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JAMES DAY 25 PRAYER

Pray that you will not slander others nor will you judge your neighbor. (James 4:11-12)

James 4:11-12 (New International Version)

¹¹Brothers, 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. ¹²There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

JAMES DAY 25 CHALLENGE

Slander – a false or malicious statement that can harm someone’s reputation. I know very few people, if any, who are able to completely avoid slander. Slander is stemmed from unforgiveness. It is when we feel violated, threatened, unappreciated or mistreated that we choose to fall into the trap of slander or judgment of others.

When we can get to a point where we accept that fact that we all fail and in this journey we call life, failure is where we learn, grow and humble ourselves the most, then we accept ourselves and people for who they are and not for what they do.

Talking about someone to others with the intent to slander is sin. When we share negative things about people to others we are hurting their reputation. When we have to tell our side of the story intentionally leaving out facts or exaggerating to lift ourselves up or gain ”supporters” who are on our side, we are slandering. James doesn’t hit lightly on this subject.

See when we talk about others maliciously or talk to them with a bitter, resentful and unforgiving heart, we are judging them and as James says, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy.” So, who are we to judge? Let us ask God for forgiveness for how we have spoken of our brothers and sisters and ask God to fill us with His love so it will flow out of us and on to others.

SPECIAL PRAYER/CHALLENGE TO WIVES FOR THEIR HUSBANDS:

JAMES DAY 25 PRAYER

Pray that your husband will not slander others nor will he judge his neighbor. (James 4:11-12)

JAMES DAY 25 CHALLENGE

Slander – a false or malicious statement that can harm someone’s reputation. I know very few people, if any, who are able to completely avoid slander. This can especially be true in a marriage.

Click here to see the rest of today’s challenge.

JAMES DAY 24 PRAYER

Today pray that you will submit yourself to God and come near to Him, resist the devil, wash your hands and purify your hearts. Pray that the Holy Spirit will convict you of any sin you are unaware of in your life so as to grieve, wail and mourn over it. Pray that you will fully humble yourself before the Lord knowing that He will lift you up! (James 4:7-10)

James 4:7-10 (New International Version)

7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

JAMES DAY 24 CHALLENGE

In today’s passage look at the verbs used and notice the actions mentioned that are to be done by us first. We are the ones that are initiating change here. Yes, God meets us where we are at, yes God reaches into the depths of the valley to pull us up, yes God will always be with us, BUT God honors obedience and there is a role and responsibility we have in initiating and stepping up our relationship with Him.

Look at these verbs: Submit, resist, come near, wash, purify, grieve, change and humble yourselves. Wow! If you are not sold on the fact that these actions from us are something we should make a first priority, let me sell it to you a little bit then.

Let me ask you this; are you in any way desiring that the devil flee from you? Would you like God to come near to you? Would you like the Lord to lift you up?

How many times when we are broken, sad, distraught, exhausted, lonely, depressed, angry, frustrated, unsure, insecure, beaten down, doubtful or feeling hopeless do we cry out to God, “Why me God? Where are you God? How can you let this happen God? Why is Satan always after me God? Why do I feel so abandoned by You Lord? Get me out of this pit God!”

Today I hope there is a huge Ah-ha moment for some of you like there is for me! What are the answers to the questions listed above that we have all asked at one time or another? Submit, resist, come near, wash, purify, grieve, change and humble yourselves.

Let me explain a few of these verbs that might throw some of us off. Washing is a stand for moral purity. Are there any areas in your life that need to be washed? The next three verbs, grieve, mourn and wail are brilliantly defined by William Barclay in his commentary series in this way, “In words deliberately chosen to waken the sleeping soul, James demands that his hearers should substitute the way of abstinence for the way of luxury; that they should become aware of their own sins and mourn for them; and that they should become conscious of the world’s need and weep for it.”

I challenge you today to write down this section of James and keep it with you in the next week and change up the way we “cry out” to God to save us from our despair and make the first move forward to freedom from some of the bondages that chain us.

SPECIAL PRAYER/CHALLENGE TO WIVES FOR THEIR HUSBANDS:

JAMES DAY 24 PRAYER

Today pray that your husband will submit himself to God and come near to Him, resist the devil, wash his hands and purify his heart. Pray that the Holy Spirit will convict him of any sin he is unaware of in his life so as to grieve, wail and mourn over it. Pray that he will fully humble himself before the Lord knowing that He will lift him up! (James 4:7-10)

JAMES DAY 24 CHALLENGE

Our husband’s faith walk is built, strengthened and solidified best when he is one on one with God. I think that is true for all of us. Of course, we all have friends, loved ones, fellow believers and our spouses to encourage, challenge and walk along side of us, but I think we can all agree that our most powerful spiritual growth happens when we have a personal encounter with the Lord.

Click here to see the rest of today’s challenge.

Here’s our psalm for the weekend and if this isn’t a psalm of encouragement I don’t know what is!! Meditate and let God’s Word and Truth sink deep into your heart!

Enjoy! Blessed be your Sabbath!

Psalm 18:26-50

²⁶ to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

²⁷ You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

²⁸ You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.

²⁹ With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.

³⁰ As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.

³¹ For who is God besides the LORD ?
And who is the Rock except our God?

³² It is God who arms me with strength
and makes my way perfect.

³³ He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights.

³⁴ He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

³⁵ You give me your shield of victory,
and your right hand sustains me;
you stoop down to make me great.

³⁶ You broaden the path beneath me,
so that my ankles do not turn.

³⁷ I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.

³⁸ I crushed them so that they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.

³⁹ You armed me with strength for battle;
you made my adversaries bow at my feet.

⁴⁰ You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.

⁴¹ They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the LORD, but he did not answer.

⁴² I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind;
I poured them out like mud in the streets.

⁴³ You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations;
people I did not know are subject to me.

⁴⁴ As soon as they hear me, they obey me;
foreigners cringe before me.

⁴⁵ They all lose heart;
they come trembling from their strongholds.

⁴⁶ The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!

⁴⁷ He is the God who avenges me,
who subdues nations under me,

⁴⁸ who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from violent men you rescued me.

⁴⁹ Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD;
I will sing praises to your name.

⁵⁰ He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.