5 Minutes with Jesus is a daily devotional series for people in the midst of real life, whether facing anxiety, grief, questions of purpose, or simply needing encouragement and connection. Hosted by Sheila Walsh, each five-minute episode offers Biblical truth, honest reflections on faith and emotions, and closes with a moment of prayer.
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| Sheila Walsh: Struggling to Pray? | 5 Minutes with Jesus | June 11, 2026
- Reading through
- 00:00:01.280 --> 00:00:02.548
- God's word, one thing is crystal clear that while everyone else
- 00:00:02.548 --> 00:00:06.085
- In our life may look at what's on the surface, god looks
- 00:00:06.085 --> 00:00:09.888
- At the heart to any of us of absolutely pure motives.
- 00:00:09.888 --> 00:00:13.659
- Probably not.
- 00:00:13.659 --> 00:00:14.793
- But we can make that a matter of prayer.
- 00:00:14.793 --> 00:00:18.230
- One we ask the holy spirit to unveil and purifies.
- 00:00:18.230 --> 00:00:22.434
- Number two,
- 00:00:22.768 --> 00:00:23.902
- We can ask god for his will to be done in our lives.
- 00:00:23.902 --> 00:00:26.805
- Number three, we can trust the author
- 00:00:27.639 --> 00:00:30.142
- And finisher of our faith to keep working in us.
- 00:00:30.142 --> 00:00:34.046
- Number four, we can repent and ask god to guide us forward.
- 00:00:34.046 --> 00:00:38.784
- That's a great place to start.
- 00:00:38.784 --> 00:00:45.324
- Barry and i love when christian was playing
- 00:00:46.191 --> 00:00:48.026
- Football or soccer as a little boy.
- 00:00:48.026 --> 00:00:50.329
- I mean, it was so much fun to sit
- 00:00:50.329 --> 00:00:52.397
- With the other moms and dads and cheer on their efforts
- 00:00:52.397 --> 00:00:55.234
- For that. they were working or not.
- 00:00:55.234 --> 00:00:57.703
- I remember on one occasion christian saying to me, mom,
- 00:00:57.703 --> 00:01:01.039
- We have a problem.
- 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:02.708
- I asked him what the problem was,
- 00:01:02.708 --> 00:01:04.409
- And he informed me that there was a boy
- 00:01:04.409 --> 00:01:06.111
- On the other team who was also a christian.
- 00:01:06.111 --> 00:01:09.515
- I asked him why was that a problem?
- 00:01:09.515 --> 00:01:11.583
- And he said, we are both praying to win.
- 00:01:11.583 --> 00:01:13.986
- Which one is god going to listen to?
- 00:01:13.986 --> 00:01:16.288
- And this question, but a good one,
- 00:01:17.022 --> 00:01:18.957
- And actually one that i think follows us through life.
- 00:01:18.957 --> 00:01:22.828
- Why did god answer her prayer for child and not mine?
- 00:01:22.828 --> 00:01:25.864
- Why did he get the promotion?
- 00:01:26.498 --> 00:01:27.866
- But god knows i have worked hard.
- 00:01:27.866 --> 00:01:30.035
- I prayed about it and i deserved it. why?
- 00:01:30.035 --> 00:01:33.372
- Why so many why questions?
- 00:01:33.939 --> 00:01:37.075
- Prayer can be a problem for us at times.
- 00:01:37.075 --> 00:01:39.745
- So i have a question for you.
- 00:01:39.745 --> 00:01:42.447
- How do we know when we are praying with pure motives?
- 00:01:42.447 --> 00:01:46.919
- There's a verse in the book of james
- 00:01:46.919 --> 00:01:48.287
- That makes it clear that when we're praying
- 00:01:48.287 --> 00:01:49.888
- From selfish, ungodly motives, our prayers are not answered.
- 00:01:49.888 --> 00:01:53.959
- Let's look at the context.
- 00:01:53.959 --> 00:01:55.360
- This is james chapter four, verses one through three.
- 00:01:55.360 --> 00:01:59.097
- What is causing the quarrels and fights among you?
- 00:01:59.097 --> 00:02:02.201
- Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you?
- 00:02:02.201 --> 00:02:05.504
- You want what you don't have.
- 00:02:05.504 --> 00:02:07.206
- So you scheme and kill to get it.
- 00:02:07.206 --> 00:02:09.575
- You're jealous of what others have, but you can't get it.
- 00:02:09.575 --> 00:02:12.778
- So you fight and wage war to take it away from them.
- 00:02:12.778 --> 00:02:16.148
- Yet you don't have what you want
- 00:02:16.148 --> 00:02:17.783
- Because you don't ask god for it.
- 00:02:17.783 --> 00:02:19.685
- And even when you ask,
- 00:02:19.685 --> 00:02:21.386
- You don't get it because your motives are all wrong.
- 00:02:21.386 --> 00:02:24.356
- You want only what will give you pleasure.
- 00:02:24.356 --> 00:02:27.693
- So here are two issues.
- 00:02:27.693 --> 00:02:29.595
- Number one,
- 00:02:29.595 --> 00:02:30.562
- He's telling the people that they're looking
- 00:02:30.562 --> 00:02:32.397
- In all the wrong places to fill them up.
- 00:02:32.397 --> 00:02:34.833
- Instead of asking god.
- 00:02:34.833 --> 00:02:36.668
- And number two, even when they do ask god,
- 00:02:36.668 --> 00:02:40.606
- Their motives are all wrong and not coming from a pure place.
- 00:02:40.606 --> 00:02:45.244
- James is dealing with a very basic human condition self.
- 00:02:45.244 --> 00:02:50.249
- What makes us happy?
- 00:02:50.682 --> 00:02:52.884
- Jealousy. comparison.
- 00:02:52.884 --> 00:02:55.621
- Earlier in his letter, he reminds the people
- 00:02:55.621 --> 00:02:58.223
- That someone who is wise seeks peace.
- 00:02:58.223 --> 00:03:01.560
- So his question is why is there so much division among you?
- 00:03:01.560 --> 00:03:06.198
- I don't think he's saying that people
- 00:03:06.198 --> 00:03:07.466
- Are literally killing each other,
- 00:03:07.466 --> 00:03:09.368
- But the division is tearing people apart.
- 00:03:09.368 --> 00:03:12.938
- It was true in the early church and it's true today.
- 00:03:12.938 --> 00:03:16.441
- Just check out your social media.
- 00:03:16.441 --> 00:03:19.011
- Jesus told his closest friends that the way the world
- 00:03:19.011 --> 00:03:21.913
- Would know that we are his is by the way we love each other.
- 00:03:21.913 --> 00:03:26.051
- But when we let petty jealousy and division take over,
- 00:03:26.051 --> 00:03:28.987
- We ruin our witness.
- 00:03:28.987 --> 00:03:31.056
- And you know, it's so easy to join in a conversation
- 00:03:31.056 --> 00:03:33.592
- About how difficult someone else in our church is,
- 00:03:33.592 --> 00:03:36.028
- Or our small group, our workplace of our family.
- 00:03:36.028 --> 00:03:39.231
- What james is asking is what's your motive?
- 00:03:39.231 --> 00:03:42.801
- Because he goes on to say that even when we do turn to god,
- 00:03:42.801 --> 00:03:45.971
- Our prayers aren't answered
- 00:03:45.971 --> 00:03:47.739
- Because we're asking for all the wrong reasons.
- 00:03:47.739 --> 00:03:51.243
- You know, like, lord, get her, lord, teach him a lesson.
- 00:03:51.243 --> 00:03:54.646
- Defend me.
- 00:03:54.646 --> 00:03:56.148
- Reading through god's word, one thing is crystal clear
- 00:03:56.148 --> 00:03:59.851
- That while
- 00:03:59.851 --> 00:04:01.119
- Everyone else in our life may look at what's on the surface,
- 00:04:01.119 --> 00:04:04.289
- God looks at the heart to any of us of absolutely pure motives.
- 00:04:04.289 --> 00:04:08.527
- Probably not.
- 00:04:08.527 --> 00:04:09.661
- But we can make that a matter of prayer.
- 00:04:09.661 --> 00:04:13.098
- One we ask the holy spirit to unveil and purifies.
- 00:04:13.098 --> 00:04:17.302
- Number two,
- 00:04:17.636 --> 00:04:18.770
- We can ask god for his will to be done in our lives.
- 00:04:18.770 --> 00:04:21.673
- Number three, we can trust the author
- 00:04:22.507 --> 00:04:25.010
- And finisher of our faith to keep working in us.
- 00:04:25.010 --> 00:04:28.914
- Number four, we can repent and ask god to guide us forward.
- 00:04:28.914 --> 00:04:33.652
- That's a great place to start.
- 00:04:33.652 --> 00:04:36.321
- Let's pray.
- 00:04:36.321 --> 00:04:38.390
- Lord, thank you
- 00:04:38.790 --> 00:04:39.725
- So much that you care about our hearts.
- 00:04:39.725 --> 00:04:42.394
- When other people look, they maybe
- 00:04:42.394 --> 00:04:43.729
- Just see what's on the surface.
- 00:04:43.729 --> 00:04:45.163
- But you look directly into our hearts.
- 00:04:45.163 --> 00:04:48.100
- So, lord, would you teach us
- 00:04:48.100 --> 00:04:49.601
- How to be more honest and transparent with you?
- 00:04:49.601 --> 00:04:53.071
- And holy spirit, would you help us?
- 00:04:53.071 --> 00:04:55.107
- Would you purify our motives so that when we pray, we pray
- 00:04:55.107 --> 00:04:58.944
- According to your will
- 00:04:58.944 --> 00:05:00.712
- And not just for the things that make us happy?
- 00:05:00.712 --> 00:05:03.115
- Because we want to honor jesus.
- 00:05:03.115 --> 00:05:06.251
- And we ask in his name, amen.
- 00:05:06.251 --> 00:05:06.251
