Biblical Teaching on Prayer
James 4:3
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
Pondering Point
We would never ask God to answer prayers for selfish motives, would we? We would never mask our sinful pleasures in a cloak of religious language or form, would we? Lord, unmask our motives that we might dedicate ourselves to Your pleasure first – first and foremost. Next week we will spend more time defining what a servant-disciple is and does, but for this week, we simply take stock of our attitude toward being available to serve others rather than ourselves.
Prayer
Father God, as we spend the next month focused on being servant-oriented disciples, I boldly ask that You show me where I am acting in God-serving or self-serving ways. Where my attitude needs to undergo more change, I pray that You bring it in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Journal Prompt:
Consider writing out your responses to the above prayer
Prayer Thoughts
Chapter 24
Servanthood
. I asked Brother James, in charge of a home for the dying in Calcutta, “What message should I give others when I speak?”
He said, “When you see a person in need, stop and help immediately.” It is a simple message. I pray that my eyes and yours don’t look the other way. You and I don’t need to go to Calcutta to see people in need. Look around today. God stretched me to learn how to serve. My prayers for others and myself have changed since having the Calcutta experiences.
Got his book? Read pages 117-120 in Keep Me and Keep All, Smith.
Also check out Pastor Bob’s answer to Prayer Question #49 on page 292: “How can prayer help me direct my life?”