Amiss - James 4:1-5

4:1-5 - We know that when James originally wrote this epistle 2,000 years ago, he didn’t divide it into chapter and verse, it was one single document, as far as I know. The end of chapter 3 promises that “the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” So if peace is the result of righteousness the James asks “from whence come wars and fightings among you?” If righteousness equals peace, then if the people are fighting, what does that indicate about their spiritual status? They fight each other and “lust” and “kill” and “desire to have… yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” My guess as to what this verse is saying is that we do all these things to try to get what we want, we will even act against the commandments, but ultimately we don’t get what we are looking for because we don’t ask God if that is what we are supposed to have or do. I think about people who do “get what they want” by committing immoral acts, but ultimately what are they looking for? Feelings of importance, emotional security. Think about King Noah, he got “what he wanted” by being wicked, but he it was never enough, he always had to have more, or to at least continue his gluttony and immorality. He was looking for power and money and sex, but all this was a cover for what he really wanted which was to feel important and loved. James almost makes it seem like the people were praying to God for blessings that were wicked, which is kind of an interesting idea. I mean, I just don’t know what to make of that. But James does not that they petition the Lord “and receive not because ye ask amiss.” I had a friend tell me once about this concept, about praying according to the Spirit and it really didn’t make sense to me. I am not great at prayer to begin with, but I really feel like that is my special time to talk to Jesus about what I want to talk about. Logically it doesn’t make sense, but emotionally I feel like if I were to give up my prayer time to try to feel out the Spirit for what I should be asking for, it’s just another way of suppressing my progress and who I am in order to be the “good” girl that I’m supposed to be. I don’t know, it sounds stupid but that’d how I feel and I’m going to have to think about this. The IM quotes Neal A. Maxwell as teaching, “God sees things as they really are and as they will become. We don’t! In order to tap that precious perspective during our prayers, we must rely upon the promptings for the Holy Ghost. With access to that kind of knowledge, we would then pray for what we and others should have- really have. With the Spirit prompting us, we will not ask ‘amiss.’” I guess if I think about the process of prayer, waiting and listening to the Spirit could help us understand the exact next step in our spiritual progress. If we are praying for someone who is suffering, we could pray for them and as we are prompted to ask for specific blessings for them, we will know what they might specifically need and what we can do to help. We go to so much effort to try to get what we want, but we forget “that the friendship of the world is enmity with God,” and “the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy.” I don’t think that this really means that friendship is wrong, but maybe that relationships that are based on immorality are according to “the world” which are wrong. Relationships should be based on the commandment “love thy neighbor as thyself,” not “what can I get out of this friendship.” I’m a ride or die chick so relationships with people that are predatory are so foreign to me, I just don’t understand, even though I have been the “prey” in those relationships many times, I just try not to be the predator.