But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

(James 1:22 NKJV)

Do you ever feel your spiritual life is falling short? Like all Jesus girls, we pray and read our Bibles. We may even fast, but our prayers seem to bounce back off the ceiling. And when life happens, you know, the tough stuff, we crumble. What’s wrong? What are we missing?

Many books have been written on the topic of Bible study, but they may leave out the most important part- application. If we fail to apply what we read and study to everyday life, we’re falling short.

You may think like I did; One who only hears the word attends church on Sunday, but lives like the devil the rest of the week. However, if I read James chapter one, and I don’t consider my trial as joy (James 1:2), or I don’t ask God for wisdom (James 1:5), I also am a hearer only. Not a doer of the word.

No wonder we feel defeated! Victory over sin is just one step away. Victory over fear is so close. Victory in spiritual warfare is at hand. Victory belongs to the doer of the Word and not the hearer only.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;

for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. (James 1:23-24 NKJV)

Men glance into mirrors, but us ladies, we gaze. Before that man walks out the front door, he has forgotten all about what he saw in the mirror. Women, on the other hand, see a problem and fix it. Women might apply some more makeup. They might fuss with their hair to get that out-of-place strand back where it belongs. While we take care of business in the bathroom mirror, are we taking care of business when we stare into the mirror of God’s Word?

Before we open our Bibles or Bible app, spend a few minutes in prayer. Tell God you really want Him to reveal Himself in the passage you’re about to read. Ask Him to speak to You. Give Him the time and silence to do so.

Never hurry when you read. If you need to spend thirty minutes on one verse, you’ll absorb more from that verse than if you read three chapters. Quality is better than quantity.

As you stare into the Scriptures, ask yourself some questions:

• Is this verse a command, a promise, or an example?
• What is going on in the passage?
• How can I apply this to my life?

When we begin applying what we read, we will watch defeat disappear. We will see answered prayer. We will walk closer with the Lord, and we will experience victory in our lives.

Victory belongs to the doer and not the hearer only.

Heavenly Father, help me approach Your Word with a spirit willing to change. Convict me as I read, and help me apply Your Word and act on it. In Jesus’ name, amen.

DIG DEEPER

Read James 1:21-25.

HIKING THE TRAIL

When applying Scripture to your life, be sure to include promises. These make great memory verses, plus we should include them in our prayers.

RESOURCE

Want to revive your prayer life? Check out Incense Rising: 60 Days to Powerful Prayer … Learn more here!

Originally posted on July 20, 2020 @ 3:00 am