If any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him.

Suppose some Brother or Sister should be in want of clothes and of daily bread,

and one of you should thus address him; "go and prosper, I wish you a warm fire, and a full meal:" without relieving his wants, would he be the better for your wish?

But do thou want to know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?

I do not want many of you, my Brothers, to become teachers, knowing, as you do, that we who teach shall be judged by a more severe standard than others.

You people desire something and yet do not have it, [so] you murder [to get it]. You are envious [of what someone has] and [yet] are not able to obtain it, [so] you fight and quarrel [over it]. You do not have [what you want] because you do not ask [God for it].

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is hatred of God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

Instead, you should be saying, "If it is what the Lord wants, we will live and do this or that."