Scripture | James 1:2-8, 22; 2:8-17; 4:1-3;
Love that is mature and complete enables us to ask and receive in order to share God's glory
When prayers seem to go unanswered it may be that love is headed your way
"Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault...do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says...‘Love your neighbor as yourself...’ You want something but don't get it...you do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."
James point is simple: God doesn't raise spoiled kids. He has One Favorite Son, Jesus, and required him to die for the rest of us. How spoiled is that?
Further, he expects no less of us: we are to love him first, above all, and just as Jesus did. Jesus died for you and me, yes; but he did so first in obedience to his Father - love for his Father was Jesus’ primary motivation and should be ours.
So, when prayers go unanswered it may be that God is sending love first; that is, he is working to pour out his love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and this may require getting our undivided attention and correcting wrong attitudes.
Just as giving to your children all they want is not love, so neither is God giving to us our every whim. If our love is ‘mature and complete’, we do not ask God for whims. Asking ‘whimsically,’ motivated by mere temporary desire, is what James means by asking ‘with wrong motives’ Real love for God doesn't want selfish whims. Love that is ‘mature and complete’ wants the glory of the Father in Jesus, and thus deeply wants and eagerly asks for this glory to be revealed through answered prayers. When love is made mature and complete - perhaps due to delay and the trial that turns you God-ward - you will deeply desire to pray and receive this way.
