I love the Book of James in the Bible. It’s tough and hard-hitting through and through. I could imagine if the book really was written by James, the brother of Jesus, that he would be really bothered by people that took the faith lightly.
In James 4:2-3, James basically says that a whole lot of what we ask God for never happens because we’re asking for the wrong stuff with the wrong motives. Basically, a bunch of our prayers are going straight to God’s SPAM folder.
Are you praying for stuff that tugs at the heart of God or are you praying for stuff that will make your life more comfortable? Check out the passage for yourself. Powerful, convicting stuff!
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. – James 4:2-3 (NLT)
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Maybe it's where I'm at in my life, but I'd have MIGHTY big problem with the Deity if I felt that God didn't listen to my prayers because of my own personal problems. Essentially what that text tells me is that I have to get my own self together in order to talk to God. That acts in contradiction to various theological messages that we put forth that say I really don't have to do much in order to be in a relationship with God–such as the "come as you are" messages put forth; or that "God doesn't care what you've done in your life" and that "all you have to do is pray."
Seriously….wtf?!?! God is spamming my prayers. Real talk, if that's the case I'm done with God then.
My friend, this text isn't saying you cannot come to God messed up, which you are right would contradict the Gospel Message. What it is saying is when we pray for things like a Benz in the garage, a rolex on the wrist, and a fine lady to walk next to and we don't receive any of them it's because our desires are driving our prayers. But when we ask that God give us a means of transportation, a desire to show up early and work hard and the kind of lady that is a true help mate that will love and support you and be the kind of mother to your children that will help you raise them up to be Christ-followers and revolutionaries. God will hear and honor those prayers because your desire is focused on the things of God.
Hey Man!
I agree with Ben on this one. Read the verse in context by checking out more of James 4 and you will see that James was really blasting people that were asking God for outrageous things like our modern day equivalent of luxury cars, etc.
Are you a father? I have 4 kids. Somethings that my kids ask me for go straight to spam. Some don't. Other parents will understand :-)
Meh…
Something about the concept of God blocking out my voice on the basis of…well…ANYTHING jsut doesn't settle well with me.
I am half and half on this. I think you are right, God hears all of our prayers. There is not such thing as God's spam folder. God has said throughout scripture that he hears us when we come to him.
On the other hand, hearing and giving everything are very different. I think that is what Shaun is trying to say with his parent analogy. But I would say it differently. Prayer is not primarily about getting what we want, that is what is different about Christianity from other forms of prayer (although we are told to tell God what we want too), it is primarily about building a relationship with God. We are to hear from him, he is to hear from us. The more we do what God asks us to do (put scripture into practice) the more our prayers will be in line with what God wants for us the more answers to our prayers we can expect. Although God answers prayers that are sincere request, not just those of perfect people. We don't have to be perfect to have our prayers answered, we just need to honestly be seeking God and what God wants for us and those around us.
I got it, it was a good illustration and I appreciate the shift on this site to more from PASTOR Shaun's heart, it's sincere, honest and definitely hitting home 4 me. TY
Hey Adam!
Thanks for your comment man! I am not saying that God does not hear all of our prayers, but all of our prayers aren't answered for a very real reason. Some of what we ask God for suggests we think of God more as a genie in a bottle than anything else.
I know what you meant. I was just trying to clarify to make sure that people understand that there isn't anything that we can do to prevent God's will or that there isn't anything that we can do to force God. I think those are the problems that we often have when talking about prayer.
The biggest problem in talking about prayer (just making a observation here, nothing about Shaun) is that often we talk about it much more than do it. And we talk about it to people instead of showing them how to pray. I have read a lot on prayer, and I find much of it helpful, but none of it is as helpful as actually being around people that pray.
Sean when I read this the first thing that poped into my mind was two teenage girls borrowing clothes from eachother. I have just been having this conversation with my daughter who has taken to wearing her friends clothes. "She Likes Them, She Wishes She Had Them, BlahBlahBlah." Well she can ask for me to go and buy her something, I hear her and I still say NO! Just because her friend get to wear that _______(shirt, short, style) doesn't mean she gets too.
I hear her but……It isnt' good for her so the answer is NO. God is the same way.
I can ask(pray) for something, that doesn't make it GOOD for Me. God hears my prayer and says NO. God has something better planned for me, he hears me but it is HIS Will that I ask for him to do in my life. So just like I as a parent say No I have something better planned for you. I don't want you to be that person. You are asking out of greed and envy not need and love. God in a more perfect way does the same thing. Too be completely honest, if my Prayer is more like Spam then I hope He deletes it and forgets I asked Him for it.