Matthew 20:20-22; Romans 8:26; James 4:3
Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask.
We know not what we should pray for as we ought.
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
THOMAS GOODWIN (1600-1679): If God does not grant your petitions, it will put you to study a reason for that; and so you will come to search into your prayers and the carriage of your hearts, therein to see whether you did not pray amiss…As if you send to a friend, who is punctual in that point of friendship of returning answers, and used not to fail—and you receive no answer from him, you will begin to think there is something in it. And so also here, when a petition is denied, you will be jealous of yourselves, and inquisitive what should be the matter; and so by that search come to see that in your prayers which you will learn to mend the next time.
A. W. PINK (1886-1952): It is greatly to be feared that one of the principal reasons why so many of our prayers remain unanswered is because we have a wrong, or an unworthy end in view—Only three ends are permissible: that God may be glorified, that our spirituality may be promoted, that our brethren may be blessed…We “ask amiss” when natural feelings sway us, when carnal motives move us, or when selfish considerations actuate us.
JOHN BUNYAN (1628-1688): Prayer that will not be accepted of God it is, when either they pray for wrong things, or if for right things, yet that the thing prayed for might be spent upon their lusts, and laid out to wrong ends.
OCTAVIUS WINSLOW (1808-1878): A believer may make a request that is wrong in itself. The mother of Zebedee’s children did this when she asked the Lord if her two sons could sit, the one on His right hand, and the other on the left, in His kingdom. Who could miss the selfishness that appears in this petition? Although a mother’s love prompted it, and, as such, presents a picture of touching beauty and feeling, yet it teaches us that a parent, betrayed by love for his child, can ask something of God that is really wrong in itself. He may ask worldly distinction, honour, influence, or wealth for his child, which a godly parent should never do; and this may be a wrong request, which God, in His infinite wisdom and love, withholds. This was the petition of the mother, and our Lord saw fit to deny it. Her views of the kingdom of Christ were those of earthly glory. To see her children sharing in that glory was her high ambition, and Jesus promptly but gently rebuked it.
JOHN WESLEY (1703-1791): “Ye ask amiss”—that is, from a wrong motive.
OCTAVIUS WINSLOW: Alluding to another illustration of our topic, it was wrong of Job to ask the Lord that he might die, Job 6:8-9. It was an unwise and sinful petition, and in great mercy and wisdom, the Lord denied him. Truly “we know not what we should pray for as we ought.” What a mercy that there is One who knows!
H. A. IRONSIDE (1876-1951): Our petitions are so self-centered and so concerned about the gratification of our own desires that God cannot in faithfulness grant our requests. True prayer is not asking God to do what we want, but first of all, it is asking Him to enable us to do that which He would have us do. Too often we endeavour by prayer to control God instead of taking the place of submission to His holy will.
A. W. PINK: Ah, this is a truth which is very unpalatable to our proud hearts. Did not Moses “ask” the Lord that he might be permitted to enter Canaan? Did not the Apostle Paul thrice beseech the Lord for the removal of his thorn in the flesh? What proofs are these that “we know not what we should pray for as we ought!”
JOHN CALVIN (1509-1564): James meant briefly this: that our desires ought to be bridled; and the way of bridling them is to subject them to the will of God.
OCTAVIUS WINSLOW: A child of God may ask for a wise and good thing in a wrong way.
JOHN GILL (1697-1771): Some there were that did ask of God the blessings of His goodness and providence, and yet these were not bestowed on them; the reason was, “because ye ask amiss”—not in the faith of a divine promise; nor with thankfulness for past mercies; nor with submission to the will of God; nor with a right end, to do good to others, and to make use of what might be bestowed for the honour of God, and the interest of Christ.
C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892): We ought to well consider our prayers…I fear we often ask amiss from lack of preparation!
C. H. MACKINTOSH (1820-1896): It is well that we should challenge our hearts, as to the motives of our prayers.
WILLIAM GURNALL (1617-1679): Therefore, Christian, catechize thyself before thou prayest, “O my soul, what sends thee on this errand?” Know but thy own mind, what thou prayest for, and thou mayest soon know God’s mind how thou shalt speed. Secure God His glory, and thou mayest carry away the mercy with thee. Had Adonijah asked Abishag out of love to her person, and not rather out of love to the crown, it is likely Solomon would not have denied the marriage between them; but this wise prince observed his drift, to make her but a step to his getting into the throne which he ambitiously thirsted for, and therefore his request was denied with so much disdain, 1 Kings 2:13-23. Look that, when thy petition is loyal, there be not treason in thy end and aim. If there be, He will find it out.
C. H. SPURGEON: If we ask contrary to the promises of God—if we run counter to the spirit which the Lord would have us cultivate—if we ask anything contrary to His will, or to the decrees of His Providence—if we ask merely for the gratification of our own ease and without an eye to His glory, we must not expect that we shall receive.
WILLIAM GURNALL: When shall I know that I aim at God or self in prayer? This will commonly appear by the posture of our heart when God delays or denies the thing we pray for. A soul that can acquiesce, and patiently bear a delay or denial—I speak now of such mercies as are of an inferior nature, not necessary to salvation, and so not absolutely promised—gives a hopeful testimony that the glory of God weighs more in his thoughts than his own private interest and accommodation. A selfish heart is both peremptory and hasty. It must have the thing it cries for, and quickly too, or else it faints and chides, falls down in a swoon, or breaks out into murmuring complaints, not sparing to fall foul on the promises and attributes of God Himself. “Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not?” Isaiah 58:3. Now, from whence come both these, but from an overvaluing of ourselves?—which makes us clash with God’s glory, that may be more advanced by these delays and denials, than if we had the thing we so earnestly desire.
A. W. PINK: The Holy One will be no lackey unto our carnality.
