21 Days of Prayer and Fasting – Day 19

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Dr. Logan's Blog

October 26, 2012 – Day 19 – James 5:7-12

7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. 12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned. [1]

Why can we not wait? We have become so accustom to instant gratification in most areas of our lives that we expect God to move instantly, and when He does not we grumble and complain, not against God but against one another. It is easy to understand our impatience. No one likes to endure suffering even when we know intellectually that it is producing for us a crown of glory. When we have seasons of distress and trial all we can think about doing is getting out from under whatever it is that has caused it. It is difficult to imagine that there could possibly be a purpose to our pain, but undoubtedly God uses (not causes) our suffering for His glory.

To emphasize his point and strengthen his position, James invokes the memory of Job who suffered more than most of us can imagine and yet he remained committed to the Lord and persevered. The automatic retort of most of us to such a comparison is, “we are not Job!” But I have discovered that we really do not know what we can endure, and what through suffering we can persevere until it becomes necessary. I used to look at people in obvious pain and comment on how difficult it would be for me, how I could not do what they were doing. I discovered that it is true that one generally does not know what they can handle until they have to handle it.

Rest assured that God knows all about the struggles in our lives. Trust that He knows the pain and suffering we endure and that He is using it all to bring glory to His name. So stand faithfully and wait for His deliverance. Stand firm refusing to waffle in any direction, allowing your ‘yes’ to be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ to be ‘no,’ and in so doing avoid divine condemnation and judgment.

Lord Jesus, it so difficult for us to wait. We tire of the pain and suffering we endure. We want to see the end of it now. It is so severe at times that we wonder how we can possibly make it through. We hear that You have a purpose for it, but from our vantage point we have difficulty seeing it. Open our eyes today so we can see what You are doing through our suffering to bring glory to Your own name. Give us grace to wait on You and the deliverance You desire to bring us. Strengthen our resolve so we can take our stand letting our ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and our ‘no’ be ‘no,’ and do it all for the glory of Your name. Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Jas 5:7–12.

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21 Days of Prayer & Fasting – Day 18

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Dr. Logan's Blog

October 25, 2012 – Day 18 – James 5:1-6

5       Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you. [1]

These first six verses of the fifth chapter of the book of James seem to reasonably go together with the last six verses of chapter four. In it businesspersons boast and brag about their self-reliance upon which now James pronounces judgment. The verses are reminiscent of the judgment pronounced on Israel in the book of Haggai. There the people of God were guilty of ignoring the house of the Lord while they enriched themselves. As a result they were doomed to never have enough money, enough clothing to wear, food to drink, or beverage to drink. In the book of James the wealthy are condemned because of their unjust business practices. While they lived in luxury they defrauded their workers, “condemned and murdered innocent men,” but now their deeds cry out against them and recompense is pronounced upon them.

Now it might appear that these verses only apply to those who have wealth, but wealth is first of all a relative term, and second they reveal a truth applicable to all who would name themselves among the twice born. If one lives in the southern hemisphere every westerner, especially Americans, are wealthy. While we may not enjoy the wealth of some we are no less dependent upon it. In fact, we tend to trust our wealth, however meager it might be, more than we trust God and that makes us just as culpable. Second, these verses remind us that faithlessness like faithfulness has consequences. Just as the cries of the harvesters reached the ears of the Lord so also the cries of those with whom we have unjustly dealt, and there is a price to be paid.

This is not a happy word, and it is not a word that this post-modern church wants to hear. Its desire is to hear only that which blesses it and hard words are to be avoided at all costs. The church needs a hard, sobering word from the Lord so she can be reminded of the only two choices open to her, rebellion or obedience. Today, let us be careful in how we deal with other people and commit to walk in obedience in all we do.

Lord, most of us are not wealthy by some standards, but we are guilty of allowing our opulence to monopolize our trust in You. We are guilty of being insensitive to the needs of others. Forgive us and relent of the judgment that we deserve. Give us a heart for dealing with others in the manner we desire to be treated. Keep us from foolish pride and arrogance, but humbly allow us to approach Your throne of grace and receive forgiveness for our sin, in Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Jas 5:1–6.

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21 Days of Fasting & Prayer – Day 17

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Dr. Logan's Blog

October 24, 2012 – Day 17 – James 4:13-17

13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. [1]

James turns his admonition now to the business merchants in the community to which he was writing. These few verses are perhaps the most important for extolling a Christian business ethic that can be found. The presumption that is evident in them is consistent with those James addresses in earlier verses. It is one of self-reliance and self-sufficiency as if one accomplished anything good in life on their own. While God knows the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts, James would only have known about it because of the boasting and bragging the business owners.

“Boasting has a place in the Christian life—if it is done in view of the work of God (cf. 1:9). But such is not the case with the believers James was confronting (cf. 2:13; 3:14). Instead of confessing their dependence on the will of God, their arrogance erupted and overflowed with bragging. More precisely, to brag here means to manifest the pretense of the self-creation and sole causation of one’s own well-being.”[2] This emphasis on self is epidemic in our society today, and it is rampant in the church. The Apostle Paul would tell us that ‘anything that does not come from faith is sin’ (Romans 14:23).

Friends, we are not our own! Everything we do is wrapped up in the will of God. We have no confidence in the future beyond the knowledge of who it is that controls it, yet we plan our lives as if we were the authors of it. There is, therefore, an obvious danger in focusing on self, what it desires or what we think it needs. Instead, we should look to God and His will for our lives and our businesses. Such a standard is not popular in the marketplace, but it is the standard of the body of Christ and not the world. Let us resolve, therefore, to do the good we know to do.

Dear Father, forgive us today of our presumptuous self-reliance. Thank You for the reminder that all of our help comes from You. We grieve that we have not done the good we know to do and have instead done that which we thought best and right for us. Help us today to sift through the multitude of sounds that assault our ears with ungodly counsel to hear Your voice leading and directing our steps. May everything we attempt and everything we do conform to Your will for our lives, give glory to Your Name, and build up your body. Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Jas 4:13–17.

[2] Kurt A. Richardson, vol. 36, James (, The New American CommentaryNashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997), 201-02.

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21 Days of Prayer & Fasting – Day 16 – James 4:8-12

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Dr. Logan's Blog

October 23, 2012 – Day 16 – James 4:8-12

8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. 11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? [1]

In these two verses James seems to pause in his indictment of the group to which he is writing, but only for a moment. Almost as if he realizes how condemning his words have been he offers hope in the midst of them. The actions of which they are guilty have taken them away from God but God did not move. They need only draw near to God and discover that He is there with them. They have been double-minded sinners but can rectify their estate by consciously changing, shifting their position, and humbling themselves before the Lord. Then just as suddenly as he pauses he returns to his admonition.

These are verses that revisionists love to take out of context. James’ admonition is not about judging but against slander. The community to which he was writing seemed to have a variety of moral and ethical issues. They were guilty of unguarded speech, ungodly wisdom, pursuing inordinate desire, harboring bitterness toward one another and now slander. It appears that there was a lot of spiritual pride running havoc among them. If James did not use the word slander, one might be able to make an argument that James condemns believers ever judging anyone. But the word slander cancels such an assertion. To slander here is to tell tales, to give an evil report, to defame someone. Clearly it is the motivation of the slanderer that is in question. Such a person puts himself or herself on shaky ground, demonstrates their own sin, and has no right to judge anyone.

Should Christians judge? We make judgments all the time. We cannot exercise discernment without making them. But what is the motivation? Is it to tear someone down so we can look better in contrast, or is it to walk righteously before the Lord, and in the process, build up the body of Christ? Perhaps our motivation will be unimpeachable if we focus our energies on getting into the presence of the Lord, “Come near to God and He will come near to you.”

Lord, our hands are not clean, yet we judge others around us as if they are. We confess how easily we participate in the assassination of someone’s character based upon erroneous information. We confess that we have been quick to perpetuate the report rather than stopping it all the while knowing our own secret sin that is ever before us. Forgive us of our false righteousness, of our pride and arrogance. Enable us to come boldly before Your throne of grace and receive mercy in our time of trouble, and then allow to show mercy to those around us, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Jas 4:8–12.

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21 Days of Prayer & Fasting – Day 15

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Dr. Logan's Blog

October 22, 2012 – Day 15

4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [1]

One of the greatest struggles followers of Christ have ever had, have even now, and will continue to have is figuring out how to live in a culture that is opposed to God. Popular polls taken in this country discovered that sixty percent of the population claims to be Christian while more than sixty percent do not go to church anywhere. Yet our society moves further and further away from that which pleases God. Followers of Christ are presented with a dilemma and compromise and accommodation become the order of the day.

There are a variety of strategies one can employ when deciding how to live counter culturally. According to H. Richard Niebuhr, one can live against the culture, of the culture, above the culture, in paradox with the culture, or as transformers of the culture (Christianity & Culture). James would argue that living of the culture, as a friend of the culture makes us an enemy of God. I think most followers of Christ would agree that being a friend of culture is not the option that pleases God but have also discovered that it is a far easier path to follow. That, I think, is the point. This is our Father’s world but the devil is the prince of it. He cannot win the fight in which we daily find ourselves, but he will never give up.

In our arrogance we often think we can conquer the devil by going along in order to get along or by bluffing our way thinking God will understand our compromise because we did not really mean it. God understands our struggle and so gives to those who humbly seek to live righteous lives filled with integrity grace to overcome. Those who persist in playing games with the devil, and therefore also with God, He opposes because now they have made themselves His enemy. We should desire to be known as friends of God and not enemies no matter how tough the fight becomes. How do we do that? James advises something so simple that we wonder how anyone could miss it: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Lord, You know our daily struggles. Too often we have tried to handle them on our own only to be met with constant failure. We have disappointed You and ourselves. Forgive us our pride and arrogance and enable us to give you our ‘highest and best.’ Allow us to hear Your voice today as our faith is challenged. Give us grace to make the right decisions and live with the consequences. We desire to be known as Your friends, so help us to overcome our fear and resist the devil. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Jas 4:4–7.

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21 Days of Prayer & Fasting – Day 14

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Dr. Logan's Blog

October 21, 2012 – Day 14

4       What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. [1]

We really don’t like to admit it, but the reason why we argue and fight with others is because of some unfulfilled desire within us. Human nature is such that it desires often what it cannot have and not just what it desires. When we cannot get what we want then our frustration leads us to quarrel. James goes to the heart of the human dilemma where we struggle to get and retain what we want. Often times we are not even certain that we really want what we express because of the battle that rages on the inside of us. Isn’t it ironic that the very things that cause people to fight, fuss, and fume are often the things they don’t even really want?

The greatest irony, however, is that all the fighting, fussing, and fuming is not necessary. We serve a God that desires to give to His children. We have access in His presence to ask what we will of Him. The problem, however, is that we tend not to ask but instead try to get what we desire on our own; and then when we do ask, we ask from wrong motives. Our wrong motives are revealed in how we handle what we do receive from the Lord. We are like children with too much money in a candy store buying everything we can just to satisfy our new found freedom.

It is a marvelous thing to know that we can come to the Lord in prayer and receive from Him what we ask. But we cannot afford to come treating Him like a ‘sugar daddy’ or denying His sovereignty. God is predisposed to bless His children but we must walk faithfully and obediently according to His Word. If we desire to see our prayers answered then we must check our motivation, our faithfulness and our obedience. Perhaps our prayers have not been answered because we have not come ‘correctly.’

Lord Jesus, forgive us for taking You for granted. Forgive us for treating you as our servant and getting angry with You when You did not do as we asked. Forgive us for living our lives in rebellion instead of obedience and still expecting You to bless us with all good gifts. Teach us today to know Your will for our lives that we may ask according to Your will and not our flesh. Mold our will to Your will so that our motives conform to that which pleases You. We surrender all that we are to You this day and look for the blessings of obedience that are to come, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Jas 4:1–3.

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21 Days of Prayer & Fasting – Day 13

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Dr. Logan's Blog

October 20, 2012 – Day 13

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. [1]

There are two types of wisdom. One that comes from the devil and the other that comes from God. The two are distinguished by the displayed habits and attitudes of those who claim to have it. We are not certain what precisely James is addressing, but it seems that he has some situation or circumstance in the body of believers in mind. Perhaps the “disorder and every evil practice” reference was what was characterizing their community and if so, how did it happen? Maybe some ‘spirit-minded’ followers who were claiming to have godly wisdom were guilty of harboring “bitter envy and selfish ambition’ in their hearts. Such attitudes are incompatible with what God requires. What they were operating in might be wisdom, but it was not godly wisdom.

Godly wisdom is wisdom that comes straight from heaven. It is “pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” Those who demonstrate this type of wisdom are “peacemakers who sow in peace” and “raise a harvest of righteousness.”

Like so many things in God’s Kingdom demonstrating godly wisdom is not easy. Our flesh leads us to be envious and ambitious and even to brag and boast about it. But it is our flesh that we are to be constantly crucifying to bring it under subjection to the Holy Spirit. If you are like me you desire to operate in godly wisdom but only the grace of God can enable us to do it. Let us pray today for that grace.

Dear heavenly Father, we need Your wisdom. The hurt and the pain in our lives cause us to operate in a wisdom that neither honors nor glorifies You. We are embarrassed and grieved to discover that such wisdom instead is of the enemy of our souls. Forgive us today of our bitter envy and selfish ambition. Forgive us for boasting about it and denying the truth. Forgive us for the damage we have done to Your body and to our brothers and sisters who trusted us to give them Your wisdom. Give us instead the grace to operate in godly wisdom so that you are glorified and your people are edified. We ask it all in Jesus’ name. Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Jas 3:13–18.

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21 Days of Prayer & Fasting – Day 12

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Dr. Logan's Blog

October 19, 2012 – Day 12

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. [1]

Anybody having ever encountered a verbally abusive person knows full well just how damaging words can be. James compares the tongue to wild animals that pose challenges to the taming ability of humans. Though difficult all kinds have been tamed, but the tongue is the most challenging of all. Consider the things we are tempted to say, and sometimes do say, when we are angry or frustrated. Recall the times we have had to retract hurtful things we have said or wished that we could.

The problem is not just the damage that is done to relationships with one another, but also the damage done to our relationship with God. There are two things we are to do: love God and love one another, but our words betray us. With the same mouth we bless God and curse our sisters and brothers. If we love God it should be reflected in how we use our tongue. Unguarded speech also affects our witness. People know what we have said in the past and they also hear what we say in the present. When one does not agree with the other and we sound just like the world from which we say we have been redeemed it causes our witness to be minimalized and trivialized.

It is time to stop rationalizing our unguarded speech and acknowledge the incredible power of our words. When one has been truly redeemed it will be reflected in their language; in effect, their tongue will be tamed. I have met people who testified that when they came to Jesus they lost two thirds of their vocabulary and then there are others that have lost all credibility because they were no different from the world. So how do we begin to change the way we speak? Some would say what others have said to them, “If you cannot say anything good, then say nothing at all!” But I would suggest that we seek to speak and say only that which glorifies God and edifies others. Though a difficult feat to accomplish in the flesh, God can and will help us if we ask.

Dear Lord, You know full well the difficulty we have in bridling our tongues. We are guilty of saying hurtful and harmful things to all kinds of people including the ones we love. In our anger we have been more concerned about making our point and inflicting the same pain on others that we believe has been inflicted on us. We know the damage words have done to us and humbly repent of the times we have damaged others and betrayed our relationship with you. Help today to tame our tongues so that only that which glorifies you and builds up others is spoken. We ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Jas 3:7–12.

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21 Days of Prayer & Fasting – Day 11

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Dr. Logan's Blog

October 18, 2012 – Day 11

3  Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. [1]

The main subject of chapter three concerns the power of the tongue, but before James addresses that concern there are these two verses that seem to discourage one’s aspiration to teach. Though we cannot say with certainty why James begins this chapter in this way, it would seem plausible that he is simply giving his readers a practical illustration of the damage an unguarded tongue can cause in the body of believers. “Perhaps, indeed, unfit teachers were a major cause of the bitter partisan spirit (cf. 3:13–18), quarreling (4:1), and unkind, critical speech (4:11) that seemed to characterize the community.”[2] Whatever the reason for the brief admonition it seems to be a fitting way to broach the subject of the tongue.

One of the greatest lies ever told was one we learned as children: “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.” Words are powerful, providing the creative material to bring things into being. Note the damage that has been done to countless numbers of people simply by the words that were spoken over them. Note, also, the number of times our own situations have been made worse because we consistently spoke negativity into our situations. Those that study the workings of the brain maintain that the speech center has dominion over all the other nerve centers, so that when we speak signals are given to other parts of the body and those nerves move to come into conformity.

It does not seem that the tongue should or could be such a powerful instrument of destruction or creation, but it is. It is a raging fire set by hell itself. The writer of the book of Proverbs maintains that “the tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (18:21). Let us guard our tongue today.

Dear Father, we confess to careless use of our tongues. We are guilty of causing hurt and harm to those we love by our words. Instead of speaking life, we have spoken death. We are sorry for manner in which we have allowed ourselves to be seduced into being instruments of destruction. Help us today to speak life into every situation and to say those things that bring glory and honor to Your name. Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Jas 3:1–6.

[2] Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James (, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000), 149.

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21 Days of Prayer & Fasting – Day 10

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Dr. Logan's Blog

October 17, 2012 – Day 10

22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. [1]

“’Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,’ and he was called God’s friend.’” Israel Houghton and New Breed has made popular a contemporary praise melody called, ‘I Am A Friend of God.’ The tune is intoxicating and the lyrics powerfully affirming, but I wonder how many have ever considered the context out of which it was written and what it really means to be called a friend of God. Abraham was called a friend of God because of the obedience of his faith. He had right standing with God because he combined what he believed about what God had spoken for his life as well as that of his family and acted upon it.

James emphasizes that believers are justified by their faith but not without deeds. Even Rahab, known as a prostitute (presumably without a moral compass), had right standing with God because she protected the spies Joshua sent into Jericho and then sent them off in a different direction than she told the authorities. In each of these examples James gives us a glimpse of persons who believed God more than personal reputation or security. Perhaps we betray our standing with God when we fail to act on what we believe. Perhaps our failure to act is actually indicative of the doubt we harbor in our hearts toward the things of God.

If, as the songwriter has written, we want to be known as friends of God then it will require more than verbal affirmations alone: we will have to put our faith into action. James’ final word on the subject firmly ensconces his attitude on the subject: deeds to our faith are as critical as spirit is to our bodies. We really cannot advance in the Kingdom and certainly cannot be known as friends of God without faith accompanied by deeds.

Heavenly Father, we want desperately to be known as Your friends, but we are hesitant to trust you. We want to believe that every Word You have spoken is intended for us but we confess our fear and doubt. The faith of Abraham and Rahab seem so out of reach for us and so unrealistic for our time that we cannot see how we can ever measure up to the standard they have set for us. Since we are not content to be known as anything less than Your friends, help us to walk in and act on our faith. Like Abraham, allow our faith to be made complete by what we do so that You are glorified. So, today show us how to be Abrahams and Rahabs as we move among an unbelieving generation, and through us draw many unto Your Kingdom. We confidently ask this of You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Jas 2:22–26.

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