What does "you do not have because you do not ask" mean in James 4:2?
Can prayer cause things to happen that would not have happened if we didn't pray? It is possible that there will be things in this life that we won't have unless we ask it from God? Doesn't God's will stand alone without our prayers?
James 4:2
ESV - 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
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Asked November 13 2014
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Anonymous
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Larry Stephens
When I was young they would say "that is a million dollar question!" With inflation it's probably a billion dollar question today and I look forward to reading your subscriber's answers.
Danny Hickman
The context is the key to getting an understanding of Scripture. We'll never make sense of the scripture in question if we don't discover the proper context of it.
James is teaching the church about 'worldliness.' It's the Achilles heel of the Church. The key scriptures to this narrative are these verses. James 4:3-5:
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Don't you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "[God] yearns jealously over the spirit that he made to dwell in us"?
"You don't have because you don't ask."
That can make the average believer scratch his head! Missed is the context of the discussion: 'Adulterous child.' Love for your passions; friendship with flesh (the world) and enmity with spiritual living (God).
Worldliness! Desire to be more than God wants you to be (millionaire), makes your desire ungodly. God wants to be our greatest desire. James is pointing that out. Jehovah is a jealous God. That word "friendship" with the world is better translated "intimacy" with the world. Love for the things of the world.
Money doesn't give eternal life or peace with God. Money and power make us even more proud than we were before we obtained them. God opposes the proud!
Love for the world and love for God makes one double-minded. vs 8
Danny Hickman
Continuing:
So the question is 'what do we do about it?' Here it is: Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands (you sinners), and purify your hearts (you double-minded). Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. (here it is) HUMBLE YOURSELVES before the Lord, and He will exalt you (James 4:8-10). (emphasis mine)
I didn't mean to imply that the remedy to worldliness is easy. It's a tough haul to humble yourself! Pride is a high place, a steep hill! That's why we're to draw near to God.
"Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain will be made low; the uneven ground will become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken" (Isaiah 40:4,5)(The prophet ain't talking about geography.)
John the Baptist proclaimed the same: "Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low, and the crooked will become straight, and the rough places will become level ways, and all flesh will see the salvation of God." Both prophets are proclaiming Jesus to be the great Saviour!
(The high-minded sees the same salvation as the low in spirit.) For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the heart of the contrite." (Isaiah 57:14)