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conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members? You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek], so youfight and war. You do not have, because you do not ask. [Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures” (James 4:1–3 AMP ).
    In order to have prevailing prayer in our lives, we must be sure to not ask for our own selfish purposes. For instance, some people pray to be healed with no intention of living for God. Some pray for financial help without intending to honor God with their tithe. This is praying with selfish motives and dishonoring God. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). When we pray, we must approach God with a sincere and humble heart.
    In order to prevail in prayer, we must make sure our motives are right. We need to be tied into the great purposes of God.
A SK IN L INE W ITH THE W ILL OF G OD
    The will of God is the Word of God.
If we are not asking for something that is in God’s Word, our prayers are useless. But if we are asking in line with God’s will, we have His promise that He will answer us. “And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (makeany request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us” (1 John 5:14 AMP ).
    Prayer that is based on your right to be in the presence of God makes tremendous power available.
    There are many, many promises in God’s Word, and we have a right to enjoy them all. Salvation, healing, prosperity, a happy marriage and family, and salvation for our loved ones are in His Word. We can ask all of these things in confidence, knowing that God will listen to us and hear us, because they are promised in His Word.
    “And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him” (1 John 5:15 AMP ). In other words, we know that if God said it, we’ve got it! We don’t have to beg God for the things He has promised us.
    So we can pray with confidence, no matter the need, knowing God will hear and answer our prayer as long as we are praying in accordance with His Word.
P RAY W ITH A C LEAR C ONSCIENCE
    “Whenever our hearts in [tormenting] self-accusation make us feel guilty and condemn us. [For we are in God’s hands.] For He is above and greater than our consciences (our hearts), and He knows (perceives and understands) everything [nothing is hidden from Him]” (1 John 3:20 AMP ).
    Sometimes Christians try to justify the wrong things they are doing, and they have a battle going on down inside themselves. Perhaps they have allowed some things in their lives that shouldn’t be there. But that sin produces an aggravation in the believer’s life. Because we are born of God and have His nature, we can’t habitually practice sin and enjoy it (1 John 3:9). We can never love it.
    The apostle John continues, “And, beloved, if our consciences (our hearts) do not accuse us [if they do not make us feel guilty and condemn us], we have confidence (complete assurance and boldness) before God, and we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we [watchfully] obey His orders [observe His suggestions and injunctions, follow His plan for us] and [habitually] practice what is pleasing to Him” (1 John 3:21–22 AMP ). Here the beloved John clearly spells out