Wednesday Women in the Word

Do you read the word daily?  Or, almost daily?  It's okay if you miss a day here and there, but do you depend on the word of God to get you through life and to speak into your heart, like the love letter to us His book is?  If you want to hear "a word" from God, then go to His word and read it!  It's like He is speaking directly into your heart.  And, I love this, as we read the word of God, the word of God reads us.  Check out what Hebrews 4:12 says:

"For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow.  It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

That is what that little phrase means, is that not absolutely incredible?  This is also why a certain verse will jump out at you on a page you've read a thousand times before, it's why a verse will pop into your heart at any given moment.

If your answer is no to any of those questions I asked, then I would encourage you to pray and examine your heart, and ask God to examine your heart and to show you.  For years, I went along in my life not knowing the importance of reading God's word.  I was a believer, I just didn't read the bible much.  If I'm being completely honest, I would say that I honestly thought it was kind of irrelevant to my life in that day and time.  That alone proves to you how little time I spent in the word, except for on Sunday in church, when my pastor would spoon feed me.  (Not literally, figuratively.) 

And then the Lord just got a hold of me as a very young mom, and He drew me back to Him.  It's like I was starving, but not for food.  I was starving to death for the word of God.  I would get up and read, I would read in the day as my little boys played, I would listen to sermons, I participated in my very first bible study ever (good old Daniel, by Beth Moore), I would read it before I went to bed, and very first thing every morning as I got out of my bed.  I slept with my bible by my head on the nightstand, and sometimes, I would even put it under my pillow. 

Since then, I've been passionate in sharing with anyone and everyone I can how crucial it is to read the word of God.  Another topic I'm passionate about is the topic of prayer and how often we, as a whole, are so guilty of prayerlessness.  We should be all be passionate about this, if we profess Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  I can talk more about that on another post, though, or you could use that little search bar on the top of this blog and type in "prayer".  A plethora of posts will appear, I assure you.

What stood out to me yesterday as I was reading James 5 in my quiet time was this portion in that chapter that speaks of effective prayer.  That's James 5:13-20.  Listen to him exhorting those who were reading his letter in that time.  "Is anyone suffering?  Pray!  Is anyone cheerful?  Sing praises!  Is anyone sick?  He should call for the elders of the church so they can pray over him."  (Please know these are not the actual verses, but my paraphrase on them.)  He goes on to say that the prayer of faith will save the sick person, his sins will be forgiven, and the Lord will raise him up.  (Again, those are my paraphrase.) 

I love verse 16, though. 

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect."

Something struck me today as I read that verse, and that is our prayer is effective because we know the Lord hears us.  He hears our cries, and Jesus Himself intercedes on our behalf to God the Father!  We know He hears our prayers, though, that is why James says that the prayer of faith will save the sick person.  It doesn't necessarily mean that the sick person will experience a miracle here on earth, but in one way or another, that person will be healed, either here on earth by a miracle, through medicine and a doctor's wisdom that was given to him by God, or they will be healed in heaven.

I didn't read that anywhere or in some commentary, it's just a thought I had, but isn't it a beautiful thought?  Also, my top spiritual gift of faith could be coming into play here. 

In the rest of that chapter, James mentions Elijah, who prayed it wouldn't rain for three years, and it didn't.  Then he prayed again for rain, and the rain came.  The last couple of verses talk about if anyone strays from the truth and someone turns him back, to let that person who turned him back know what he did to save that person from an eternal death. 

My closing thoughts as I read this chapter were on people I know and love who are as lost as lost can be.  I need to be in constant prayer for them, that the Lord would draw them to Himself, so they can be saved from an eternity of hell.  It's a real place.  Do you know where you're going?  You'll go somewhere when you die, either heaven or hell.  If you feel the Lord drawing you to pray and to read His word, don't resist Him.  Let today be the day of your salvation.  He is calling you to Himself as only He can do, the bible tells us we can't even call on His name unless the Father draws us.  (John 6:44)

We're not promised tomorrow. 

Consider, and pray.  Love to all.