Effective Prayer

"You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:2-3

These verses set two principles of effective prayer before us. First, in order to pray effectively you must pray. That seems pretty basic yet prayerlessness is prevalent among Christians. When we do not have something that we need to do God's will the problem may be that we have failed to ask God for it. Bring your needs to Him in prayer. He is waiting for you to ask.

Second, in order to pray effectively you must pray with right motives. The wrong motive is a selfish desire for our own pleasure. The right motive is a desire for God's glory in your life (see John 14:13). God is glorified when in answer to prayer He accomplishes His will in our life. His will is good, pleasing, and perfect (Romans 12:2) and it includes our daily bread, forgiveness, guidance, and deliverance from evil (Matthew 6:11-12) among other things. Set your heart right before Him and ask Him boldly to meet your need according to His will.

Father, as the disciples once asked Jesus, "Teach us to pray," so I now ask you to teach me to pray as you would have me to pray.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark