Tag Archives: James 1:2-4

Whenever You Face Trials

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Becoming Like Christ - Day 12 - James 1:2-4 - Whenever You Face Trials - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 12 – James 1:2-4 – Whenever You Face Trials – Growing As Disciples

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  James 1:2-4 (NIV)

Pure Joy

I don’t know about that. You don’t know about what? I’m not sure how to have pure joy when I’m going through trials. Why is that? I’m not sure I can or even want to have pure joy when I go through trials. You should know, I am no fan of trials. I don’t like trials. I like to avoid trials. I have no interest in going through trials. I do my best to leave a trial as soon as possible. Do you think I want you to be joyful for your trials? It sounds like it to me. Then you better listen a little more carefully. How so? There is a huge difference between being joyful in and through a trial and being joyful for a trial. Can you explain that to me? Yes, I can.

Let me ask you a few questions. I’m listening. Have you drawn closer to me as you have gone through trials? Have you felt my nearness as you have gone through trials? Has your life with me grown more intimate as you have held on to me through trials? Has your faith in me grown stronger as you have gone through trials? Have I strengthened you and made you able to persevere as you have gone through trials? Have you learned to call out to me and ask me for help as you have gone through trials? Have I heard and answered your prayers as you have gone through trials? Have I generously given you wisdom as you have gone through trials?  Yes, you have done all these things in and for me as I have gone through trials. Are you thankful for all that I have done in and for you as you have gone through trials? Yes, I am thankful. Yes, I am grateful. Would you even say that you are joyful for what I have done in and for you as you have gone through trials? Without, a doubt, I have joy in my heart because of all that you have done in and for me as I have gone through trials. Remember that. Have this joy in you as you go through trials. Now, I understand. That’s good. 

One more question. What’s that? If you could, would you trade all that I have done in and for you through trials for never having any trials in the first place? Not, for a second. Then you can have joy and give thanks in the midst of trials because you know that I will be continuing my good work in you. Yes, I can. Yes, I will. That is very good. 

Lord, I am no fan of trials. I have had a negative attitude toward them. Yet, I know that you can and do use trials for good in my life. Help me to persevere and grow stronger in my faith as I go through trials. Help me to rely on you for all I need in every trial. Amen

Key Question…  How has your faith grown stronger as you have gone through trials?

Living It Out…  Rely on the Lord to help you to persevere and grow stronger in your faith as you go through trails.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will be able to use trials to help you to grow stronger in your faith.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how your faith has grown stronger as you have gone through trials.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you rely on the Lord to strengthen your faith as you go through trials.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Day 12 – Becoming Like Christ – James 1-2-4 – Whenever You Face Trials – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Mature And Complete Not Lacking Anything

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Faith - James 1:2-4 - Mature And Complete Not Lacking Anything- Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Faith – James 1:2-4 – Mature And Complete Not Lacking Anything- Growing As Disciples

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 (NIV)  

Finish The Work

Are trials a joy to you? Are you able to see their benefit in your life? Do you know that the testing of your faith will develop perseverance in you? Those are good questions. I often cannot see the benefit of a trial until after I have gone through it. Sometimes it has taken a great length of time and hindsight for me to understand how a trial has benefited my life.

When have you cried out to me in a trial? Do you know that I am with you in and through every trial that you face? You can ask me for wisdom as you go through trials in life. I will not reject you or your requests. It gives me great joy to help you to grow stronger in perseverance and faith as you trust and rely on me. It is foolish to go through trials without my help. Forgive me Lord for the times when I have thought I could “tough it out” and go through trials on my own. My own self-efforts have not been successful. My own efforts have left me bitter, angry and discouraged when I have been in the midst of trials. Yet, somehow you have been able to use even trials and tests that I have failed. Yes, I have.

I do have joy in knowing that you are using all of life including trials and tests to mold and shape my life. It is encouraging to know that you have never or will ever give up on me. No, I will not. I am sure that I have had to go through similar tests and trails more than once because I did not learn or receive their full benefit the first around. Yes, you have.

I want to grow strong in my faith and trust in you. I want to persevere so that I will become the person you want me to be. So, I give you permission to do whatever it takes to make me mature and complete. Help me to rely on you through every trail I face. Give me your wisdom in abundance so that I will have all that I need to persevere and grow strong in my faith in you. It is the desire of my heart for you to finish the work that you started and want to complete in me. I don’t want to lack any good thing that you want to give me or do in and through my life. In every way I want my life to glorify your name and bear fruit in your kingdom.

I know that you will hear and answer this prayer of mine. Yes, I have heard your prayer and you can be certain that I will answer it.

Lord, use whatever it takes to grow my faith in you. I will consider it pure joy when I go through various trials because I know you are developing perseverance in me. I want to be mature and complete and not lacking anything as I follow and serve you.  Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Faith – James 1-2-4 – Mature And Complete Not Lacking Anything – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship study guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Finish Its Work

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Mixed Emotions - James 1:2-4 - Finish Its Work - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Mixed Emotions – James 1:2-4 – Finish Its Work – Growing As Disciples

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 (NIV)

OK

OK, what? I’m here again. I’m in another trial. Normally, I would not be too pleased that I’m in another trial. I’m not a huge fan of trials. I have often railed and rebelled against trials. I have not wanted to stay in them. I have tried to get out of them as soon as possible. I have tried to duck them. I have sought to avoid them. I have backed up from them. I have tried to go around them. I have certainly not welcomed them into my life. That’s certainly true. What about now? I am saying OK. I am acknowledging that I am in a trial. I will let this trial have its full effect in my life. I will allow you to use this trial to mold and shape my life. Use this trial to do your work in me. That’s your prayer? Yes, that is my prayer. I am welcoming this trial into my life because I know that, even though you are not the author of this trial, you will use it to grow and strengthen my faith. You will develop perseverance in me. Yes, I will.

What has changed your attitude? Looking back over my life is changing my attitude about trials. How so? You have always been able to bring some great good out of the trials I have gone through. It may have taken a long time, in some cases many years, for me to see your hand at work in the trials I have gone through. I may never fully understand all the trials I have gone through. What I will do is trust you. What I have done and will continue to do is draw near to you as I go through trials in life. In every trial, I will come to rely on you. In every trial, I will ask for your help. I will cry out to you for wisdom. In every trial, you have heard and answered my prayer. You have drawn near to me as I have drawn near to you. You have helped me. You have sustained me. You have strengthened me. Yes, that is what I have done and will continue to do for you as you go through trials. For that, I would not trade anything. For that, I will endure every trial as you grow and strengthen my faith in you. That is very good. 

Lord, I know I am a work in progress. You are not done molding and shaping my life. You are still making me into the person you want me to become. I will joyfully allow trials to test my faith and do their work in me. Grow and develop my faith as I follow you. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Mixed Emotions – James 1-2-4 – Finish Its Work – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Mature And Complete

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Be - James 1:2-4- Mature And Complete - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Be – James 1:2-4- Mature And Complete – Growing As Disciples

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 (NIV)

Working In You 

I am working in your life. Day by day and moment by moment, I am changing you. I am molding and shaping your life. I am making you into the person I want you to become. How are you working in my life? What are you using to change me moment by moment and day by day? How are you molding and shaping me into the person you want me to become? How can I recognize your activity in my life? Why do you want to know? Why are you asking me these questions? I want to welcome your activity in my life. I don’t want to get in the way of your working in my life. I don’t want to hinder anything that you want to do in me, with me or through me. Those are good thoughts. Those are good desires. With the wrong attitude, you could hinder my working in your life. With the wrong attitude, you could short circuit what I want to do in you, with you and through you. I don’t want that. No, you don’t.

How can I guard against having an attitude that would hinder your working in my life? What must I be on guard against so that I don’t short circuit what you want to do in me, with me or through me? Those are good questions. You may not like my answer. Why is that? I have watched you when trials of various kinds have come upon you. What have you seen? You certainly haven’t welcomed trials into your life as your friends. You have wanted to get over trials as quickly as possible rather than joyfully grow through them. You want me to be joyful as I go through trials? You want me to welcome trials into my life as my friends? Yes, I do. Why is that? How strong would your faith be if you never went through a trial? How often would you have come to rely on me if you never went through a trial? How have trials strengthened your faith in me? How are trails causing you to grow mature and complete as you continue to love, follow and serve me? Haven’t you drawn nearest to me and felt my presence in the midst of every trail you have faced? I see your point. I now see why I should welcome trials into my life as my friends. I now know without a doubt that you have been working in my life in the midst of every trial that I have faced. I will change my attitude. I will stop whining about the trials I am going through. I will joyfully look with great anticipation for how you will be working in me, with me and through as I go through trials in life. That will be very good.

 Lord, I have wanted to quickly get over trials rather than joyfully grow through them. I have not welcomed trials into my life as an opportunity to persevere and grow in my faith. Now, do whatever you need to do to make me fully mature and complete in you. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Be – James 1-2-4 – Mature And Complete – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com