Friday - The Letter of James (James 3:11-12)

Please join me in daily prayer. Today, we finish reflecting on and praying through James 3:1-12. What a powerful teaching it has been on the importance and the impact of our words.

Pause and Pray

As we begin our time of prayer together, I am reminded of the great promise in Psalm 94:19. When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comfort delights my soul.”

What anxious thoughts are going on within you right now? Take a few moments to acknowledge those before the Lord. As you give your anxious thoughts to the Lord, ask Him for His comfort to wash over those anxious thoughts. Exchange your anxiety for His comfort.

Read and Reflect

Let’s read and reflect on today’s scripture found in James 3:11-12. We will add yesterday’s verses, 9-10, for clarity.

With it (the tongue) we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

These two verses are building on what we read yesterday and giving practical illustrations of how blessing and curses should not come out of the same mouth. 

These words from James sound very similar to words Jesus spoke that are recorded in Luke 7: 43-45.

… “for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

What a guiding life principle: You will know them by their fruit. The words of my mouth are a fruit of my life. Our words reveal what is in our hearts!

If you claim to be “a Christian Tree”, does the fruit of your mouth back that up?

ASK

I think we need to pray about that.

Jesus, is there any evil treasure in my heart? Am I treasuring up anything evil in my heart? Unforgiveness? Offense? Envy? Bitterness? Jealousy? Resentment? Strife?

Please forgive me for any bad treasure I am hanging onto. Help me to repent. I want to purge my heart of any evil that I am treasuring within me. Jesus, I want the fruit of my life to honor you and to be a witness for you. May the words of my mouth please you.

I truly want to be a “Christian tree” with the fruit to prove it!

As we listen to the Scripture again, may we resolve to be the person that Our Father has called us to be…

"With it (the tongue) we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water."

YIELD

Lord, I want to once again yield to You and to your ways. Help me not treasure up bad and evil things in my heart. May my heart be full of good treasure resulting in my mouth overflowing with good words for others to hear. Lord, I surrender my heart afresh and may the words of my mouth prove a surrendered heart!

Scripture Memory Verse

Listen to our memory verse for the week and commit it to your heart and mind.

"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." James 1:19

Jesus, as I embark upon my day, I want our time together to impact all I do and say today. 

In Your name I pray. 

Amen