“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
“What just happened here?” That’s the likely reaction when God responds to a prayer we didn’t expect him to answer, and with blessings beyond our imagination. Answers to prayer are evidence of God’s faithfulness.
God wants us to ask him to provide for our needs, not just because he has the ability to provide, but also because the act of asking draws us closer to him. Truly depending on God for help is a humbling experience. It means giving up prideful thoughts that we can just rely on ourselves. It requires trust that God’s solution will satisfy. And in the process of crafting our request, we learn what he desires to bless us with and discover God’s heart so that we would not “ask with the wrong motives.” James 4:3.
The wonder of our relationship to the Father is displayed when we get to the point of knowing him, asking him, trusting him, and receiving from him.
