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.
James 4:2-3
Much debate has surrounded the word “murder” in James 4:2.* Some believe that it was metaphorical while others believe that James was indicating a path: unfulfilled desire leads to murder.* Others believe that the word is quite literal as the audience of James included Zealots with violent pasts and a religious belief system where murder for making justice was acceptable.*
Regardless, James is insistent that whatever mechanisms that they implemented to obtain the results they wanted failed.* The key to this failure was not just tied to the means of their efforts, but to the motives as well.
Like a flower amongst the thorns of their faulty efforts (impure desires, covetousness, murder, fighting, and quarreling) sat prayer. Indeed, despite their sinfulness, they prayed… well, some did.
Scholars suggest that James refers to those first who did not see desired outcomes in their life (specifically, in their context, positions of leadership and freedom from oppression) because they did not ask God for them.* Secondly, he refers to those who ask, but with wrong motives.* Those who do not ask receive the same thing that those who ask with wrong, selfish motives receive: nothing.*
For God to answer selfish prayers, He would be encouraging selfish desires in His people, and that goes against His nature and goodness.* Selfish prayers, then, go against the best interest of the Christian community, for the best interest of the Christian community is always God’s ways.*
As believers, why would we not pray for issues that plague us? Why would we ask God for things out of selfishness? Because we are all a work in progress.
George Stulac offers,
The conclusion for us is that our fights reveal a wrong relationship with God which is manifest in our prayer lives. Either we do not pray, because we do not trust in God’s grace, or we pray with wrong motives, because we do not follow God’s purity.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to trust Him with your situation. Perhaps today God wants you to pray. Maybe today God wants you to change what you are praying for to an unselfish, Kingdom focus. Perhaps today God wants you walk in His purity.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.
Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!
*Blomberg, C. L., & Kamell, M. J. (2008). James (Vol. 16, pp. 187–189). Zondervan.
Guthrie, G. H. (2006). James. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Revised Edition) (Vol. 13, pp. 253–254). Zondervan.
Stulac, G. M. (1993). James (Jas 4:2–3). IVP Academic.
Moo, D. J. (2021). The Letter of James (D. A. Carson, Ed.; Second Edition, pp. 227–231). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Nystrom, D. P. (1997). James (pp. 224–226). Zondervan Publishing House.
Martin, R. P. (1988). James (Vol. 48, pp. 145–148). Word, Incorporated.