The most powerful weapon in your spiritual arsenal
May 27-31, 2024 | Always Peachy Devotionals | Book of James Week 5
When was the last time you talked to Jesus?
Yes, it’s a serious question. Too often, Christians talk about how we follow Jesus and read the Bible, but we haven’t actually made time to speak to Him. I’m talking about prayer, of course. Prayer is one of those “stained glass” Christian concepts that feels a little bit fluffy in general conversation; in reality, prayer is our greatest weapon in the spiritual battles that we are fighting every moment of our lives.
Did you know that you’re in a spiritual battle every day of your life? You are. If you know Jesus and are currently living in the world, you are fighting a spiritual battle. Everything is spiritual. There is a battle being waged for your attention, for your choices, for your attitude, for your responses. It’s your choice how you act. Your behavior is up to you. But spiritual forces work to influence you every moment of every day, and if you aren’t on guard, you’ll fall victim to the enemy’s attacks—even if you belong to Jesus.
The last chapter of James, James 5, is another one that hits hard and pulls no punches. I mean, the whole book is that way, so why would the last chapter be any different? But James brings everything to a heart-stopping crescendo with what he writes in this last chapter.
And he talks about PRAYER. A lot. How else are we supposed to arm ourselves against the enemy? How else do we have access to God’s power? Prayer is our connection to God, our communication with heaven, our resource for requesting guidance and direction from the One who made the universe.
Why wouldn’t we take advantage of it? The enemy sure doesn’t want us to. That’s why it’s something we all need to prioritize. So this last week of May, that’s what we’re talking about:
Don’t trust your wealth (James 5:3)
Learn patience from farmers (James 5:7-8)
Learn patience from the prophets (James 5:10-11)
The power of prayer (James 5:13-15)
Restore the prodigals (James 5:19-20)
And, of course, if we’re going to talk about prayer, our memory verse for this week has to be James 5:16.
I love this verse so much, especially the last part of it.
Earnest prayers. Righteous people. Great power. Wonderful results.
What is an earnest prayer? It’s an honest one. It’s a true one. It’s direct and to the point, no stained glass present. It’s a no-holds-barred approach to asking God for what you need.
Who is a righteous person? Well, if you know Jesus, it’s you. None of us are righteous on our own merit, but Jesus makes us righteous through His blood.
Great power and Wonderful results? Well, I’ll leave that up to your imagination. Just think about what that could mean! Nothing is impossible. This is God we’re talking about. He can do miracles. He has done them.
Sometimes prayer takes a long time. Sometimes you have to wait to get the answer you’re hoping for. Sometimes “wait” is the answer you get. But God will ALWAYS answer. Every time.
Never underestimate the power of prayer. God can do (and has done) great things when His children come to Him. If you haven’t tried it, you should. It doesn’t have to be fancy. There are no magic words or special formulas, although Jesus did give us a pattern in how to pray (Matthew 6:9-13).
Just talk to God. Tell Him what you need. Or just thank Him for being who He is.
I promise He’s waiting to hear from you, and He’s eager to answer. Give it a shot. What have you got to lose?
Hugs!
Amy
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