(James 4:1-17) What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
11 Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Reminder:
"praying effectively" involves knowing God's will. When we pray in His will (in His name), He
may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like,
or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!
It is God's will:
- that we resist the devil (4:7)
- that we do not judge or speak against others (4:11-12)
- that we are remorseful and sad when we do sin (4:9)
- that we turn away from sin (4:8)
- that we humble ourselves before God (4:10)
- that we submit to God (4:7)
- that we draw near to God (4:8)
- that we should ask God for things with the right motives (4:1-3)
- that as we make plans, do not boast, but know that it is all in God's hands whether it will happen or not (4:13-15)
- that we should do what we know is right (4:17)
Today's prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your sovereignty. You are the just Lawgiver and Judge, and nothing happens without You allowing it to happen. Why would we not want to be on Your side???
Forgive our prideful attitudes of trying to be in control or trying to get our own way. Help us to put into practice the things that we know are right. May everything we say and do be focused on You, and be focused on building up Your kingdom, not tearing it down.
Guide us to grow closer to You, knowing that when we depend on You for everything, the more blessings and joy we receive. Help us to fully submit to You, trusting that when we are obedient to Your will, things do work out for the best, in ways we cannot imagine. Amen.
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