Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. – Matthew 20:20, KJV

In Matthew 20:20-24, the mother of the sons of Zebedee asked Jesus to make her sons His right and left hand men in His Kingdom. The motivation behind her request – pride – was clear not only to Jesus but to the other disciples, prompting discontent within the ranks. Of course, Jesus seized upon the teachable moment, following up the selfish request with a challenging lesson on selflessness.

Oftentimes, God chooses not to answer our prayers because our motivation is not to glorify Him but to glorify ourselves. God teaches us that our prayers can go unanswered, “…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 4:3, Amplified Bible). We try to fool ourselves, arguing that we really, really, really want what we want not for ourselves, but so that we can better serve God. But God knows our hearts better than we do, and He understands that our primary motive is self-gratification. Service to Him is just the cover.

God does not desire an outward show of dedication but an inward commitment to His glorification. Our service must be rooted in a pure, humble heart, not a prideful one. Examine yourself the next time you sense that God has no intention of answering your prayer. Should you discover an impure purpose behind your prayer, ask God to purge you of your iniquity, purify your heart, and ready you for His service.