Faith Focus

Greetings friends,

I ask that as we begin our spiritual journey together we begin to take some time daily (if you are not already) to read the Scripture and pray. I thought it would be beneficial for us to focus on the same passage of Scripture for the week. This week, we will focus on Sunday’s text, James 5:7-20. If you were not in present on Sunday and have not yet watched it, I encourage you to do so. Just some historical tidbits- James was Jesus’ brother (Mark 6:3, Gal. 1:19), and he originally shared the family’s skepticism about Jesus (Mark 3:21; John 7:5). James was changed by an encounter with Jesus after his resurrection (1 Cor. 15:7) and he is first named as a significant leaders in the Jerusalem church in Acts 12:17. The Jewish historian Josephus records that the high priest Ananus had James stoned to death, thus he died a martyr.

Format (this is a repeat from last week, and will be consistently present for anyone new and as a reminder for all):

Find a quiet place and time to focus on the Word, and to hear from God through it. It doesn’t have to be long, for some it will be longer than others. I encourage you, if possible, to do this practice in the morning. You will then find that God brings it to your mind throughout your day.

For greater impact I encourage you to get some paper and a pen and journal daily what thoughts and impressions God brings to mind. Write out also your own thoughts and your own prayers, making sure to leave space within your time for God’s response. Listen intently, and notice what rises up within you- what you are thinking, feeling, memories that arise and ideas that spring up. It may be something God would want you to address within yourself and/or with others. It may be something God is inspiring you to begin or end. God’s possibilities are infinite! After time, it is often beneficial to go back and read what you have written, and notice how God has been moving in your life (and praise God for it!).

Begin with prayer, quieting yourself within and opening up to hearing what God would like to reveal to you. Praise God for who he is, for loving you, being with you, and more. Then ask God to speak to you; to open your heart and mind to hear his message. (if you are journaling, you could write out the prayer)

Read the Scripture passage over twice; once as a read through, and the second time slowly, meditatively. Notice what God illuminates for you. Notice what words or ideas are “jumping off the page at you,” impacting you from the Scripture. Ask God why that is being highlighted for you. What is God saying to you? What is God asking you to say, do, change, pray about, etc.? What is the application for my life today? **Most importantly- what am I going to do about it? (If you are journaling you could write it all out, which reinforces it in a greater way)

I have put together some daily questions based upon the Scripture. You may use those, but also feel free to deviate away from it if God is leading you there. They are simply offered to prompt contemplation with God. There is much more in this passage, feel free to delve in more!

At the end of your time pray again. I recommend praying throughout, but the ending prayer would include praise, thanking God for revelation, and asking for the Holy Spirit to continue to reveal, bringing to mind God’s will. Ask God for the courage, empowerment, and opportunity to do what you have determined God is asking you to do.

James 5:7-20 (there is SO much in this passage!! Feel free to take a different route through it- wherever God leads you!)

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.  Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.  As you know, we count as 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. Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned. Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

DAILY QUIET TIME WITH GOD:

Monday: “Be patient,” “patiently waiting” “be patient and stand firm.” The verses before this passage discuss the oppression of workers, those whom James is writing to, by their wealthy employers. It can be difficult to have patience when things are not only not the way we want them to be, but especially when we are not being treated fairly, justly, or with equity. This can happen in any kind of situation, not just in the workplace. Have you ever experienced a situation where you were treated poorly? How did that make you feel? What do you believe God has to say about people being mistreated? (hint- it’s really, really bad!!). If, in remembering, you sense any sort of anger, hatred, or bitterness, ask God in prayer to take that from you. If the experience left any woundedness of spirit, ask God for healing. How does knowing that the Lord is “coming near” make you feel? Remember that God loves you!

Tuesday: Both the words “patient” and waiting” are verbs. Imagine how it would be different to see them as an action as opposed to sitting back and doing nothing. James uses the analogy of a farmer patiently waiting for his crops, but consider all that a farmer does in the waiting. What does a farmer do in preparation for the crop? How does that relate to our spiritual life?  What are some areas to guard against? What are some things that God would want you doing in the waiting? Ask God to reveal to you how God wants you to “wait.”

Wednesday: “Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” Being in relationship with others can be difficult, with so many different personalities and ideas. It becomes exponentially more difficult when people are experiencing trials, as people will sometimes become short-tempered, and step into gossip and complaining. These are actions that are not only harmful to the recipient, but to the spiritual health of the person that is lashing out. Ask God if there are any situations or people where you have been short-tempered, gossiping, or complaining. When God reveals it, ask God how to heal, how to repair- the situation, the relationship with others, and the feelings within yourself that prompted the unhealthy behavior. Ask for forgiveness, and release yourself from that negativity, being filled with God’s grace.

Thursday: “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” The word “sick” can also be translated as “weary.” Pray for God to reveal to you the areas of your life where you need to be healed from being sick or weary. Some are obvious, but there are often areas hidden, undiscovered, until revealed in prayer. Why do you believe being forgiven of sins is connected to making the sick person well? Why do you think it says to confess sins to one another? How does the idea of doing so make you feel? What would be some reasons why you would or would not be willing to confess your sins to another believer? It says the prayer of a “righteous” person is powerful and effective. “Righteous,” defined by the original Greek, means correct, innocent, just, especially just in the eyes of God. How does this relate to being forgiven of sins? 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Trust that your prayers are powerful and effective.

Friday:

James gives the example of Elijah, who “prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” Elijah prayed, and God answered! Yet those hearing would have known the entire story of Elijah, who also had moments of fear and despair. How does it make you feel to know the “other side” of Elijah’s story? How might you, when faced with fear, despair, or any other feelings of hopelessness, return to the strength and boldness of faith in God as Elijah did? Ask God to show you what you can be doing now to grow in this area.

Saturday: “My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” I think all of us know someone, probably many someone’s, who have wandered away from their faith. Reflect upon some of the reasons why they have shared that they made that choice. Is there something that God is showing you that would indicate a needed change within yourself when interacting with others? Often it is very difficult to bring people that we are close to back into the fold. We pray and trust that other believers will speak truth our loved one’s life and point the way back to God. Ask God to give you opportunities to do that for another person. Address anything that may hold you back, and ask God to give you courage, words, and an abundance of love to overcome and reach out.