WHEN YOU ASK AND DO NOT RECEIVE

1 WHERE DO WARS AND FIGHTS COME FROM AMONG YOU? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?
2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. YET YOU DO NOT HAVE BECAUSE YOU DO NOT ASK.
3 YOU ASK AND DO NOT RECEIVE, BECAUSE YOU ASK AMISS, THAT YOU MAY SPEND IT ON YOUR PLEASURES."
James 4:1-3 (NKJV)

Asking in prayer without receiving could be understood through the above passage of the Bible. In part, what Apostle James was saying in our text is that a believer could ask for some things from God but not be given or granted (James 4:3).
In some instances, the level of a believer's maturity could be deduced through the requests brought to God by such a person. There are things that would be asked by a believer which God would not grant, because He knows that it would not be beneficial and edifying if He did give it to the person.
This is the reason why a believer would have to grow up in their faith or their walk with God that they might not be asking for things that would not help them in their Christian faith—their walking with God.

This could be likened to a young child asking for a junk food to eat that would not be good for his health whilst the parent wanted him to eat a proper meal that is nutritive and beneficial to his body.
God would not grant any requests of a believer which would not be advantageous to his or her spiritual stability and walking with God.

Note:
Asking amiss could mean asking wrongly, not the way you should, from God.
It could also mean asking for a wrong thing and for a wrong reason ) James 4:3).

The emphasis of James was, those who were asking, they were asking wrongly because they wanted to consume it on their own lusts or pleasures—asking for a wrong reason.
• Thus, If whatever you are asking would not be for your spiritual growth or benefit or edification or upliftment, It might not be granted (1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23).
• If what is being asked for would promote or increase the works of the flesh in your life as a believer, It might not be granted (Galatians 5:19-21).
• If the request would make you less active in the services of the kingdom, It might not be granted (1 Corinthians 9:24).
• If it would become a burden or weight, though legitimate, making you to be encumbered or weighed down and not be able to perform or make progress in whatever you are assigned to do—makes you to be marking time on a spot—It might not be granted (Hebrews 12:1).

Thus, being the all-knowing God, He could use His prerogative or sovereignty or discretionary power to stop whatever you ask or wanted to do which would not be beneficial, either to you as his or her child or His Kingdom.

The people who were being addressed in the passage were fighting among themselves because of their desires for pleasures which was warring in their members or bodies.
When your members—parts of your body or flesh—are demanding for inordinate or excessive pleasures, you should know how to tame them and yielded not to grant the desires or cravings: "THEREFORE PUT TO DEATH YOUR MEMBERS WHICH ARE ON THE EARTH: FORNICATION, UNCLEANNESS, PASSION, EVIL DESIRE, AND COVETOUSNESS, WHICH IS IDOLATRY" (Colossians 3:5).

Two things are important in what James said:
I. You do not have because you do not ask (James 4:2).
This shows that a believer could be lacking in a particular thing because of not asking.
II. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures (James 4:3).
And asking without receiving could be as a result of asking amiss or wrongly. The asking was wrong or amiss because it would be spent on the things that would not glorify God or would not be beneficial to the believer.
Also, If the asking would increase and enhance the activities of the flesh in the believer's life, It is asking amiss.
The asking was amiss, because God knew it would be spent on pleasures—the gratifications of the flesh.

Whatever you ask in prayer that is not in line with God's Word and would not enhance your steadfastness in God, It is a asking amiss!
Believers could only ask aright If they abide in Christ and His words abides in them: "IF YOU ABIDE IN ME, AND MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, YOU WILL ASK WHAT YOU DESIRE, AND IT SHALL BE DONE FOR YOU" (John 15:7 NKJV).
Peace!