Foundations: James - Day 14

Read: James 5: 13-20

James concludes the book with a passage on prayer.  No matter where you are at in your prayer life there are truths that you can apply through these verses.  James begins with two short commands, first to pray when experiencing suffering and second to sing praises when cheerful (v. 13).  When you encounter difficulties is your first response to pray?  The automatic response for most believers when tough times come is to complain, throw a pity party or question God. But James says “pray”!  God often sends allows problems in our lives so that we will learn to depend on Him in prayer.  Those who do pray when they encounter tough times often just ask the Lord to bail them out instead of engaging and growing in prayer through asking Him about His purposes for the trial.  We all have a lot to learn about going deeper in prayer. 

Verse 14-15 talks about praying for sick people.  When discussing this topic we must be careful to look at the entire Bible and not just take one or two verses out of context.  We know that Jesus heals as He healed many people while He was on the earth.  The early church also experienced many healings.  But God does not always choose to heal.  Suffering is sometimes God’s will for believers and often in our best interest (Heb. 12:5-11; James 1:2-4; 1 Pet. 1:6-7).  In fact suffering can be for our eternal good.  We must not assume that all suffering is evil (not from God) and we should never condemn believers who suffer.   So, how can you pray for someone how is struggling with health and not receiving healing?  Pray for the ability to endure with joy, for a godly attitude through the pain, for godly character to grow, for spiritual fruit, etc. 

Verse 16b says, “the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective”.  The qualification for an effective prayer life is righteousness.  This does not mean that we have to be perfect in all things or else no one could qualify.  Elijah was not a perfect man.  Rather, to be righteous means to walk uprightly before God, confessing all known sin and striving to obey God.  Elijah is given as an illustration of a righteous man whose prayers accomplished much (v. 17-18).  James says that Elijah was just a plain, ordinary, man just like us.  He struggled with fear, depression and did not have privileged status before God.  Elijah lived in the time of the ungodly King Ahab.  He took on the Baal worshipers in a direct challenge and his prayers affected the entire nation.  Just like Elijah we live in ungodly times and we face circumstances that our far beyond our ability.  We are inadequate.  That’s why we are to pray!  Prayer acknowledges our need of God. 

The book of James concludes with verses 19-20 telling us that believers are responsible to help restore straying believers to the truth.  Believers can stray from the truth both doctrinally and morally although the two are often intertwined.  Every Christian has a part to play in encouraging believers to make godly choices.  We must not ignore sin!  Notice how this passage is also about restoration.  These verses don’t tell us to attack a person who has stumbled but rather to gently and lovingly help the person see the error of their way and bring him/her to repentance. 

Prayer and Journaling

1.   Thank God for hearing every one of our prayers.  He is a God who listens and He loves when we bring our requests to Him.  Ask the Lord to remind you of a time when He answered your prayer, thank Him for this. 

2.   Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind a prayer request that weighs heavy on you.  Ask Him to give you three key strategies that you can focus on in prayer and pray through for this request.  Pray through what you receive.  Commit to praying about these things over the next week. 

3.   Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a word/picture/impression of a promise(s) related to your request.  Thank Him for what He has brought to mind. 

Foundations: James - Day 13

Read: James 5:7-12

Today’s passage talks about how to respond rightly when you are wronged.  It’s not a matter of “if” you will be wronged, but rather “when” you will be wronged since we live in a fallen and sinful world.  As Christians we must learn to handle mistreatment rightly because God does not promise to protect us from being wronged.  According to James, the key in overcoming mistreatment is patience.  The Lord is returning as Judge and He will make all things right!  This should encourage us to keep walking in righteousness in tough times.  It should also be a warning because He will not just judge those who have wronged us He will also judge us.  The passage illustrated patience’s with the example of the farmer (v. 7), the prophets (v. 10) and Job’s perseverance (v. 11).  When the righteous suffer for no fault of their own, they must wait on the Lord to judge the wicked and reward them for their endurance. 

The theme of patiently enduring trials is woven throughout the entire bible.  When we read the prophets we find that following the Lord and serving Him does not protect us from all trials.  In fact, many of the prophets were persecuted because of their message.  Then there was Job, an upright and blameless man who feared God and turned away from evil (Job 1:1), yet he suffered tremendously.  God blesses those who endure, not those who quit.  This does not mean that we will always feel good about what we are going through – trials are hard.  The point is to submit to God in the midst of the trial.  We can only do this if we truly believe that God is in control of our hardships and that He has a purpose that He is accomplishing.  No matter how difficult our trials we must not doubt God’s goodness or love. 

The final verse in this passage (v. 12) may seem a bit out of place as it has to do with taking oaths.  The real issue is speaking the truth at all times as this verse is not a ban on taking oaths, such as in the courtroom.  In the last two chapters James has been discussing worldliness, wealth and pride which result in relational conflicts.  Here James is calling believers to truthful communication.  Truth is essential for trust.  Therefore let your “yes be yes and your no be no” (v. 12). 

Prayer and Journaling

1.   God is love and a God of justice.  Thank Him that He will right all things in His time.  Praise Him that we can depend on His justice and do not need to take things into our own hands.  Thank Him that by living in relationship with Him we can listen to His voice and know when to take a stand and when t to be silent. 

2.  Ask Jesus to remind you of an injustice you have experienced in your life.  Write down what you receive.  Ask Him to give you clarity concerning this injustice in the area of what He wants to accomplish in you through this injustice.  Thank Him for what He shows you. 

3.   If you are waiting for Jesus to do something in your life, ask Him if He may actually want you to do your part in taking steps and doing what is right even when you don’t feel like it.  What would these steps look like for you?

Foundations: James - Day 12

Read: James 5: 1-6

Today’s passage is written specifically to those who are living comfortably.  Those who struggle making ends meet can also learn some important lessons here.  Our culture values wealth but forgets that it can create problems.  Too many people falsely think that an increase in finances will solve their problems.  James warns us that wealth can actually bring more problems.  In this passage James is speaking out against those who exploit the poor and is warning them of coming judgment.  Wealth can be a dangerous trap that leads to eternal destruction.  We know that money itself is not evil; in fact, it can be extremely useful for growing God’s kingdom.  Whether money corrupts or brings heavenly rewards has to do with the heart of the one managing it, no matter whether he/she is rich or poor.  Nothing tests the character of people like how they use their finances.      

There are a few things that we need to consider from this passage. First, we are accountable for how we earn our wealth.  Are we good workers or do we spend hours fooling around on the job?  Are we being truthful on our timesheets?  Do we cheat or tell little white lies to make the sale? 

Second, what is our primary motivation in life – pursuing wealth or relationship with God?  Take a look at how you allocate your time.  Are you a workaholic to the neglect of your spiritual and family responsibilities?  What priorities are you modeling to your family?  What are you teaching your kids through your lifestyle? 

Third, we must be careful to manage our wealth according to biblical principles.  Overspending, being a tightwad, failing to budget, stealing or cheating others, paying unfair wages and ignoring those who are in need are all signs that there is something wrong with our attitudes towards money. 

Finally, we are to be careful in the area of self-indulgence (v. 5).  Self-indulgence is when we throw off restraint and discipline and yield to the desires of selfish appetites and cravings.  But it can also just be when we allow ourselves to have or do things we enjoy very much but which are not essential.  For example, food, sex, vacations, toys/hobbies, even friendships can all be self-indulgent.  We must be careful not to judge others but rather examine ourselves prayerfully and often so that we don’t fall into this trap. 

We must be careful to use our wealth not to indulge ourselves but rather to build into God’s kingdom.  It is the responsibility of each believer to be faithful to God through financial stewardship.  Those who trust in the Lord and who are living for eternity will be good stewards of the money and possessions that God entrusts to them.  God owns it all and we will give an account to Him of how we have used our resources.  Wealth can be gone in the blink of an eye therefore use your wealth to bring people to Christ.  If you want God to entrust you with spiritual riches in eternity then prove yourself to be faithful in managing your finances here on earth. 

Prayer and Journaling

1.   Ask the Lord to show you 5-10 of the ways that He has blessed you materially.  Thank Him for His goodness and generosity.

2.   Self-indulgence is when we throw off restraint and discipline and yield to the desires of selfish appetites and cravings.  But it can also just be when we allow ourselves to have or do things we enjoy very much but which are not essential.  Ask the Lord to show you an area in your life where you struggle with self-indulgence.  What does Jesus want to say to you about your heart concerning this area of self-indulgence?  Confess sin as necessary. 

3.   Pray that we would grow in using our resources wisely, not to indulge ourselves, but to build into God’s kingdom.  Pray that believers would grow in being faithful to God through financial stewardship. 

Foundations: James - Day 11

Read: James 4:13-17

This passage discusses how life is short and uncertain.  As with the previous section of the chapter, this passage speaks of the importance of humility.  Verse 16 confirms this when James writes, “you boast in your arrogance”.  Basically, he is saying that it is arrogant to say that you know Christ yet not bother consulting Him with your everyday decisions.  It is proud to make our own plans without consulting the Lord. These verses tell us that life is uncertain, “you do not know what tomorrow will bring” (v. 14). 

There are no guarantees in life.   We can try to make our own plans and control our own future but ultimately God is in control of our future and our successes and failures are dependent on Him. 

It is not wrong to plan for the future.  It is wise to have a will, to have retirement savings, investments, and future plans. Yet, we err when we arrogantly put our trust in our business ventures, savings accounts and stored wealth instead of putting our trust in God, who controls the future.  When we plan for the future we must remember that if the stock market fails and we lose everything our hope is not lost.  This really comes down to a heart issue.  So, buy the life insurance policy, invest, save but remember that there is no such thing as financial security.  It is impossible to plan ahead for all the things that could go wrong.  The economy could crash, the housing market could collapse, terrorists could overrun our country, investments can fail – trusting in God is the only source of security for the future.  Jesus wants to be functional Lord of our entire lives including our businesses and our personal finances. 

Doing things on your own, without consulting the Lord, is pride.  Many Christians profess to know God but practically they are atheists who don’t bring God into their everyday lives.  These believers falsely think that they have been successful because of their own hard work and smart business sense but they forget that everything they have comes from God by His grace (1 Cor. 4:7). That even includes the ability to make money.  The right thing to do is to take the Lord into consideration in all our endeavors, including finances.  Failing to do this is sin. 

 

Prayer and Journaling

1.   Thank the Lord for being Sovereign over the future.  Ask Him to show you an area of your life where He has been Sovereign – thank Him for this.  Thank Him for being Head of the Church. 

2.   Ask the Lord to show you an area of your life where you need to inquire of Him.  This could be for a decision, for your finances/personal budget, a work/family issue, etc.  Ask Him to show you if there is anything blocking you from receiving the truth from Him today. Deal with what He shows you (confession, etc.).  Then listen in prayer about what He wants to say to you about this area.  Commit to following through on any action steps that He gives you. 

3.   Pray for believers to move into deeper relationship with Jesus as functional Lord of their lives and for churches to invite Him to be functional head of their church.