James 4:1-12
A quarrel between God’s children unmistakably reveals an unbroken will in both parties. The Lord teaches us that this is yet another obstacle to our prayers being answered (read Mark 11:25). There are two reasons why we receive no answer. The first is that we do not ask, "for everyone that asketh receiveth" (Matthew 7:8). The second is that we ask amiss. That is not a matter of the clumsy construction of our prayers (in any case, "we know not what we should pray for as we ought" – Romans 8:26) but of their aim. Do we pray with an eye to the Lord’s glory or to satisfy our desires? These two aims can never be married. To love the world is to betray the cause of our God, for the world has declared war on Him by crucifying His Son, and neutrality is not possible (Matthew 12:30).
Envy and lust are the magnets by which the world attracts us. But to those who are for Him, God gives infinitely more than the world can offer: greater grace (v. 6; Matthew 13:12). It is enjoyed by those who have learned meekness and humility from the Saviour (Matthew 11:29). But to prove the virtues of grace we must first have felt our own wretchedness (vv. 8, 9; cf. Joel 2:12-13).