James 4:3

James 4:3 you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions. 

Over the past few months I have look at the way that I pray to the lord. What are the thing I am asking him for and how are they benefiting him and the word. Not all prayers are pleasing to the lord and he does not hear or answer them. I have a new understanding of what it means to have self centered prayers after ministering here in Africa. For people of the world who have little have just as selfish prayer lives as us Americans with all of our wealth. Praying that our passions will be fulfilled to meet our needs and not the Lords need. We must die to self and come to the lord with prayers of thanksgiving to our neighbors, to our family, to our enemies. James is not saying that pleasure is not a bad thing but we mustn’t make it about ourselves. Everyday I ask myself lord is what I am doing pleasing to you? And I play that my prayers are as well. I shared this week during a lesson that we must ask for things that are pure in the heart and not from the mind to often do we speak what our minds want. Not meaning it from the heart. The lord knows what’s in our heart and we must bring that to him. Allow god to use your passion for his glory and allow him to transform you. This week when I find myself slipping or thinking of self I will bring it to the lord and surrender my thoughts.