DO WE REALLY GET WHATEVER WE ASK FOR?

James 4:2c-3 New Living Translation 

“… 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.”

         God is not in the habit of denying his children what they ask for, but there is a catch. He is not a genie in a bottle. Rub the lamp and ask for whatever you wish and you shall receive it. It doesn’t quite work that way. You may point to John 14:13-14, which says, “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.” Yes and that’s all well and good, but when you ask in Jesus name you are invoking according to his character and will for us. You must not only understand scripture in its context, but also know the character of God to know that he doesn’t go about dispensing your wishes like some human Pez dispenser. 

            Our Heavenly Father knows the desires of our heart better than we know them ourselves. He sees the deepest motivations of our heart, which we think no one else can know. We cannot trick God into giving us what we want. I shake my head in disagreement when people pray akin to begging for some worldly trinket such as an expensive European car siting the verses in John’s gospel in the process. We will not get everything we want if God knows it will hurt us in some way. He would know that, while we would not because our lustful desire for such a thing would cloud our reason. 

            God withholds no good thing from his children. However, we must trust him that he knows far better than we do what is best for us. That’s why we should always ask if it is God’s will then please allow me to have thus and so. Having said that, I believe it is far more important for us to seek to be merciful, kind, loving, forgiving, non-judgmental and so on. In other words, it is more important to seek being like Christ. Those necessarymaterial blessings will come as we are in need of them. It is far better to allow the choice and decision to God. His decisions are never clouded with wants rather than needs. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.