Daily Devotion 25

July 25: James 5:13-18

KJV Key Verse: James 5:15
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick , and the Lord shall raise him up ; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Devotion:
Part of loving our neighbours is to make sure we are thinking of others as much as we think of ourselves. If we are feeling tired, we look for rest. If we are feeling hungry, we seek out food. If we are feeling down, we look for something to cheer us up. The same has to be said for the people around us too. If they are tired, give them rest by maybe taking on some of their work load. If they are hungry, share some food with them. If they are anxious, comfort them as best you can.

But don’t try to do everything! We can encourage people to come and find out the truth about God. We can give them the Gospel. We can show them how we have changed by getting to know Christ. We can be as Christ-like as we can be… but it is not our job to change people’s hearts; that is the realm of the Holy Spirit. We sow the seeds and we encourage growth, but we cannot change their minds however hard we try. The only thing we can do is to make the best possible surroundings and environment for growth to happen.

It is God who will change hearts. God who will heal people. God who is going to forgive people of their sins. Don’t try to take on the work of God because we will end up falling flat on our faces. No matter how faithful and righteous we are, we are not going to change the rules. God will answer prayers, but he makes sure we get the best out of the answer and not just what we desire and want. I know I have been praying for some things for many years, and still wait patiently for God to answer. Do I give up because He has not answered yet? No. I keep praying and keep trying to be faithful and honest with God.

Share your prayers – don’t just focus on yourself but on everyone around you that needs prayers. Keep other people in mind at all times just as you hope for the best in your own prayers, always hope for the best in prayers about others too. God is good and knows what is best for us. Trust Him.

Points to Ponder:
Who do you pray for?

Are you consistent in your prayers?