I do not know the motive of James and John when they desired of the Lord that each might sit next to Him in His Kingdom. I do know we can have deceptive desires. A request can be right, but the motive wrong. James tells us, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” A good cross-reference to this would be Israel in their wilderness journeying, “…they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.”
If we are persistent in our carnal desires, God may grant them to us, but realize this: something else will accompany them. “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness unto their soul.” It is possible to have a full life, but with an empty soul. Read the book of Ecclesiastes if you doubt this. Having what you want doesn’t mean having what you need. For this reason, every prayer should end with, “…nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” After all, Father knows best.
It’s always safe to desire “HIM” above all your desires!
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