Written by: John Fonzer Jr.

James 4:1 ¶ From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

• The basis of our discontent and contentiousness is our lack and frustration with life, the pride of it and the lusts of our flesh.  From our discontent comes strife.
• Prayerlessness is the cause of bad spirits in us, insatiability and spirits that are inclined to be disturbed about possessing natural things—to then extreme.  Proper communication (intense and subjective dialogue, not one way) with God sets our affections on the things and matters of Heaven and deadens us to much of what drives mere men. Col 3:2 ,3
• With proper heavenward relationship and focus, we are less inclined to excessive natural desires.
• If communication with God were our priority, the need to strive with men over possessions would be nil.  Our attitude would be likened unto Jesus’: Joh 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
• There is no need to strive with men if a thing is not our priority.
• We do not extensively read of Jesus fighting to stay alive or to possess things here at the expense of His mission. 
• Spiritual people do not have an insatiable desire for natural things.
• Jesus fought only for things within His domain and sphere of responsibility.
• In the context of James 4 is this truth.  People who pray fervently, passionately and rightly do not argue, strive and contend much.  They do not need to because:

1. They don’t prioritize things of natural origination as much as other people do.

2. God more regularly grants them their desires because they are more consistently presenting their petitions to the real owner of all things.

3. They realize that, ultimately,  men don’t really control matters anyway.

• Everything belongs to God: cattle, silver, gold and souls. (1Ki 20:3)  (Eze 18:4) Seeking the will of God assures us that things will be added to us.(Matt. 6:33)  We simply need to raise our spiritual bar to aspire to the invisible which dominates the visible.  2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
• God said that all things are ours anyway. 1Co 3:21 ¶ Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
• Whom or what shall we fear? The Lord is the strength of our lives?  Why should we stop talking to God and contend with men.  That gives men more glory than they are due.  No man is an island unto himself—even if he thinks he is.

James 5:16 … The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Praying makes much available!

Mark 10:31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

• The world continually changes. There is much movement, socially, spiritually and individually.
• People who are in advantageous positions now, may not always be there now.
• To retain your place, it will require that you be very active in your pursuit of the Kingdom of God.  Getting ahead, growing etc will require relentless pursuit and exhaustively applying of oneself.
• There will be many changes as time progresses and matters will become worse.  You must: PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 at 12:01 am and is filed under Random Buzz. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.