Often I hear people who are following the demoniacally inspired prosperity teachings of today say, "Well, I've never asked God for something, really believed and not received it from God." Then they will often mention James 1:17 where it says that every good and perfect gift comes from God.
The error in this is so clear, yet how hard it is for these people to see it. Their logic is based upon a Satanic lie causing false faith. The Satanic lie contends that God wants to give us the finer things of this world and further contends that these worldly items are good and perfect gifts.
If the things of this world were perfect gifts, God would have no reason to tell us to flee them (I Tim. 6:11), nor would He have any reason to burn them (II Pet. 3:11). James 1:17, when read closely in context through spiritual eyes rather than greedy, carnal eyes, states clearly that "Every good and every perfect gift is from ABOVE, and cometh DOWN from the Father of lights."
The last time I checked, Rolls Royce had not set up a factory in heaven and begun parachuting them down to earth! Now this is facetious, but it illustrates the exact point. The things of this world are Satan's to give because they are eternally worthless, not perfect, regardless of how highly they are esteemed of men (Luke 16: 15).
Only the carnal I WANT heart and mind pay any attention to the things and glory of this materialistic world. Those who fall for the "God wants you to have the best things of this world" gospel are simply trying to use Christianity as the means to "have" all the things they were unable to get a non Christians.
The good and perfect gifts God gives us are the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22 26), and "The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth (Eph. 5:9)."For the kingdom of God is not in meat and drink [physical things]; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men" (Rom. 14:17 18).
"Then when lust [for temporal things] hath conceived it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1:15 19). In context, James contrasts lust with the fruit of meekness. Verse 17 has nothing to do with material anything. To imply it does is heresy! (I Tim. 6:5 6).
It is Satan who has answered these selfish prayers, not God. The things received were not from above but from below. They were not given by God to meet their physical needs but by Satan to fulfill their carnal greeds (Phil. 4:19, Matt. 6:8). The result is that even more people are becoming "charismatic Christians" so they can get what they wanted but couldn't get as non Christians. Therefore they are worshiping an idol, another Jesus, and following another gospel. "But there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Gal. 1:7 8).
Jesus said that He came that we "might have life, and that more abundantly" (John 10:10). He said these words, "might have life," to people who were already physically alive. He was not referring to physical life nor an abundance of things of this life. He was referring to eternal life, and you can't get life more "abundantly" than eternal.
Yet these pawns of Satan try to tell people Jesus was again talking about physical things, good looks, perfect health, big cars and houses, they even call their ministries "abundant life" ministries! How blasphemous! Our precious Lord Jesus states in Luke 12:15, "Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the THINGS which he possesseth."