Bryant Wright, Founder
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives…” James 4:3
Once you begin to slow down and your heart starts to align with God, the next question becomes simple:
What should you actually pray for?
Most of us default to what’s immediate.
What’s urgent.
What feels pressing in the moment.
We pray about problems.
We pray about decisions.
We pray about needs and wants.
And none of that is wrong. Well, it can be.
Scripture gives us insight into why some prayers seem to go unanswered—not because God isn’t listening, but because our motive is off.
“You ask… but with wrong motives.”
That doesn’t mean all requests are bad. It means the motive behind it may be.
Sometimes we ask God to remove pressure… when He’s trying to grow us through it.
Sometimes we ask for comfort… when He’s shaping our character.
Sometimes we ask for what we want… when He’s after obedience to God’s will.
Prayer is not just about bringing requests to God.
It’s about bringing the right desires before Him.
And that takes honesty. Because the truth is, we can say the right words while still holding onto the wrong motives.
Jesus is the ultimate example. The night before the cross, He asked God to “remove this cup from Me… but not My will, may Thy will be done.”
Let’s pray like Jesus – with the honesty and maturity of Jesus.
You begin to want what He wants. And that’s where prayer starts to be powerful!
DIG DEEPER
Read “Praying the Will of God” at GotQuestions.org
