The Prayers of the Righteous

James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

Just think of the difference we would see in our lives, in each others lives, if we would PRAY! If we could only, would only, share our struggles with each other, knowing those struggles would not be the object of gossip, but rather the object of prayer, what victory we would experience! For God really does answer prayer, especially the prayers of those who love Him, who have faith in Him, who obey Him, who want to please Him. Our prayers are important to God.

When we approach God through prayer, we access the power that is only available through Him. When we pray, we see results. Let us challenge one another to use this powerful and effective tool each day. Then, we can praise God together as we watch Him work!

Dear Father, I love You, and I want to be righteous. Please remind me to come to You with every problem, every need. Remind me to pray for other people, and not just myself. Thank you for the powerful results that I know will come because of my prayers.

Amen

Perseverance

James 5:10-11 "Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

Many heroes of the faith endured great suffering and persecution, and yet they persevered. James gives the example of Job, but we can also look to Moses, Elijah, Joseph, and others. Job suffered more than most of us will ever have to, and yet he remained steadfast in his belief in God. Sure, he questioned God, but he always returned to his faith, knowing that no matter how bad things were, loving God was still better than not loving God.

James reminds us of the end of Job's story. God rewarded Job for his faithfulness, and blessed him beyond measure. In the same way, we can be certain that God holds amazing, immeasurable blessings in store for those who love him, who persevere, who do not give up their faith. God loves us more than we will ever understand. Even when things are difficult, we can rest in the knowledge of that love.

Dear Father, Thank You for loving me. Please help me to hold onto You when things are difficult.

Amen

Standing at the Door

James 5:9 "Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!"

In James 1:13, James warned against blaming God for our failures. Here, he warns us against blaming other people. When things go wrong, we tend to grumble against each other. Grumbling stems from our pride; we think we are better than those around us, and so we criticize them. We judge them.

God is the only One who has the right to sit in the Judge's seat. And He has chosen to show us mercy. Our Almighty God has every right to grumble against us! But instead, He shows gentle love and patience. When we goof up, He forgives us, picks us up, and sets us on the right path. Shouldn't we show the same kind of love, patience and mercy toward our Christian brothers and sisters? God tells us that we should. In fact, He demands it! And since He hears every word that comes out of our mouths, we had better guard our tongues!

Dear Father, Please forgive me for failing to show the kind of mercy to others that You have shown to me. Help me to be patient with those around me.

Amen

Be Ready!

James 5:7-8 "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near."

The farmer works hard, tilling the land and planting seed. At the end of the day, there is no crop to harvest. Week after week he works, keeping careful watch over his fields, protecting it from insects and disease, making sure it has enough water and nutrition. Still, there is no crop to harvest. Why does he work day after day, for months on end, without seeing the results of his labor? It is because he knows there will be a crop. He has faith that the crop will ripen and mature, and he works to be ready.

In the same way, we can be sure that Jesus is coming again. In the meantime, there is much work to do. We need to live out our faith by daily obeying God, loving others, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Be patient, knowing He will come when the time is right. Don't be caught off guard! Work daily to prepare for that glorious day of His returning.

Dear Father, Thank You for always keeping Your promises. I know that Your son, Jesus, will return again one day. Help me to stand firm in my faith, and to be ready for that day.

Amen

Near to God

James 4:8 "Come near to God and He will come near to you . . ."

God created us because He wants to be near us. He wants to spend time with us. He wants to be intimately involved in our lives. But He is a gentleman, and will not push Himself on anyone! If we come to Him, He will run to us! If we seek Him, He will wrap His arms around us!

He has shown His love for us in countless ways. He has created beautiful landscapes for our enjoyment. He has sent us bouquets of flowers in the spring, breathtaking snow in the winter. He has given us air to breathe, food to eat, clothing, shelter. He has surrounded us with people to love. Most importantly, He sent His Son to take the punishment for our sins.

Now, the ball is in our court. He has shown His love, and He wants us to reciprocate. He wants us to draw near to Him. When we take that step, He will open His heart and draw near to us in ways beyond comprehension.

Dear Father, I want to be near You at all times! Thank you for loving me so much.

Amen

Just Do It!

James 1:22,25 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. . . The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does."

I heard a great sermon the other day. It was called, "Marshmallow Christians." In it, the Word of God was described as being a sweet, yummy treat. But if all we do is hear it, and don't do what it says, we might as well be eating marshmallows! Marshmallows are sweet, but they have absolutely no nutritional value. And if our diet consists only of marshmallows, we will eventually turn into one! Marshmallows alone will not give us the strength or nutrition we need to live a healthy life.

God's word is sweet. But if we do what it says, it turns into spiritual protein! We can actually build our spiritual muscles by living a life of obedience to God! It is wonderful to spend time reading God's Word and listening to sermons. But if you really, really want to experience God's blessings in your life, then do what it says!

Dear Father, Thank you for making your written Word available to me. As I study it, help me to put the things I learn into practice.

Amen