You Get what You Pray For

James 4:2–3 (NASB 2020)

“You lust and do not have, so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures.”

“You do not have because you do not ask.”
“You ask and do not receive.”
So, which is it?

Some have been tempted to write James off. They find his writing about the law confusing or unenlightened at best, and inconsistent with the rest of the New Testament at worst. They are in good company. Even Martin Luther was disturbed by the book of James. No doubt passages like this one did little to change his view.

James has been addressing some folks who are fighting and quarreling over fleshly nonsense (see James 3:13 and all of chapter 4). I think that what the Apostle is saying is that you get what you ask for.

Galatians 6:7–8 help us see this. The passage says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” (NASB 2020)

Therefore, when you ask for fleshly stuff, you get fleshly results. That’s what these folks were doing, bickering fighting, asking for fleshly stuff that would satisfy their earthly desires, but didn’t really satisfy the need behind those desires. These fleshly things are not from God.

Chasing after such things hindered their prayers and made them ineffective. 1 Peter 3:7–9 is generally seen as addressing husbands, but Peter is talking more generally that that single example. He wrote, “You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.”

Many stop right there and present this as a sort of formula for effective prayer, but Peter goes on. He immediately generalizes this principle, applying it in the same way James did. The passage continues, “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you would inherit a blessing.” (NASB 2020)

Father is not going to provide things that are not what’s best for us and others. His goal is that we grow up into Christ (see Ephesians 4:15 and 1 Peter 2:2 for example). His goal is what the Lord Jesus asked for in John 17:20–21 “I am not asking on behalf of these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (NASB 2020) Unity of the faith, as we are also reminded in Ephesians 4:13 “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” (NASB 2020)

This is the kind of thing Jesus had in mind when He said in John 14:13–14 “And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” (NASB 2020) Likewise in John 15:7 He said, “If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (NASB 2020)

Then He gave us His reason, explaining in John 15:16 that “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” (NASB 2020)

This is the way to true satisfaction resulting in joy, as the Lord pointed out in John 16:23b–24 where he said, “Truly, truly I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” (NASB 2020)

When you pray fleshly, you get fleshly results, which are of no value

When you pray godly (in His name), you get godly results, which restore, build up, satisfy, and bring joy. This is what the Apostle Jesus loved pointed out in 1 John 5:14, writing, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (NASB 2020)

Let this be your motivation:
“Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”
Colossians 3:2–4 (NASB 2020)