When We Ask God for the Wrong Kind of Blessings

 Sometimes we feel really disappointed when we ask God for something and it doesn’t happen the way we hoped. It can feel confusing, especially when it’s something we really wanted. There can be many reasons for that, but there’s something important that we really need to think about—what we are actually asking for.

Were we asking because it was really good for us, or just because we really wanted it?Sometimes we pray for things that would just make us happy for the moment. We don’t always think about whether those things will actually help us grow closer to God.And if we’re really honest, sometimes we want the thing we’re asking for more than we want to be close to God. When that happens, our wants might need to take a back seat so we can trust that God knows what He’s doing.

James 4:3 (NLT) says, “And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.” This verse means that sometimes when we pray for something, our reasons for wanting it may not match what God wants for us. When that happens, maybe we need to pray a different kind of prayer.

Instead of only asking for the thing we want, we can ask God to help us have a heart that wants the same things He wants for us. For example, let’s say I wanted a new car just so I could show it off to my friends or family and make it seem like I’m better than everyone else. That wouldn’t really be a good reason. It would just be about showing off.

So when we pray and ask God for something, it’s important to check our hearts and make sure we’re not asking for something just for worldly reasons. Sometimes, if it doesn’t seem like God is giving us what we want, it might be a good time to stop and think about why we wanted it in the first place. So maybe the better prayer isn’t always “God, give me this,” but “God, help me want what You want.”

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“When We Ask God for the Wrong Kind of Blessings”, written for aheartforchristdevotions.blogspot.com by Kraiapril©2026. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ our Lord!