Listen and Pray through James 1:19-26
Click the button below to listen and pray through this passage. This practice will take about 10 minutes.
Prepare
As we prepare to hear from God’s Word today, let’s take a few moments to invite the Holy Spirit into this moment. Find a quiet place where you can encounter the presence of God that’s mostly free of distractions and take a few deep breaths to realign your heart to the Lord’s heart. As you do, make these words your prayer:
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
“Lord, open my heart to hear Your voice in Your Word. Let Your truth shape my heart and guide my life.”
Read
James 1:19-26
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger[g] does not produce the righteousness[h] God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.
22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
Listen & Reflect
What it the Holy Spirit highlighting for you today?
Simply spend a few moments being quick to listen to the voice of your Father today.
Return to verses 19-21
Not all anger is equal. As this verse implies…some anger, human anger doesn’t lead to the righteous path God wants us to follow…in fact it can lead to filth, even, and destruction in our relationships. However, if we slow down, listen deeper, and accept God’s guidance with humility, this anger CAN lead to wisdom, righteousness and a soul that’s at peace.
Spend a few minutes surrendering your anger to the Lord. Allow him to shape it and direct it in a way that leads to health in your life. What Word is God seeking to plant in your heart today? Accept it humbly and allow it to take root today.
Reread verses 22-25 again.
Assess your time with the Lord recently. Have you had ears to hear what he’s been speaking to you? Have you heard what he’s said but refused to allow it to take root? Have you been reluctant to obey?
It’s easier to obey someone we know and trust. These verses say that God’s law actually leads to FREEDOM. Do you believe that or do you see God’s guidelines as constraining?
Spend a moment reflecting on the character of God. Allow him to remind you that he’s trustworthy and wants what’s best for you so that you can follow and obey with JOY.
Reread James 1: 26-27
Our words are often an untamed, wilderness that threatens to harm others and even nullify our faith. Have your words lately spoken life and healing, or have they torn people down and made them feel less than?
We all want our faith to prove pure and genuine…but that requires caring for those in distress and refusing to be corrupted by the world.
Who do you have in your life that is experiencing a season of distress? Spend some time interceding on their behalf. Ask the Lord how He wants to use you to care for them?
Spend a few moments allowing God beneath the surface. Have you resembled the world lately or have you reflected the character of Jesus? Is there an area you are susceptible to corruption? Bring it before the Lord and allow him to shape you and teach you.
Pray
“Heavenly Father,
Thank You for speaking through Your Word. Let it take root in my heart and shape my thoughts, words, and actions. Help me to live with integrity, reflecting Your truth in every part of my life. May my faith be visible through my love for others and my obedience to Your Word. Keep me humble and attentive to Your Spirit.
Amen.