, the more need you have in your life, the more you look to God. God will even cause that lack in your life to get your attention and to show you that there is a spiritual answer. In Deuteronomy 8, God tells the people that He suffered them to hunger and then fed them to make them know that man doesn’t live by bread alone. God was training them to look to Him and not at physical things. He’ll take care of your needs. He wants you to change your heart. He wants you to trust and rely on in Him because He sees you eternally. He doesn’t just see you getting through your next problem in life. He sees you high and raised up with Jesus Christ, and He’s going to bring you to that place of greater blessing. The reality is that this sometimes involves not giving you what you want—just as a father wouldn’t give a child everything he asks for because it’s obviously not good for that child. Whatever your situation, God will use it to cause you to stretch and grow in the things of Him before moving you forward.

In the next segment, we’ll look at the third reason God doesn’t answer prayer: He has a higher purpose.

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