Effective prayer life

Dear All, 

Today I want to share with you my thoughts on James 4:2 " You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask"

How often I have caught myself approaching God, only when I am in trouble or when I am in need of something.

Why do i say that?

That is because I have allowed myself rather ignorantly, to strive over my job, my finances, my daily chores, my relationships, my health, only to find myself in a corner not knowing what to do.

During these times I did not go to God in prayer. I made my own decisions on each of these areas of my life.

All of my actions were only vain glory that resulted in strive, and even lust for success, so that the world will recognize me as a successful person. I had tried to fit in God to fulfill this ideal goal of mine.

James 4:2 says you lust and do not have. further down he says you do not have because we ask not.

How true. I never asked God what I really wanted. Is it because I think He wont be interested or let alone answer it?

Or is it because I dont trust him enough to give me all my hearts desires. Or is it because He will say No?

Or is it because I know better, what is good for my happiness, and I dont need to bother God with it. 

I have even justified myself into thinking that Ihave His wisdom to decide what is good for me. How weird that sounds to me now.

I realize how wrong I have been. God loves, for me to ask, ask , ask because we are His children. It does not matter if I asked the wrong thing. If it is not good for me He just wont give it to me. 

Don't we ask our parents what we want eventhough we know sometimes they wont give us everything we ask?

John 14:12-14 " Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also: and greater works than these he will do, because I go to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it"

I realize when I empty myself from my own understandings, and approach my Daddy(God) childlike, running to Him for the smallest to the biggest concerns, I am actually admitting to Him that on my own I can do nothing, and I depend on Him for everything.

It is only when I humbled myself, God showed me, that it is in my nothingness He becomes my glory. When I stopped focusing on all my past achievements and past victories as mine but given to me freely because of His goodness and mercy and love, I realized, I was no different from the thief beside Jesus who stole what was not his.  Yes I claimed all God's glory as mine. God forgive me.

Then I asked God, why now that I understand this truth and have repented and decided to walk in the spirit of Christ, and now I ask and ask and ask, my prayers are still not answered. There are 2 scriptures to answer this question.

This is what He says in James 1:6 " But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind" ( not wavering)

 When I peservere in prayer without wavering and believe God will answer my prayer in his time, waiting on Him, puts my flesh to death and my spiritman is getting stronger to do great exploits in his Name. (John 14:13)

2nd scripture Gal 5:6 " For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love."

What is God telling me in this scripture?

The old law of the Jews is you must be circumcised to be accepted as God's people. But Paul is teaching that the law avails to nothing. Instead you need to exercise faith working through with the love of God in our hearts.

It all sounds very good but what does he actually mean, in our daily walk in faith in Christ.

What happens when we walk in faith but no love in our heart. We believe in God but our daily actions do not resemble his love. 

We are disconnected to God and our prayers don't get answered. Some examples:

 Unforgiveness, gossiping, slandering people with our mouth( equivalent to murder), criticizing about anything and everything, grumbling, striving in our work, ministries, families (no joy) , always thinking we are better than others, using our tongue to confess negative things about ourselves or other people. 

I realize when I ponder on these truths, how I have wronged God and have become a total hindrance for his light to shine upon me.

God in His great love and mercy has showed me that I need to go down my knees and ask forgiveness from Him and ask, ask, ask God to help me in my Love Walk. I realize that because of my fallen nature, there is nothing good in me and everything that is good in me comes from Him who lives in me.

I need to ask, ask , ask God to give me the spiritual sight to see Jesus in my brothers and sisters,  no matter what they do. God never gets tired of me asking. Countless scriptures encourages us to ask our Father everything for a abundant life here on earth.  

I need to ask, ask, ask God to give me the compassionate heart of Jesus, who forgave everyone on the cross.

Then as soon as I am treating everyone with love, exercising patience, mercy, quick to forgive, getting along with everyone with no strive, I believe my prayers will get answered. Indeed the truth, that the Law must be written in our hearts, to bear such fruits, is a command from God for our well being.

It is written in James 5:6 " confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

How encourageing the Word of God is . He who is our righteouness, makes us righteous, and our prayer is answered.

I pray for all those who are reading my blog, that God will pour His love into your hearts as He had promised in Rom 5:5 "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

God Bless