KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 20:21 (KJV). “And he said unto her, What wilt thou?  She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.”

The mother of Zebedee’s children came to the Lord, with an expression of desiring something from the master. The Lord asked, what do you want? Do not go into prayer not knowing what you want. The mother of those disciples knew exactly what she wanted. She requested that each of the sons would be permitted by the Lord to sit on His left and right side in the kingdom of heaven. The Lord said among other things that as for sitting on his left or right side in the kingdom, it was not His right to give that. This prayer was not granted, because she asked amiss according to James 4:3. “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” – James 4:3 (KJV)

In the book of James 4:1-4, the Holy Ghost speaking through apostle James reveals one major cause of unanswered prayer.

HE reveals that the major cause of unanswered prayer is lust in the hearts of people moving them to require or demand certain things. Scripture reveals also that, the number one cause of unanswered prayer is unbelief (James 1:6-8). We would focus on the place of lust influencing our answers for this study.

Let’s consider one event. A married lady realizes she can’t give birth. She gets desperate, worried, moody and what have you?  She prays and prays and nothing is happening. She asks why is God treating her this way.? The major cause of her frustration is that all her friends have their babies and why is she not having hers (Offence). Please note that every one of her frustrations is focused on herself and not on what God has said in His word. She is not seeking the child basically on the grounds of God’s word or for God’s glory. Her problem is all about herself. This lady is struggling with what people think about her and not what God says about that condition. Hannah in 1st Samuel was in a similar situation, the day she said God give me this child and I will give him to you, she had her breakthrough. She stopped focusing on herself but rather to honour.

 God with the answer. Stop seeking the answer to proof a point for yourself.

THOUGHT: Desiring an answer on the basis of what God has said, builds faith, and your request cannot be denied.

FURTHER STUDIES

James 4 (KJV). ¹ From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? ² Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. ³ Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.