James 1:25

Scripture: James 1:25 

25 But 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.

 

Observations: 

The law that gives freedom! I think of laws and I automatically think of restrictions, and rules, and things I CAN'T do. I love that this law is perfect and it gives freedom. When we are obedient to the Lord and abide by the law, we actually experience a freedom that is much better than the false sense of freedom when we disobey.

 

Application: 

 I babysat and it was such a joy to me to see that both boys minded me. I'd tell them something, and more often than not, they just did it. No questions asked. It is logical, since I'm in charge and I know best, that they would mind me. It's frustrating to me, and parents, and anybody who has ever had to watch a child who refuses to listen, and refuses to do as they are told. It's a struggle, when you know it would be so much easier if they would just obey. It's the same with the Lord, and I think it's why we are told to have faith like a child. When they mind and they submit, it's a joy. I want to be a joy to the Lord, and fully experience freedom.

Prayer: 

Lord thank You for giving us freedom and a perfect law to follow. You gave us salvation through Christ, and spared us from being held to this law. Help us to obey You out of love, and seek out Your statutes. Teach us to apply what we hear, so we may be blessed for our obedience. In Christ's name I pray, amen.

James 1:22-24

Scripture: James 1:22-24 

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror
24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

Observations:

To be a hearer but not a doer of the Word, and thinking that this is okay is deceiving oneself. This is not okay. It makes no sense to do that, just like it makes no sense to look in a mirror and then quickly forget what you just saw. I think of how often I look in the mirror or see myself reflected on something. I know my face. I see it a lot. I feel like this is also the case with Bible-belt Christians, who hear a lot of the Word and are raised up in church. If these principles aren't applied to real life, then they are deceiving themselves into thinking they are in a good place with the Lord. They know better and the Lord will hold them accountable for knowing better.

 

Application: 

Right now I'm in wonderful and humbling season. I am preparing to launch on a mission trip, and I'm trying my best to submit my life completely to the Lord. For  years, and I mean YEARS, I've been wanting to serve more, and to find a place where I could be a doer of the Word. The Lord calls us to action. Whether we are local missionaries or going overseas, or supporting missions (very important!!!) the Lord calls us to love in actions and truth.

 

Prayer: 

Father, thank You so much for the Word. That we are able to read it, and learn from it. God I praise You for convicting my heart when You needed me out of my comfortable place. I pray You guide each woman in this group to the action You need us to do, and give us courage and strength while we submit to You.  In Christ's name I ask, Amen.

James 1:21

Scripture: James 1:21
21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
 
Observations:
Evil is so prevalent! We'd like to think that we are getting worse and worse as the generations go by, but evil has always been SO prevalent. We are called as Christians to recognize moral filth and have nothing to do with it. I wish we could literally put our moral filth in a box and throw it away. I wish it was that simple. It's a continuous process for me to go through and pray about various aspects of my life, and ask God what He needs me to get rid of.  It does take humility and our submission of our lives to God to accept the word. It's so easy to let our pride say "well that's not really any harm! it's just a little bit, and I can manage it" and ignore God's calling to get rid of it.
 
Application:
Looking into my heart and into my daily habits, searching for what it is that God is calling me to get rid of. Are my eyes open to the evil around me and actively rejecting it, or am I accepting of it? Is evil normal to me? Am I humbly accepting the word, or am I dragging my feet and dreading the word?
 
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for planting the word in us and giving us salvation. Speak to us and let us know how to better rid ourselves of moral filth and be protected from evil. Help us to recognize those areas so we can better serve you. In Christ's name I pray, amen.

James 1:19-20

Scripture: James 1:19-20

19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

20 for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

  

Observations:

This passage makes me think of how talkative I am.  I don't always feel like a good listener (I've been told I am but sometimes I dont see it from here). I need to make sure I'm slower to speak (without stifling my personality! The Lord loves my personality, He crafted it) but rather more CAREFUL with what I say. Also working on being a better listener and not letting distractions get in the way of my paying attention, or my own responsive thoughts stop me from listening. With anger it's funny how sometimes I'm so slow to be angry, yet there are some tiny things that get me fired up. Prime example is my phone when it goes crazy. It's gonna be great for me to be away from a cell phone for 11 months haha!

 

Application:

Just looking into our own lives and seeing those 3 areas... what comes out of our mouths, how good we are at listening, and how quickly and what causes us to be angry. We need to not just "acknowledge" those issues, but also make intentional moves to correct them. If we need to make amends to somebody we've hurt because of those 3 things, that may be another good way to apply this verse.

 

Prayer:

Father, we are so thankful that You are slow to anger with us! We sometimes are the very opposite of verse 19. I praise You for bearing with the works-in-progress that we are, and allowing trials to reveal those areas and refine us. Help us to take the extra moment to think before we speak or become angry, and to be careful listeners. We love You and we want to live the righteous lives You desire. In Christ's name I pray, amen!

James 1:18

Scripture: James 1:18
18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all he created.
 
Observations:
We are a kind of first-fruits of all the Lord has created. We are the first portion or the first harvest, set aside and offered to the Lord. I love it that the Lord chose to make us His children, and to give us a way to Him through Christ.

 

Application:

First-fruits are offered to God. Our time, resources, and especially how we seek Him out, read His Word. We are set apart.

Prayer:

God, I praise You for creating us, making us new, and setting us apart. Help us to honor You with our lives and boldly pursue You. In Jesus' name I pray, amen!

James 1:16-17

Scripture: James 1:16-17
16 Don't be deceived, my dear brothers.
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
 
Observations:
The world and our evil desires are so deceiving. Satan tells us that certain things are pleasant and good, when in reality they are death to us. Sin slowly creeps in and we find ourselves deceived by materialism, pop culture, and even music. Verse 17 reminds me that all that is good and perfect is from God. If it's not from Him, then it's not good or perfect.

Application:

I thought about my hobbies and my free time, and asked myself if certain things were "good and perfect." Is this something God wants me to be doing? Also praising the Father for being so faithful and unchanging.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for giving us so many blessings. I pray You forgive us when we are deceived by the empty lifestyle of the world. Remind us to pursue and delight in what is good. We love You and praise You. In Christ's name, amen!

James 1:15

Scripture: James 1:15
15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
 
Observations:
Desire eventually leads to death. I jokingly concluded that desire is death's grandmother. What I got from this verse was that there are levels of falling away from the Lord, where sin grows and worsens. We should be careful to stop desire before it yields to more and more sin.
 
Application:
Small compromises lead to big failures. What kind of compromises have you made today or this week? What can you do to prevent these compromises from becoming big failures? Where I am, I have to fight laziness. There is so much to do lately! I know my desire is to put things off or just relax. There's nothing wrong per se with relaxing, but at the right place, at the right time!
 
Prayer:
Lord, open our eyes to those evil desires within us. Help us to recognize them so we don't get dragged away! Bless us with wisdom, discernment, and strength. In Christ's name I pray, amen.

James 1:13-14

Scripture: James 1:13-14
13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
 
Observations:
Reading this verse, it almost seems so obvious: God doesn't tempt anybody. Well of course not! But people tend to push the blame for their evil desires on others and even God. I also thought back to Genesis, how the conversation went after Eve ate the apple. It was such a blame-game! Adam blamed Eve for giving the apple to him, and Eve blamed the snake. Nobody said "My fault! I knew better and shouldn't have done that!" which is the whole point. It's easier to pretend we're ignorant sheep than to admit we have our own evil desires.
 
Application:
What are your current temptations? What are we tempted to do that we know is evil but are playing dumb about? During the busy times for me, I am tempted to be lazy. Laying down horizontally while I could be organizing/cleaning/running/being productive. I think "enticed" is a perfect word haha it's like my bed is saying "Heleeeenaaaaaa you're sooo tiiiired!" haha when I know I had good rest, and there's more I should be doing. God isn't tempting me. My bed isn't tempting me. My own evil desire to be lazy and squander time is what's enticing. I have to turn on upbeat music, not put on pjs, and be intentional with my time.
 
Prayer:
Lord forgive us for caving into our evil desires, whatever they are, and knowing better. Help us to have the discernment between a temptation and a trial. Give us wisdom to walk away from temptation, and courage to walk through trials in Your strength. Forgive us also for blaming others and You when we stumble on our own sin. We love You and we long to obey You wholeheartedly. In Christ's name I pray, amen.

James 1:12

Scripture: James 1:12
12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Observations:
Not only will we be mature and complete, but we're going to be rewarded as well! It's so easy to forget that there's a reward. I know I do! There's a crown of life promised to us who love the Lord. Trials are to be viewed as blessings, since there is a reward! Another thing I thought was that this promise is to those who love God... we are to keep a loving attitude toward God through trials. Sometimes we pull away from Him, or question His authority, or even become angry at Him, only to regret our behavior later.

Application:
As I go through trials that test me (especially my patience, oh my goodness), I'm going to try to be more loving toward God. Praise Him more, and thank Him more, as opposed to what I fall into which is questioning His plan. I find myself asking "What is this going to accomplish? Why is it taking so long? Why is this so difficult?" and I need to make sure those questions take on a loving, prayerful, pleading tone.
 
Prayer:
Father, thank You so much for growing our group of women this fall. I pray for all the trials we are going through, all the worries, fears, and struggles that weigh on us. God I ask that You help us and give us strength. I pray for pure joy in these trials, and that we can be loving to others and in our attitude toward You. Let us be comforted with the hope of your promise! In Jesus' name I pray, amen!

James 1:9-11

Scripture: James 1:9-11
9 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.
10 But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.
11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.
 
Observations:
Completely against what the world says! Ranking is usually based on money and power, yet the Lord redefines what it is to have a high position. You can't really buy humility. You can't really learn it unless you go through it. On the flipside, getting caught up with money... we think we are invincible. This root of evil gets down deep and we forget how in need we are. We "go about our business" and busy ourselves with worldly riches.
 
Application:
Right now I'm that rich person, being awakened to how selfish I'd been. I spent my money the way I wanted to. I look back and regret how much I splurged on unnecessary stuff. Now with all my preparations for the mission trip, I find myself selling everything and it's so weird. IT IS SO WEIRD to be in a room full of stuff that won't be mine anymore after a week. It's also a great blessing to know the Lord is gonna take care of me like He has been this whole time. My application to these verses is to be humble no matter what, and try to go about God's business.  
 
Prayer:
Father I come to You tonight asking for humble hearts for me and my sisters in Christ. Make us fully focused so we can pursue Your plans. Don't let us get busy with anything else, especially money! Don't let our beauty be destroyed or fade away because of money. Convict us of these things, and anything else that gets in the way of us desperately seeking You. We love you more than anything. In Christ's name I pray, amen.

James 1:7-8

Scripture: James 1:7-8
7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
 
Observations: 
These verses are so reassuring when I'm not doubting, and so convicting when there are areas in my life where doubt creeps in. Especially praying about  healing! If it is the will of God, He will heal. Whether He can heal or not is not the issue. There's nothing He can't do. I just need to continue praying to see situations with HIS eyes, not with the statistical, scientific, "what the world says" viewpoint. If we only saw science and statistics, we wouldn't pray much about healing when somebody is really sick. You'd just pray for comfort. I want to be the stubborn girl that prays for healing because I know God will do it if it's His will.

 
Application:
My life application to these verses is to self-reflect on what areas of my life feel "unstable" and why. Is it because of doubt? Am I praying strong, confident prayers?

 
Prayer:
Lord, this morning I pray that You forgive our doubting, and help us in whatever areas in our lives that we've ever doubted You could fix. Let us see beyond what the world says is possible. You are all powerful, God! No plan of Yours can be thwarted, and nothing is impossible for You! God I pray you give us strength in the difficult trials we face. Help us to be voices of hope, confident, encouraging, fully focused, single-minded ambassadors of Christ. In Jesus' name, amen!

James 1:5-6

Scripture: James 1:5-6
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Observations:
I love these verses! I lack wisdom all the time!! It's funny that the older I get, the more I realize how much I DON'T know! Either that or I'm forgetting all I knew back when I was a teenager, because I'm pretty sure I knew everything back then ;) But God is so faithful to lead me and give wisdom! Even during the times when I didn't really know what He wanted me to do, I was assured that He was in control and would tell me what to do at the right time. This makes me think of proverbs, and how important and pleasing to God it is when we desire and seek HIS wisdom.

Application:
I've been praying a lot of "really out there" kinds of prayers, especially for the mission trip. And these I have to pray with conviction and faith that God will answer, however "unlikely" they may seem. God loves to make me eat my words haha as soon as I say "no way, not me" He says "my way, yes you!" so I'm learning to be careful of what I pray for and what I say the Lord won't do. He's sovereign, no doubt about it! What kinds of things do you ask the Lord, but doubt He will answer?

Prayer:
Lord, I ask that You give me and these ladies the wisdom we need today for whatever trials and choices we are facing. Thank You for being such a faithful and generous Father to us. Thank You for leading us. I pray You make us into patient, wise, strong, bold, confident, courageous women. Let our perseverance be a testimony to others, to lead them to You. In Jesus' name I ask, Amen!

James 1:3-4

Scripture: James 1:3-4
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
4 Perseverance must  finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Observations:
I was having a conversation a couple of days ago about exactly this: that only through hardships can we develop perseverance. The Lord grows us and refines us through trials, and this is why we should consider them pure joy. It means we are growing. I've had a friend ask me "Helena, does God always make something go wrong? It feels like things aren't ever all right? There's always a kid sick, or a problem at work, or money running short, or the job I can't get, or my car breaks down, or a stressful situation... Is that how God works?" and a little part of me winced because well... we are living in a very broken world. Heaven isn't here. And until we get there, Jesus did warn us that we will have trouble in this world! But He also told us to take heart, because He's overcome the world. We are called to persevere through trials with hope and joy, and these trials will mature us and make us more faithful and Christ-like in the end. We are works in progress!

Application:
I always think to look back at trials I've gone through, and see how much God taught me through it. It always gives me perspective to remember how the Lord used my trials to make me trust Him more. For a whole semester in college, my financial aid didn't come in. There was a clerical error, and it didn't come in until November 28th! I remember trusting in the Lord to provide, and He did. It's hard to doubt Him with money after that! I know He is so faithful to provide for my needs! He tested my faith while I persevered that semester. It gives me hope through the fundraising madness I'm facing now, that He's called me to missions and He will provide. Just in the last 4 days, I've had 5 people (very unlikely, random people I haven't seen in years, or ever expected to help me!) say "Helena, I want to support your mission trip!" and I fought back tears. I didn't even ask those people, God laid it on their hearts. When He tests your faith, however He does it, expect Him to deliver you and provide :) He always does. That's what the next verses are about, which I love!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I thank You this morning and praise You for your provision in our lives. You created us, and blessed us with the people we have in our lives. You continue to sustain us and give us hope. God, I pray You keep growing us. Lord, I pray we don't stray from You and always realize how desperately we need You, even in the moments when the trials are small. I ask that You give us strength, comfort, patience, and JOY in the trials we are facing today. Let us see Your hand at work in our lives. In Christ's name, Amen.

James 1:1-2

Scripture: James 1:1-2 
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

Observations:
The words pure joy always stand out to me when I read verse 2. PURE JOY?

Joy, per Merriam-Webster, means the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight. We are supposed to feel delight, and be as happy as if we desired the trials we face?

When it segways into verse 3 (tomorrow) it makes more sense, and explains why we should feel this joy, and what trials accomplish for us! Rather, what God accomplishes in us through trials.

Application:
Think of the trials you are facing today. Can you see God at work in you through those trials?
My current trial is preparing for the mission trip. It's so easy to be overwhelmed while I'm planning what vaccines to take, how to do missionary medical insurance, obtaining camping gear, all the while fundraising, moving, marathon training, and keeping in touch with everybody. Just typing that was stressful haha! I have to keep submitting everything to God, and remember that He's gonna workout all the details! It's HIS plan for me that I go, so He will get me there :)

Prayer:
Father, I pray that You help us to be joyful through our many trials. I ask that You give us comfort and peace while we face hardships. We know You're sovereign, and You will take care of us and refine us. Help us to trust and praise You no matter the circumstances. In Christ's Holy name I pray, Amen!