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NASB | James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | James 4:3 You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires. |
Bible Question: Last year, we bought a used car because our minivan's transmission sort of quit working (making the vehicle useless unless we spent a lot of money on transmission repairs). The "new" car seemed to run fine when we bought it last summer. I checked everything I could think of on the car, to get it ready for winter. The heater was so hot it could drive everybody out of the car when we checked it in the summertime. But when winter finally came, and the weather got very cold, the heater hardly blew any warm air at all. The defroster was pretty useless, since it would not even melt INSIDE ice which was basically frozen moisture from people breathing inside the car! I prayed about it because we had to be able to take our son to and from school daily, and it was a safety hazard trying to drive a car with impaired visibility. I even "reminded" God about James 4:3, and that I could not "consume on my lust" adequate heating or defrosting of the windows in our newly acquired 17 year old car (a 1993 model with over 140k miles on it). I asked for adequate heat in that car, but I did not receive what I asked for. Why not? The ONLY reason cited in James 4:3, for asking but NOT receiving, was "... because ye ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts."! Does anyone have any idea why my prayers for adequate heat in that car were not answered, or can anyone describe how I (or any member of my family) could possibly consume adequate heat and a working defroster upon our collective lusts? |
Bible Answer: Hello biblenovice Welcom to the forum With "LUSTS" being the operative word, you have missed the context of the passage where the word is used. IMO you cannot use this as the reason you did not receive from God. Look at Jas. 4:1-5 then understand the context of the passage. What were the people in these passages asking for? If you are working in the name it, and claim it realm, then you can't expect a car with a 14 yr. old heater to work properly, mine didn't, and God held me responsible for it. There are some things in life that "WE" need to take the responsibility for, like spending the money HE has provided, for the things we need. So you see, in a different way, HE did supply for your needs, by answering your prayer, before you asked. Been there, done that, then HE changed my diaper, and said grow up, and start walking in faith. Only by taking what He has already given to us, can we show ourselves as faithful stewards. God doesn't micro manage our lives for us, HE isn't our slave, "WE" are HIS. Did you as a parent, always give your son what he asked for, if not why not? In your giving an allowance to your son for the things he needed, teaching him responsibility, if he then had enough money for a new tire for his bike, but came back to you, asking for you to fix the tire, would you? There are lots of other reasons given in the bible, for why God does not answer prayer. But your question is answered by a simple, "It Is Your Responsibility" Grace be unto you lightedsteps |