James 3 ~ Praying Scripture

Please read James 3.

Meditate on verse 17.

But the wisdom from above is first pure,

then peaceable, gentle, reasonable,

 full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

James will grow you up in Jesus.  He teaches you how to handle trials, temptations, favoritism, and proof of salvation.  Chapter three of his letter disciples you in the use of your tongue. Jesus needs to pilot your tongue; otherwise you are in possession of an instrument full of deadly poison capable of setting an entire forest on fire.

This chapter also addresses wisdom which is key to the control of your tongue.  Be aware there are two types of wisdom.  There is God’s wisdom, and there is demonic wisdom.  Demonic wisdom is characterized by bitter jealousy, selfish ambition, arrogance, and lies.  It is earthly and unspiritual.  Demonic is a strong adjective; God wants to grab your attention and make you think about what you believe.  Does the wisdom you advocate come from God or Satan? 

God’s wisdom is:

1.     Pure

2.     Peaceable

3.     Gentle

4.     Reasonable

5.     Full of mercy

6.     Full of good fruits

7.     Unwavering

8.     Without hypocrisy

Examine your thoughts, words, and actions by the wisdom of God.  Whose wisdom is governing your life?

Pray James 3:13-18 over yourself and those for whom God has appointed you a faithful, prayerful watchman ( Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, please make __________ and me wise and understanding. 

Let us show our good behavior in the gentleness of wisdom.

Remove bitter jealousy and selfish ambition from our hearts.

Do not let us be arrogant and lie against the truth.

Let us have nothing to do with  

earthly, natural, and demonic wisdom

that does not come from above.

 Let us have Your wisdom which is:

pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy,

full of good fruits, unwavering, and without hypocrisy. 

May we bear the fruit of righteousness as makers of peace.

In Your name, Jesus~”

James 2 ~ Praying Scripture

Please read James 2.

Meditate on verses 12-13.

So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.

For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy;

mercy triumphs over judgment.

If you are in Christ, then His mercy has trumped the judgment you deserve for your sins.  Because of mercy, Jesus will not make reference to your sins when He returns to judge the rest of the world that does not know Him as Savior (Hebrews 9:28). When Christ returns, you will be judged by the law of freedom; non-believers will be judged according to their lawless deeds.  Such mercy is undeservedly amazing!

As a recipient of God’s mercy, what should be the most obvious proof of your salvation?  You ought to be a merciful person.  If you have truly received the mercy of Jesus Christ, you cannot help but extend mercy to others.  So speak and so act as someone living in the mercy of Jesus Christ.  If you are a merciless person, then you need to evaluate your salvation.  Are you truly a child of God?

Pray James 2:1 and 12-13 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“Glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not let __________ and me

hold our faith in You with an attitude of personal favoritism.

Help us speak and act as those who are to be judged by Your law of liberty.

Help us show mercy to others.

We do not want Your judgment that

will be merciless to those who show no mercy.

In Your name, Jesus~”

James 1 ~ Praying Scripture

Please read James 1.

Meditate on verse 1a.

James, a bond-servant of God and of the LORD Jesus Christ…

James is a letter written by the half-brother of Jesus Christ.  Before the resurrection of Christ, James was a mocking younger brother who thought Jesus was crazy (John 7:1-9; Mark 3:20-21).  A risen LORD so changed his skeptical life, he not only became a Christian, he became the head of the church at Jerusalem and mentored Paul (Acts 1; 15; 21; Galatians 1:15-19). 

In the letter which bears his name, James laid no claim to the fame of being Christ’s brother, rather he said he was a bond-servant, and Jesus Christ was his LORD.  A resurrected Savior changes a person for eternity.

This letter is crucial for your walk as a disciple of Jesus Christ.  From his salutation, James described true discipleship.  If you are a follower of Christ, you will be His bond-servant.  A bond-servant is one who chooses to stay with a benevolent master rather than leaving to live life on their own.  The bond-servant gives their master their ear to have an awl pierce the lobe, permanently marking the person as belonging to another.  Are you a bond-servant of Jesus Christ?  Does He have your ear?  Are His the words you hear and obey?  And is He LORD?  Is He your Master, the One possessing supreme power and authority in your life? 

Pray James 1:1, 21-22 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD Jesus Christ,

make ___________ and me Your bond-servants.

Help us put aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness.

In humility let us receive the Word implanted,

which is able to save our souls.

Let us prove ourselves doers of the Word

and not merely hearers who delude ourselves.

In Your name, Jesus~”

Hebrews 13 ~ Praying Scripture

Please read Hebrews 13.

Meditate on verse 18.

Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience,

desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.

God wrote this letter called Hebrews to prove Jesus is superior to angels, superior to the Law of Moses, superior to earthly priests, and superior to the sacrificial system.  He is superior because He is God, your Great High Priest, and your perfect sacrifice.

Every human must consider Jesus, and no one will escape the fiery judgment should they choose to refuse Christ and neglect the so great a salvation found only in Him.  The only way to please God is by faith, believing Him and His promises.  Laying aside your sin and fixing your eyes on Jesus will prove your life of faith in Christ.

Because Jesus did everything to cleanse you from sin and an evil conscience, it only makes sense to desire to conduct yourself honorably in all things.  The Writer urges you to pay attention to this Word of exhortation (Hebrews 13:22).

Pray the prayer that the scribe of Hebrews prayed over the readers (Hebrews 13:20-21).  Pray it over those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“Now God of peace, who brought up from the dead

the great Shepherd of the sheep,

through the blood of the eternal covenant,

Jesus our Lord,

equip __________ in every good thing to do Your will,

working in them that which is pleasing in Your sight,

through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever.

Amen~”

Hebrews 12 ~ Praying Scripture

Please read Hebrews 12.

Meditate on verses 1-2.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,

let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us,

and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith,

who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,

despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 tells you how to live your life successfully.  Get rid of every weight and sin that clings to you and run, without being swerved, the race God has set before you.  Fix your eyes on Jesus.  Permanently place your eyes on Christ; do not let them wander.  He is the One who started you on this race, and He is the One who will finish it for you.  Do not take your eyes off of your LORD even for a second.

Pray Hebrews 12:1-2 and 25a over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, let __________ and me lay aside every encumbrance

and the sin which so easily entangles us.

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Keep our eyes fixed on You, Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Because of the joy set before You, You endured the cross, despising the shame.

Thank You for doing that for us.

Now You have sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

May we never refuse You, Jesus.

Because of Your name ~”

Hebrews 11 ~ Praying Scripture

Please read Hebrews 11.

Meditate on verses 1 and 6.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,

the conviction of things not seen.

And without faith it is impossible to please Him,

for he who comes to God must believe that He is

and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Hebrews 11 is the Hall of Faith, a list of 20 Old Testament saints who believed God plus a list of 25 faithful actions by unnamed believers.  God had their names and stories eternally written, so you could have examples of faith pleasing to the Lord. 

These 45 individuals believed God’s promise of Messiah.  They did not actually see Messiah before their earthly death, but they did not waver in unbelief because they knew God who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23; 11:11).  

What about you?  Do you believe that God is?  Are you a person of faith?  Could you be Hebrews 11:41?  By faith ________________, …  Would God write your name in that blank?

Pray Hebrews 11:6 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, may ___________ and I please You.

Make us people of faith. 

May we come to You, God, and believe that You are.

We want to be rewarded by You

because we are people who seek You.

Because of Your name, Jesus~”