A Doer Who Acts

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Discipleship - James 1:22-25 -A Doer Who Acts - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Discipleship – James 1:22-25 – A Doer Who Acts – Growing As Disciples

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:22-25 (ESV)  

Look Intently

I will not be only a hearer of your word. I will not be like a person who forgets what they look like immediately after looking at themselves in a mirror. I will not give your word a quick glance. I have done that with a mirror and failed to see what I needed to see. What an embarrassing experience that has been. Such embarrassing experiences have taught me to look more intently into the mirror. Life is like that. There have been times, when I have suffered embarrassment because I gave your word a quick glance and did not put it into practice. I have taken missteps, made huge mistakes and sinned against you, because I did not follow what your word had to say to me. Forgive me. You are forgiven.

What do you want to do differently? How will you make sure that you are both hearing and doing my word? How will you put my word into practice? First of all, I will look intently into your word. I will read your word. I will study your word. I will meditate on and memorize your word. I will pray your word and I will put your word into practice. I will take hold of your word so that your word will take hold of me. I will allow your word to change my heart, transform my mind and guide my life. That will be very good.

What has my word done for you? Your word has helped me to know your will and walk in your ways. Your word has been molding and shaping my life. Your word has guarded and guided my life. Your word has made me able to stand against temptation and resist evil. Your word has set me free. Your word has kept me for going where I should not go. Your word has prevented me from doing what I should not do. Your word has blessed my life. Your word has helped me to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. That’s right. Will you continue in my word? Will you keep on putting my word into practice? Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good.

Lord, every day I will look intently into your word. I will not forget what your word says. I will be a careful listener of your word. I will not deceive myself by thinking that it is enough to only hear your word. Help me to be both a hearer and doer of your word. Amen

Key Question… How are you being very careful to be both a hearer and doer of God’s word?

Living It Out… Allow time every day to hear God’s word so you can be a both hearer and doer of His will.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will bless your life as you hear and do His word.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are hearing and doing God’s word.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you, as you look intently into God’s word, be a doer who acts.

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

Discipleship – James 1-22-25 – A Doer Who Acts – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

Looks Intently

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Blessing - James 1:22-25 - Looks Intently - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Blessing – James 1:22-25 – Looks Intently – Growing As Disciples

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it–he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25 (NIV)

Into Practice

What do you think will happen to you if you continue to look intently into my word? That is a very good question. I know that if I continue to look intently into your word I will be changed by it. How so? Your word will change my heart. Your word will transform my mind. Your word will guide my life. You will use your word to mold and shape my life. You will use your word to make me into the person that you have called me to be. That’s right. So, it is not a waste of time of your time to continue to look intently into my word. There is nothing that I consider to be of higher value than to meet with you in your word. That’s an interesting way that you said that. You are not merely studying my word? No, certainly not. You are meeting with me in my word. Yes, that’s right. You are meditating on my word. You are praying my word. You are letting my word dwell in you richly. Yes, I am.

You know that my Holy Spirit will take my word and apply it right to your life, right now. Yes, that’s exactly what I am counting on. I know that your word is like a sword in the Holy Spirit’s hand. He will use your word to fight in me, with me, and for me. What do you mean by that? Well, putting your word into practice will set me free. The world and all its principles, values and practices will lose their grip on me as I take hold of your word. Your word will strengthen me and make me able to stand against temptation. Just as your word fought for you against the devil and all his evil so also will it fight for me. Yes, it will. 

How has my word blessed your life? Your word has changed my thoughts, words, and deeds. Your word has changed the desires of my heart and the goals of my life. Your word has given me hope and meaning and purpose in life. How so? Now, I want to live my life fully for you. Now, I want to go and do what is pleasing to you. Now, I want to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. Now, I am looking forward to a future and far better day when I will come to live forever in heaven with you. In the meantime, I will continue to put your word into practice with all the strength that you will give to me. That is very good.

Lord, I have no desire to merely listen to your word. Every day I will look intently into your word. Show me what you want me to see and know. Help me go and do all that you are teaching me. Set me free and bless my life by your word as I put it into practice. Amen

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

Blessing – James 1-22-25 – Into Practice – 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