Daily Bible Reading – 10.8.2021
James 5:13-16, Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
One thing I have discovered in our study is how much James directly and indirectly speaks of God’s desire to give His people good gifts. Such gifts often come, through prayer. God listens closely to the prayer of a righteous faith-filled person. It is not the magic words of the prayer itself but the character of the person praying.
If we want God to listen to our prayers, then our relationship with Him counts. As someone said, “The prayer of a person whose heart is right with God works wonders.” God is intent upon listening to us as we are intent in putting our total trust in Him.
James goes on to give an example from history. Elijah was a human being just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Then, he prayed again, and the heavens opened up, and the earth produced its crops.
If we are tempted to think that Elijah belonged to a higher creation than ourselves, James reminds us that he had the same kind of frail flesh. He was a mere man, subject to the same weaknesses and infirmities as other human beings, yet was in a right relationship with God.
We know to be right with God is to declare Jesus as Savior and Lord. It is to welcome His Spirit to fully command and transform us into the brand-new creations we were intended to be. Perfection is not required, however, a heart that beats strongly for God is.
God loves to listen to our joys, our thanks, our praise, and our deepest pains. Go ahead and tell Him everything. You can trust Him.
Questions to Consider:
Is there anything standing in the way of God listening to you? Do you need to confess sin? Do you need to declare Jesus as Savior and Lord of your life? What will you tell God today?
Weekly Memory Verse:
James 1:19, My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,