and that's the way the cookie crumbles...

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:1-4 ESV)

Do you ever get frustrated because you feel like God doesn't answer your prayers? I know I do!

Have you ever watched the movie, Bruce Almighty? Bruce takes over as God for a few days and he can do miracles and answer prayers. Bruce opens up the Yahweh prayer mail and reads a few prayers and it seems like the people are asking for good things, so he says "yes" to them. In one of deleted scenes, God shows Bruce what His plan was and how that is now altered. For example, chubby Philbert is getting picked on in gym, and prays, “Oh, God, please help me.” Bruce replies, “Don’t worry Philbert. Help is on the way,” then gives him supernatural power to climb the gym rope faster than anyone. Next, we see a lady named Esther about to go bankrupt. Bruce causes her to slip on milk in the grocery store and a lawyer happens to be right there to assist her. These certainly seem like the answers they wanted.

However, God shows Bruce what his plan would have been for them if the answers had been "no."

Bruce: There were so many…I just gave them all what they wanted.

God: Yeah. Since when does anyone have a clue about what they want. Remember Philbert?

(Scene cuts to Philbert beating another kid up on the playground.)

Bruce: Yeah, Philbert…what’s gotten into him?

God: Brilliant young man. He was gonna be a great poet. The soul of his work would’ve been built around his childhood pain. Now he’s headed for a career as a professional wrestler. He will eventually test positive for steroids and end up managing a muffin shop.

Bruce: Wow, that’s a disappointment.

God: He got what he prayed for. Esther Maha…(scene cuts to Esther’s living room). I love Esther. Esther was bankrupt. She was gonna have to eat her pride and call her sister. That would’ve gotten the two of them together again. Instead she bought a condo in South Florida.

James talks about how we don't ask so we don't receive, and when we do ask, we ask with wrong motives, so we still don't receive. God won't give us the things we seek for selfish or worldly reasons.

So when you don't study and then pray for God to help you pass a test... or when you speed and pray you don't get a ticket... or for the calories in this cupcake not to go to your hips… these prayers are most likely going to be answered with a "no" because your sin earned you some bad consequences.

However, when we pray for God to help us be more kind, patient, loving or godly, those are prayers He'll answer with a yes. When we pray with honorable, godly intentions, we will receive it.

Answer This:

1) Do you ever feel like God doesn't answer your prayers? Is there something you've prayed for something for a long time and God hasn't done it?

2) You do not have, because you do not _______________. You ask and do not receive, because you ask _______________, to spend it on your passions.

3) Give an example of a time you prayed for something and in hindsight you are glad God said no.

4) Spend time praying and ask God to reveal to you any selfish desires or passions you may have. Ask Him to help you seek after Him and not after friendship with the world.

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Written by Amber

PS. The first person to read this and send me a text saying so will get a prize.

If I hadn’t gotten sick…

Galatians 4:12-20

12 Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws.

You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you. 13 Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News. 14 But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible. 16 Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?

17 Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them. 18 If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you.

19 Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. 20 I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you.

Have things ever just not gone the way you planned? Maybe you thought you were going to get the chance to hang out with a friend, but something came up and you had to reschedule. Or, maybe you were going to take a day trip to the beach, but were sick and couldn’t do so.

Well, in Galatians 4:13 Paul reveals that the only reason he preached the Gospel to the church in Galatia in the first place was because he was sick and could not continue on his journey. Paul worried that he would be a burden to the people, but they “received him as an angel of God” and did not scorn or despise him for his illness even though it was a trial to them.

Paul experienced what many of us do all the time, an unwanted change of plans, but he was able to make the best of it and preach to the church in Galatia. The people there had so much respect for Paul that he said, “you would have gouged out your eyes, and given them to me.”

The first time Paul was in Galatia the people adored him and were very receptive of his message, but something was different this time. Paul asks, “What then has become of your blessedness?” and “Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?” The people didn’t want to hear what Paul had to say anymore and no longer accept him.

Paul reminds the church that they should be doing good and serving God even when he  was not present and then addressed them as his little children. By doing this, he lets them know that he feels responsible for them and wants what is best in a way similar to that of a father.

We should, unlike the church in Galatia, be careful not to only do good when we are in church or around a certain person, but live our lives for God all the time and not change our personalities or actions depending on the situation.

Questions:

1.   Are you living more like the Galatians the first or second time Paul visited them?

2.   What changes do you need to make in your life in order to become more the church during Paul’s first visit?

3. “Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through ________ pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully __________ in your lives.”

4. Take some time and journal about this passage.

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Written by Hannah