Breakfast With Christ - Praying Amiss
BREAKFAST WITH CHRIST
TOPIC: PRAYING AMISS
SCRIPTURE: JAMES 4:3
"When you ask, you do not receive, because you pray amiss, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."
When we are praying, one of the dangers we need to watch well is praying amiss. James spoke about this danger in our opening scripture. So what does it mean to pray amiss?
To pray amiss is to pray with the wrong motive or intention. When we pray with the wrong motive, such a prayer us likely not to get answered. God knows our true intentions, humans cannot deceive God. When we pray and make a request before God, He looks at the true intentions of our heart. When we pray and ask for money just so that we can spend it on our carnal pleasure, we are praying amiss. Such a prayer is likely not to get a positive answer from God. When we pray to God to bless us just so that our 'enemies' can be ashamed, we pray amiss. God doesn't bless us to put our enemies to shame.
To pray amiss also means to pray outside God's Will. Apostle John told us in 1 John 5:14, that if we ask anything according to the Will of God, He hears us. The phrase we must pay attention to is "according to the Will of God". Which means God is likely not hear a prayer which is done outside His Will. It is therefore neccessary that we know what the Will of God is for every situation we find ourselves in before we pray about the situation. Prayer is not about forcing God's hand to do something for us. Some of us pray as if God were a toy we are trying to manipulate. God is sovereign, He lives only by His Will. Our wish is not God's command. God will only answer prayers that are in accordance with His Sovereign Will.
Finally, praying amiss also means to pray like a hypocrite. In Matthew 6:5-8, Jesus warned us not to pray like the hypocrites. A hypocritical prayer is a prayer which is done just to show off. This kind of prayer is normally done in group prayer meetings. Some of us go for prayer meetings to pray just to show off our praying skills. We deliberately practice some well arranged prayers just to go and show off. That is praying amiss. God is likely not answer such prayers. Jesus also warned us against heaping up empty words or phrases in prayer. Prayer isn't about saying so much or repetitions of words. Prayer is about faith.
Brethren, if we want our prayers to be answered, we need to watch these dangers and make sure we don't pray amiss. Our Father in Heaven wants us to achieve results in our prayers, so let's know His will and pray accordingly.
Prayer line:
Father, help me know your Will so that I don't pray with the wrong motives.
Further Scripture Readings
Matthew 6:5-8
1 John 5:14-15