DATE POSTED
Monday, June 01, 2026, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa Apartment Homes, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read James 4:2 in your Bible or click on it to read it online in the Amplified Bible (AMP).

² You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your lust goes unfulfilled; so you murder. You are envious and cannot obtain [the object of your envy]; so you fight and battle. You do not have because you do not ask [it of God].

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
I hope you’ve taken a moment to read the verses referenced above, as they’ll help you better grasp the context of this devotional.

It sounds incredibly basic, but God doesn’t want us to overlook the foundational truths of our faith: you must actually ask Him! Think about a baby. When they want something, they cry for it, and they are fiercely persistent in their screams until their needs are met. As adults, we need a similar kind of persistence in our prayer lives, though maturity allows us to articulate exactly what we need.

Unfortunately, when human beings don’t get what they want right away, our fallen nature kicks in. The Apostle James reminds us that instead of turning to God, most people will resort to personal force to get their way. This is where murder, stealing, conniving, deceiving, and a lifelong sense of deep mistrust come from.

We expect this kind of behavior from the world. After all, those without a relationship with Christ have no fixed moral compass, nor do they respect the Creator of this universe or care about what He thinks of their actions. Sadly, this grasping, forceful attitude is most prevalent where money is at stake.

Guarding the Church from Selfish Ambition

Regrettably, even our churches are sometimes impacted by this dreadful departure from the ways of God. As long as we are here on earth and subject to the temptations of the enemy, we must remember that our human minds are weak and naturally selfish. If we aren’t careful, we can easily be tempted to step out on our own and try to force an outcome, foolishly assuming that God isn’t paying enough attention to our situation.

We all dread hearing stories of money being stolen or misappropriated at a local church, and many reading this can probably remember heartbreaking, first-hand situations where this has occurred. It all stems from the exact same root: refusing to trust God and trying to force our own hands.

I love how vividly James 4:2-3 is presented in The Message translation:

“You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.”

When we willingly share our deepest thoughts, wishes, and desires with God, it is like running them through a divine filter. If God looks at our request and sees it as a genuine need—something that will help us accomplish His perfect will for our lives—He will make it happen in His perfect timing.

But when we bypass that filter, we start demanding things. And when our demands aren’t met, we immediately jump to “Plan B” to force the issue ourselves. That path always ends in disaster and brings consequences we never wanted to face.

Aligning Our Hearts with His

If we truly belong to God, our desires will naturally begin to align with His. We won’t want the things that He despises or sees as unfit for our Christian walk. Doing the will of God should always be our greatest ultimate desire.

Think of it like a healthy marriage: a loving spouse is constantly looking for ways to please their partner and make them happy. It should be even more natural for the heart of a believer to want to please God!

Recently, during a pre-service rehearsal and again with our praise team, I heard a song with lyrics something like: “After all You’ve done for me, I could never turn my back on You.” What a powerful sentiment. I believe it would be just as fitting for us to sing, “I could never allow sin to interfere in my relationship with You.”

If we made that our main goal this week, we would all be much more determined to honor, obey, and please God in every single thing we say and do. We would learn to truly respect His wisdom, His infinite knowledge, and His keen awareness of what should be granted to us—and what we should stay far away from! To play it safe, let’s just do exactly what He tells us to do in His Word: humbly, faithfully ask for what we need, and trust Him with the rest.

Psalm 125:1 – Those who trust in the Lord are steady as Mount Zion, unmoved by any circumstance.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, Forgive me for the times I have let my selfish desires take the driver’s seat. Forgive me for jumping to “Plan B” and trying to force my own way when I felt like You weren’t moving fast enough. Lord, I want what You want for my life. I bring my requests, my hopes, and my worries to You today, intentionally running them through the filter of Your perfect will. Give me the grace to respect Your wisdom when You say “no” or “wait.” Keep my heart pure, protect my local church from the traps of the enemy, and help me to live a life that honors everything You have done for me. In the precious and holy name of Jesus, Amen.

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of the information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. Alternatively, consider speaking with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I pray that one of God’s servants will pray with you and offer help and encouragement as you begin, or continue, your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org, or if you choose, subscribe to receive a daily email containing each new devotional, as you will also find that option on this page. Friends, I encourage you to find a Bible teaching church home near your residence and attend as frequently as possible. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian Walk while you invite God to work through you to bless them. God is at work among His people! Please consider being a part of that while also growing in your faith as you worship with fellow believers!