James 4:3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure ( NLT).
I have been privileged to attend several prayer meetings. In each of those meetings, often I listen to prayer points raised to determine what to pray about.
On several occasions, I decided not to pray certain prayers because they are anti-bible. The motive behind some of them are selfish, ego-driven, vindictive and judgemental.
I have been in prayer meetings where the prayer leader told us to pray that God should bless us more than our siblings and family members so that our family members can call us 'daddy'. That's not biblical.
The focus in some of those prayers raised is that they( family) shouldn't be able to perform any family function without us. The motive behind this prayer is not pure. It is a prayer point that fuels competition and rivalry among siblings and niblings.
Well, most people love to pray such prayers because they want to prove a point to their families and some only need plenty money so that everyone would be subservient to them. To them, that's success.
Those impure motives are the reason God hasn't answered their prayers until now. If you're praying to be better than others, you will always be below them. That's a fact! God doesn't want you to compete with others rather, he want the best for you.
God is loving and merciful. His desire for all His children is to live well and be satisfied with the good things of life. If you pray that God single you out so that others will be damaged and below you, your prayers won't be answered because it doesn't align with God's will.
If God refuses to bless your siblings and families, you won't enjoy your money because you will have to bear all their financial burdens.
In fact, If they don't fear God, they may kill you so that they'll inherit your properties. In Africa such happens. Some.ministers are also guilty of this. When they're praying for their ministries, they run others down in prayers and lift theirs up.
I have heard of those who went fo the mountain to pray down other ministries and ministers. My dad experienced this in the early days of his pioneering ministry. Some folks went to the mountain praying that his ministry close down.
When they returned, they said he won't last more than 3 years. Today, he has lasted for 3 decades( still counting) minus a year at the time of this writing. God doesn't answer such prayers.
Little wonder why some have remained on the same spot for long. If your desire for others is evil, no matter how long you pray, what you desire for others won't leave you.
From today, eliminate selfishness and greed from your prayer life, you'll get better results that way.
Learn to pray for others what you're praying for yourself.
The principle of watering others to be watered in return is still in effect. Water others in prayers and you'll remain ever-green.
Father, I eliminate selfishness from my prayer life today and forever In Jesus name.