40 Days of PRAYER - 36
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days of PRAYER
Day 36 | GROWING YOUR FAITH
40 Days of PRAYER
Day 36 | GROWING YOUR FAITH
GROWING YOUR FAITH
James 1:6
“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”
James’ New Testament writings are so practical. James, as you probably know, is the half-brother of Jesus and one who – while Jesus was in ministry – did NOT believe that Jesus was the Son of God until after the resurrection. James is a different man now.
Here, James – under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit – is teaching about wisdom and prayer to the Jesus followers of his time (and us too). In the verse just before this one, James teaches that if we need wisdom, we need to ask God for it. Indeed, the LORD wants us to be wise in our decisions and knows all, including what we should do at any time about anything.
Then in this verse, James goes on to teach that when we ask God in prayer for anything, we “must believe and not doubt.”
That’s consistent with what Jesus himself taught, such as when he calmed the sea in Matthew and said, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” or in Mark when He said, “All things are possible to him who believes.”
The natural question to ask then is, “WHAT can I do so that I don’t doubt when I pray and ask the LORD for something?”
You must grow your faith. And how do you do that?
Let me ask this, do you have someone in your life – a close friend, your spouse, or someone – in whom you have strong faith and high trust? And did that exceptional level of faith and trust develop overnight or over time?
My guess is it developed over time. You spent time together… talking, sharing, debating, pondering, laughing, crying, and so on. There is no one-size-fits-all formula for having strong faith in God, but spending TIME with the LORD is essential.
Prayer: LORD, I want my faith in You to grow strong. Help me spend more time with You, Your Word, Your Spirit, and Your people. Amen.
James 1:6
“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”
James’ New Testament writings are so practical. James, as you probably know, is the half-brother of Jesus and one who – while Jesus was in ministry – did NOT believe that Jesus was the Son of God until after the resurrection. James is a different man now.
Here, James – under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit – is teaching about wisdom and prayer to the Jesus followers of his time (and us too). In the verse just before this one, James teaches that if we need wisdom, we need to ask God for it. Indeed, the LORD wants us to be wise in our decisions and knows all, including what we should do at any time about anything.
Then in this verse, James goes on to teach that when we ask God in prayer for anything, we “must believe and not doubt.”
That’s consistent with what Jesus himself taught, such as when he calmed the sea in Matthew and said, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” or in Mark when He said, “All things are possible to him who believes.”
The natural question to ask then is, “WHAT can I do so that I don’t doubt when I pray and ask the LORD for something?”
You must grow your faith. And how do you do that?
Let me ask this, do you have someone in your life – a close friend, your spouse, or someone – in whom you have strong faith and high trust? And did that exceptional level of faith and trust develop overnight or over time?
My guess is it developed over time. You spent time together… talking, sharing, debating, pondering, laughing, crying, and so on. There is no one-size-fits-all formula for having strong faith in God, but spending TIME with the LORD is essential.
Prayer: LORD, I want my faith in You to grow strong. Help me spend more time with You, Your Word, Your Spirit, and Your people. Amen.
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