Have you ever felt as though God is denying you something? Have you asked Him, “Why aren’t you giving me what I want?”
We feel bad because we see people who seem to be getting all the good things we desire. After working hard through the years, we’re still not even close to reaching our dreams.
Why is God withholding good things from us? If He loves us, why aren’t we getting enough from Him?
All these questions may even be the same reasons why some people don’t believe in God anymore. They felt as though God is not responding to them anyway, perhaps He isn’t even real.
But is there a reason why you may not be getting what you want from God?
There is a Bible verse that could tell you two reasons why you may not be receiving the blessings you want from God. Here is the Bible passage:
“Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.” – James 4:1-3 (NRSVCE)
The above Bible verses tell us these two reasons why we’re not getting what we want:
1. We simply don’t ask
“You do not have, because you do not ask.”
Have we even prayed to God for something we feel we need or want? Many times, we can presume that God already knows. And He does!
But like a Father who still wants His child to ask Him and talk to Him, God wants us to spend time with Him in prayer.
When we pray, we show God that we trust Him. We signify that we believe in His power to give us the thing we ask for. We also show our respect and our faith that whatever may be His response, it would be out of His love and wisdom.
Why are we not asking? Is it perhaps because we don’t believe?
2. We ask for the wrong things
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.”
Sometimes, we do ask. But we just ask for the wrong things. We ask for things that will never be good for us.
God is a good Father who wants the best for His children. Why would He give us something that would hurt us or harm us in the end?
Final Thoughts
Asking something in prayer to God shows not only our faith in Him but our belief that the things we’re asking are worth praying for. It tests our true desires and asks us what really matters most in life.
God, on the other hand, loves us and knows what is best for us. Let us entrust everything to our loving Father who will not give us harmful things. He may be silent, but He is always working out something for our good.
“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” – Matthew 7:7-11 (NRSVCE)
Jocelyn Soriano writes about relationships and the Catholic faith at “Single Catholic Writer”. She wrote the books To Love an Invisible God, Defending My Catholic Faith and Questions to God.
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