Explore the Bible Online

James 4:3-10

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

3. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts. 4. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6. But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded. 9. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and [your] joy to heaviness. 10. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

James 4:3-10 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on James 4:3

Theological / Devotional

Ask. See on Matt. 7:7.

Receive not. Answers to prayer depend upon both the nature of the requests and the spirit of the prayer (see on Luke 11:9).

Amiss. Gr. kakos, “wrongly,” that is, with improper motives and perhaps for wrong objectives. He who prays without the determination to align himself with the will of God is praying “amiss” (see 1 John 5:14).

Consume. Gr. dapanad, “to squander,” “to spend.”

Lusts. Gr. hedonai (see on v. 1). Prayers of this nature are not answered because the things prayed for are to be used for personal gratification. Such prayers, even for things good in themselves, God cannot answer.

By SdaBc