Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – The Prayer Filled Life – Day 64 – James 1:2-8 – An Opportunity For Great Joy – Growing As Disciples
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. James 1:2-8
Place Your Faith
How will you respond to troubles when they come your way? Will you try to avoid them at all costs? Will you treat them as if they were your worst enemy? Will you try to ignore them with the hope that they will go away all by themselves? Will engage in an all-out effort to try to overcome troubles with your own power and strength? Will you become bitter with the thought that you don’t deserve to be experiencing troubles? Will you follow your own counsel and seek your own advice when you find yourself in trouble? Will you place your faith in your closest and wisest friends? Will you listen to anyone and everyone who offers you advice? Where will you place your faith? You certainly do have a lot of questions for me today. Do you find them to be good questions, that you will do well to consider? Yes, they are good questions. I know some things for certain. What’s that? I have not welcomed troubles into my life as friends. The idea of finding myself in the troubles of life has not brought joy into my heart. I have tried to avoid troubles. I have ignored troubles. I have hoped that troubles would quickly disappear. I know for sure that I have often placed my faith in everything and anyone other than you. I have foolishly relied on myself and others. The dumbest thing I have done was to live by my own counsel and follow my own advice. For all the ways I have misplaced my faith, I ask for your forgiveness. You are forgiven. What would you like to do differently? I would like to place my faith in you alone. I would like to rely on you on every day and in every circumstance of my life. I would like to pray faith filled prayers to you for wisdom as I walk through life with you. I would like to live in an intimate relationship with you as you guard and guide me through life. I would like to live with the joyful knowledge that the troubles of life will only serve to strengthen my faith in you. Troubles will draw me nearer and closer to you. In that way, yes, I can admit that troubles can and should be welcomed into my life because I know that you will powerfully use them for good in my life. Yes, I will. Will you place your faith in me as you go through troubles in life? Yes, I will. That will be very good.
Lord, I have not always placed my faith in you alone. I’m sure that comes as no great surprise. Forgive me. Through all the troubles of life, I will place my faith in you. I will rely on you. I will ask for your wisdom. I will ask for your help. Strengthen my faith in you. Amen
Key Question… When have you asked God for wisdom as you have gone through troubles in life?
Living It Out… Place your faith in God alone as you go through troubles in life.
Seeing It Happen… Have faith that God will hear and answer your prayers for wisdom as you place your faith in Him alone.
Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are learning to place your faith in God alone.
Prayer To Bless Others… May you place your faith in God alone as you go through troubles in life.
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