Before Reading.
- Centering prayer— Pray for illumination, “Lord, open my heart and mind by the power of the Holy Spirit,” and remain in silence.
Reading.
- Read slowly, keeping any words or phrase that come to your mind, and mark on them.
- Close eyes and meditate on what you read.
- Take a note if you have question, inspiration.
Read James 4
Godliness and Worldliness.
James contrasts godly living and worldly living.
Fight and quarrels come from desires.
Believers do not receive from God because they do not ask or they ask with wrong motives.
“Adulterous people,” (4) implies those who are disloyal to God, who love for the world replacing their love for God.
Nine imperative for godly living (7-12) — submit to God, resist devil, come near to God, renounce sinful action, purify your heart, grieve over sin, mourn yourself before God, humble yourself before God, do not slander fellow Christians.
James rebukes the presumption of those who plan their future with complacency (13-17), forgetting that their lives are under the mercy of God. Human life is evanescent as morning mist. Therefore, their boasting and bragging is not of godliness.
After Reading —- Reflection and prayer.
- Reflect on this question, “What does God speak to me today in this chapter?
- Pray that God’s word today be the way, the life, and the truth to you.
- Live it out through the day.
