One of nature's Law's is the law of self-preservation. But I think often we take that law to the extreme and become so focused on selfishness and not just self-preservation.
I think back to when my children were small, before they had a chance to learn any behavior, they were consumed with selfishness. They wanted to eat when they wanted to eat, they wanted their toys, when someone else maybe picked them up.
When we think about the earth's motivation it is usually accompanied by a selfish intent.
It's like the time when Earl Weaver, manager of the Baltimore Orioles had an encounter with his born-again outfielder Pat Kelly. The story goes that Pat Kelly told Weaver that he had "learned to walk with God" to which Weaver replied, "I'd rather have you walk with the bases loaded." - Motivation.
Motivation is a strong factor. It has pushed people to greatness, it has also pulled people away from God. Motivation is not in itself the problem today, but rather the wrong motivation. When we come to know Jesus Christ as our Savior our motivation has to change as well. Our motivation must turn from inside ourselves to outside - wrong motives is the third circumstance where God will hear our prayers.
Let's look at the text; James 4:1-4.
As we look at James warning against wrong motives prayer, look at his foundational statement on prayer, 5.16 "the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."
If our prayers lack effectiveness, then we just may be praying with the wrong motivation.

A Progression of Selfish Desire

Please understand I am speaking to believer's here this morning. What happens in our prayer lives that causes God not to listen to our prayers.
First, you lust and do not have
therefore, you seek to obtain by any means necessary that which you don't have. Is it respect, is it money, is it a name for yourself. All selfish desires.
You become exceedingly envious, therefore you fight and quarrel.
Both of these progressions lead to self-boasting. Your motivation has left God in the dust.
What happens is what is called the "doctrine of prior agenda".

A man worked in a manufacturing indusry and worked horrendous hourse (15+ a day with scheduled and overtime) and it became such a strain on his family that his wife told him if he didn't look for another job she would leave him. After weeks of no change, it became known that he had not even looked for another job because he had wanted a divorce but didn't want to be the "bad guy". He wanted his wife to take the initiative and divorce so she would be at fault.

You say, this is an extreme example. Well, think about your motivation in a lot of things you do. At work, do you help someone out because of how it will make you look to the boss? In church, do you do so others will se how diligently you work for the kingdom?

Luke 18:9-14. The publican prayed with "wrong motivation" selfish motivation. It was all about him. The tax collector prayed with a different motivation. Which one was heard?

Job 35:12 tells us, "God will not listen to an empty cry, nor will the Almighty regard it."
It's simply this, if you are full of yourself, you are empty of God. Thus your cry is empty.

Praying with Right Motivation

So what do we do to pray with a right motivation? What should our motivation be?
James 3:16. Pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, unwavering, without hypocrisy. This is the beginning of right motivation.
What happens is as you show these fruits in your prayer life you begin to see God's will, then you can begin to pray the ultimate prayer of proper motivation. "not my will, but your will be done."
We must learn to start praying that God's will be done, not our own. If we are focused on ourselves, we are probably selfishly motivated. If we are focused on God, by being focused on His will, and our relationship to Him and to others, our prayers as James writes, will accomplish much.