There’s a motive behind everything, and they matter …

We have a motive for everything we do.

Even if it’s just a longing for a sense of adventure, our motive will move us to do daring things. Here’s an example, as originally shared in Today in the Word:

“The following advertisement once appeared in a London newspaper; ‘Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful.’ This advertisement was signed by Sir Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic explorer. Amazingly, the ad drew thousands of respondents, eager to sacrifice everything for the prospect of meaningful adventure.”

Our motives certainly can lead us to do some foolish things, as revealed in this story (original source unknown):

“Israel’s favorite detective story took a strange twist Sunday when police identified a suspect in 22 bank robberies as an heir to millions who allegedly turned to crime to pay off his debts. News reports had given the suspect, nicknamed ‘Bikerbank’ because he rode a motorcycle, a Robin Hood image during his 21-month spree. Dozens of Israeli press and broadcast reports were devoted to his exploits, and his helmeted image adorned T-shirts and decal stickers. Israelis were shocked to learn the suspect, arrested Thursday, was identified as Roni Leibovitz, 37, whose family runs a large Israeli food products company and businesses in New York. When asked what his motive was, Leibovitz said ‘money.’ ‘He needed the money because of his debts,’ police said.”

And all too often, our motives move us to act selfishly, kind of like this guy …

An elderly man on the beach found a magic lamp. He picked it up and a genie appeared.

“Because you have freed me,” the genie said, “I will grant you a wish.”

The man thought for a moment and then responded, “My brother and I had a fight 30 years ago and he hasn’t spoken to me since. I wish that he’ll finally forgive me.”

There was a thunderclap, and the genie declared, “Your wish has been granted. You know,” the genie continued, “most men would have asked for wealth or fame. But you only wanted the love of your brother. Is it because you are old and dying?”

“No way!” the man cried. “But my brother is, and he’s worth about $60 million.”

While our motives can cause us to pursue good things, or adventurous things, they can also cause us a lot of trouble. That’s because we have a motive for everything we do, and they matter … even in prayer. According to James, why we pray (the motive) what we pray directly affects our prayers:

“What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong — you want only what will give you pleasure,” James 4:1-3.

We often treat God as if He’s a magic genie who exists just to grant our wishes. But He isn’t, and He’s also not going to fulfill requests made in prayer from the wrong motives.

Do you pray with the right motives, or are your motives negatively impacting your prayers?

Scotty