The Letter of St. James
Chapter 1
1. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verse 1)
Oh God, how nice it is to receive a supportive letter in times of trouble and tribulation. Your words are like honey, they leave a sweet taste in me and I always long for more Amen.
2. M|y brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, 3. because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; 4. and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may mature and complete, lacking in nothing.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 2 to 4)
Oh God my Father how true are these words. When rain clouds start pelting their drops of rain on us, when lightning starts flashing, when the level of our seas that surrounds our island starts rising when the walls of our kingdom start cracking we are to give thanks instead of being negative and wallow in self-pity and feeling sorry for ourselves amen. We are to accept any situation as one of testing. It serves us as an indicator that in a particular area of our lives we still need to grow, and by means of the situation, You are giving us an opportunity to do a resit of the task in order to obtain the necessary grade Amen.
5. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given to you. 6. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; 7. for the doubter, being double minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 5 to 7)
Good morning my God and Father, when we doubt we cannot expect to communicate with You, for anything asked for or done out of faith does not have Your blessing and is prone to fail, therefore when we pray or ask of You to intervene, let us do it in faith and not out of habit. Faith in You my God is strong enough to make anything possible, therefore let us pray in faith and also have an attitude of faith with full conviction that when we pray in Your name our prayers are always heard and in God's good time answered. Amen.
8. for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verse 8)
Oh God, many people wish to believe in You, however, many are in a crisis regarding if they are to follow science which offers results based on scientific inquiry or to follow the path of faith which is the total opposite. Oh God I feel, sorry for those who base their life on rational inquiry, for if they come to a point where they simply find no answer, they might not find a reason to live and might decide to end their lives, however faith in You gives us that extra boost of power especially during moments of crisis and gives us a positive attitude to what apparently may seem to be a negative one Amen.
9. Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up, 10. and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disapear like a flower in the field. 11. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 9 to 11)
Oh God my Father if we are humble You will gladly raise us up and help us improve the situation of our lives, however, if we are full of ourselves we have no place for You and therefore we would need to be humbled so that You would be able to find a place in our hearts again. Amen.
12. Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verse 12)
Oh God my Father, I am sorry to say that every day of my life I experience temptation especially in my weakest of areas, however, every time I fail the test, many times willfully for I give in to the desire of my sexuality and commit sin. I thank You for loving me even though I am still weak in this area and keep on failing the test one time after another. I thank You for not giving up on me Amen.
13. No one, when tempted, should say, "I am being tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. 14. But one is tempted by one's own desire, being lured and enticed by it: 15. then when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death. 16. Do not be deceived, my beloved.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 13 to 15)
Oh God my Father as found in the letter of James You do not tempt us, for no evil can ever be found in You. However, You do 'Test' us and although many times I fail the tests I still thank You for the opportunity of a resit every time. Presently as You are aware I am undergoing one test after another, I pray that You stay by my side during such moments Amen.
16. Do not be deceived my beloved.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 16)
Oh God my Father this is indeed a fair warning. The world gives us many negative messages about our reasons to believe in You. Many encourage us to believe that we are the center and authors of our life and lead us on to a track of false belief. I pray oh God my Father that we remain fixed solidly on You in our belief. Amen.
17. Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18. In fulfilment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 17)
Oh God my Father You Yourself told us that when we give of our things or perform acts of charity it is like donating directly to You. Now I realize that even the same act is not of human origin for as humans we have a sinful and selfish nature, therefore such acts of generosity come from You, for You motivate us to perform such positive acts Amen.
18. In fulfilment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verse 18)
Oh God my Father anything that happens in this world is under Your control. You have a planned a purpose for our life which is based on our love for You and others, and for the salvation of our souls . I pray that I always keep this purpose in my heart and mind Amen.
19. You must understand this, my beloved; let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20. for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. 21. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness to the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 19 to 21)
Oh God my Father, I thank You for these important tips, especially where anger management and personal growth in You and with You is concerned. I understand that were a negative spirit of anger is present Your Holy presence does not feel welcome in me. Therefore it is right to foster a spirit of harmony both within myself and with others. Amen.
22. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verse 22)
Amen, oh God my Father as the Word Became flesh, the written word of the Good News is also to have life in us. We are to open ourselves to Your Holy Spirit and let You use us and take control of our situations in all the circumstances of our lives. We are to live what we believe and preach what we believe when we are given the opportunity and not remain silent. This is a time to give testimony of our faith Amen. I pray for enlightenment and empowerment in the Holy Spirit Amen. Thank You Jesus.
23. For if any are hearers of the word, and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; 24. for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 23 to 24)
Oh God my Father I pray that the seed of Your Word becomes active in us, and that we bear much fruit. May we not be happy by being members of the club, to top up statistics but be active participants Amen.
25. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act- they will be blessed in their doing. 26. If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 27. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 25 to 27)
Oh God my Father living the message of the Good News by making a first-hand experience of it in our life has a stronger impact than simply listening to a homely. Although both are good in their own selves but from my experience oh God my Father in practice one is witnessing all that there is in the message of the Good News as found in the Bible, therefore when doing so, the words come to life and have a more profound and intimate meaning Amen.
Oh God my Father I would like to end the first chapter of the letter of St. James with the following prayer:
Oh God my Father and all my brothers and sisters in God's great big family. I bless and encourage You all to stand firm in the face of trials and tribulations. Instead of becoming weary and depressed we are to give thanks for by means of such tests our growth depends. If an iron ore is not tested by fire its value will never be produced and likewise as humans. Thanks You Jesus. Amen.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verse 1)
Oh God, how nice it is to receive a supportive letter in times of trouble and tribulation. Your words are like honey, they leave a sweet taste in me and I always long for more Amen.
2. M|y brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, 3. because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; 4. and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may mature and complete, lacking in nothing.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 2 to 4)
Oh God my Father how true are these words. When rain clouds start pelting their drops of rain on us, when lightning starts flashing, when the level of our seas that surrounds our island starts rising when the walls of our kingdom start cracking we are to give thanks instead of being negative and wallow in self-pity and feeling sorry for ourselves amen. We are to accept any situation as one of testing. It serves us as an indicator that in a particular area of our lives we still need to grow, and by means of the situation, You are giving us an opportunity to do a resit of the task in order to obtain the necessary grade Amen.
5. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given to you. 6. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; 7. for the doubter, being double minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 5 to 7)
Good morning my God and Father, when we doubt we cannot expect to communicate with You, for anything asked for or done out of faith does not have Your blessing and is prone to fail, therefore when we pray or ask of You to intervene, let us do it in faith and not out of habit. Faith in You my God is strong enough to make anything possible, therefore let us pray in faith and also have an attitude of faith with full conviction that when we pray in Your name our prayers are always heard and in God's good time answered. Amen.
8. for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verse 8)
Oh God, many people wish to believe in You, however, many are in a crisis regarding if they are to follow science which offers results based on scientific inquiry or to follow the path of faith which is the total opposite. Oh God I feel, sorry for those who base their life on rational inquiry, for if they come to a point where they simply find no answer, they might not find a reason to live and might decide to end their lives, however faith in You gives us that extra boost of power especially during moments of crisis and gives us a positive attitude to what apparently may seem to be a negative one Amen.
9. Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up, 10. and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disapear like a flower in the field. 11. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 9 to 11)
Oh God my Father if we are humble You will gladly raise us up and help us improve the situation of our lives, however, if we are full of ourselves we have no place for You and therefore we would need to be humbled so that You would be able to find a place in our hearts again. Amen.
12. Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verse 12)
Oh God my Father, I am sorry to say that every day of my life I experience temptation especially in my weakest of areas, however, every time I fail the test, many times willfully for I give in to the desire of my sexuality and commit sin. I thank You for loving me even though I am still weak in this area and keep on failing the test one time after another. I thank You for not giving up on me Amen.
13. No one, when tempted, should say, "I am being tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. 14. But one is tempted by one's own desire, being lured and enticed by it: 15. then when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death. 16. Do not be deceived, my beloved.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 13 to 15)
Oh God my Father as found in the letter of James You do not tempt us, for no evil can ever be found in You. However, You do 'Test' us and although many times I fail the tests I still thank You for the opportunity of a resit every time. Presently as You are aware I am undergoing one test after another, I pray that You stay by my side during such moments Amen.
16. Do not be deceived my beloved.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 16)
Oh God my Father this is indeed a fair warning. The world gives us many negative messages about our reasons to believe in You. Many encourage us to believe that we are the center and authors of our life and lead us on to a track of false belief. I pray oh God my Father that we remain fixed solidly on You in our belief. Amen.
17. Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18. In fulfilment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 17)
Oh God my Father You Yourself told us that when we give of our things or perform acts of charity it is like donating directly to You. Now I realize that even the same act is not of human origin for as humans we have a sinful and selfish nature, therefore such acts of generosity come from You, for You motivate us to perform such positive acts Amen.
18. In fulfilment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verse 18)
Oh God my Father anything that happens in this world is under Your control. You have a planned a purpose for our life which is based on our love for You and others, and for the salvation of our souls . I pray that I always keep this purpose in my heart and mind Amen.
19. You must understand this, my beloved; let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20. for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. 21. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness to the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 19 to 21)
Oh God my Father, I thank You for these important tips, especially where anger management and personal growth in You and with You is concerned. I understand that were a negative spirit of anger is present Your Holy presence does not feel welcome in me. Therefore it is right to foster a spirit of harmony both within myself and with others. Amen.
22. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verse 22)
Amen, oh God my Father as the Word Became flesh, the written word of the Good News is also to have life in us. We are to open ourselves to Your Holy Spirit and let You use us and take control of our situations in all the circumstances of our lives. We are to live what we believe and preach what we believe when we are given the opportunity and not remain silent. This is a time to give testimony of our faith Amen. I pray for enlightenment and empowerment in the Holy Spirit Amen. Thank You Jesus.
23. For if any are hearers of the word, and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; 24. for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 23 to 24)
Oh God my Father I pray that the seed of Your Word becomes active in us, and that we bear much fruit. May we not be happy by being members of the club, to top up statistics but be active participants Amen.
25. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act- they will be blessed in their doing. 26. If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 27. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
(The Letter of St. James Chapter 1 verses 25 to 27)
Oh God my Father living the message of the Good News by making a first-hand experience of it in our life has a stronger impact than simply listening to a homely. Although both are good in their own selves but from my experience oh God my Father in practice one is witnessing all that there is in the message of the Good News as found in the Bible, therefore when doing so, the words come to life and have a more profound and intimate meaning Amen.
Oh God my Father and all my brothers and sisters in God's great big family. I bless and encourage You all to stand firm in the face of trials and tribulations. Instead of becoming weary and depressed we are to give thanks for by means of such tests our growth depends. If an iron ore is not tested by fire its value will never be produced and likewise as humans. Thanks You Jesus. Amen.
