Our obligation to the Lord, at the very least, is to treat him as he is. He’s the Son of God at the right hand of the Father, but he’s the Son of Man coming back after us. The heavenly Father is not human; he’s a spirit, not a force, not a thing, but he is somebody. The great Somebody. We can talk to him, and it is not to be out of habit nor by ritual. We’re not to pray a certain prayer for a certain type of occasion. That’s not treating him like he is somebody. Prayer is not a formality but a channel to talk to God. Moses met the Lord through a burning bush. God spoke to him, and he spoke back to God.
James 4:3 “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”
Praying is a serious matter. Asking amiss is a sin. James says we are to be considerate about what we pray and how we pray. Jesus said for us to pray after this manner. “Our Father which art in heaven; hallowed by thy name.”
Think about the value of your prayers. It’s well known that God answers prayers but not always like we expect or want. However, prayers asked amiss are not answered. Praying amiss means something is missing. God hears all our prayers, even the wrong ones, but he doesn’t answer them all. We have to pray in the right spirit and not just so we can get something. God evaluates why and where a prayer comes from. He knows more about what we say than we do. He doesn’t bother to answer because we don’t bother to pray in the right way. If we don’t put much into it, how can we expect him to put much into it in return?
We’re missing out and not conveying our heart. We pray, but they are empty. If you’re thirsty and see a full bottle of Pepsi and an empty one, which will you pick up to drink? You want the full one. We ask amiss when our prayers are just labels—“empty bottles.”
Due to the grace of God, he blesses those who don’t even bother to pray. Many pray to the wrong thing due to a false religion. God doesn’t strike them dead. He gives them the chance to find the way. Many who are saved pray amiss by acting and treating God like he is a thing. There is something wrong with our channel. Is it God’s fault? No. We are at fault. We need to own up to it. Even the most versed and spiritual among us must stay on top of our prayer life.
We fail to ask God in earnest. A true earnest puts value on a prayer—who we pray to and what we pray about. It’s a noticeable sincerity and appreciation to God. It’s not because we have to but because we want to. It’s not on an as-needed basis. It should be a daily thing we do. Enoch walked with God. That means he was praying. God wants us to pray. He needs our love and praise. He wants our attention. If he doesn’t get it, the devil will make sure he gets it himself. It should be our whole-hearted desire to be sincere and treat God in a manner showing our acknowledgment of his lordship and deity. It’s not half pound prayers and expecting a ton of blessing. We receive in proportion to the value we place on God and our privilege to pray. James says we crowd God out and thereby ask amiss just to consume the answers we want to satisfy our own lusts. A Christian can’t demand. We are never to value our wants more than being sincere and willing to accept God’s will.
The Bible says if we regard iniquity in our heart the Lord won’t hear us. It’s a prayer with a wrong attitude. We hide or harbor ill feelings as if God doesn’t see the sin. Take care of the sin first; come clean. Can we sin when we pray? Yes. Do we pray half asleep or say the same old words like a broken record? God sees this whether we do or not. How would you like this kind of conversation from someone you know? Imagine how God feels. We treat him as a thing, and that’s a sin.
He deserves our total praise and focus. Be careful of what you ask and how you ask. Again notice that the model prayer recognizes God and doesn’t start off with the “give me’s.” We are not acknowledging God with our simple lists asking for this and that. Praying in Jesus’ name is not something we tag on at the end, but we should be aware it is because of Jesus that we can pray; he helps us.
Is your prayer life cold? Fix it up. Let’s hit the target and not miss- ask amiss, that is.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 