April 25 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

James 5:7-20:

⁷Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
⁸Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
⁹Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
¹⁰Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
¹¹Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
¹²But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
¹³Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
¹⁴Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
¹⁵And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
¹⁶Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
¹⁷Elias [Elijah] was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
¹⁸And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
¹⁹Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
²⁰Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Devotional

"Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, unuttered or expressed." All true prayer is wrought by the Holy Spirit. "The Spirit helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." The Spirit "maketh inter­cession for the saints according to the will of God." The Spirit teaches us "thoroughly to know our need and misery." And when these are felt, our prayer is fervent. It comes from the heart. And then it is effectual. It not merely has a subjective influence on the one who prays, but it brings things about. It effects changes in men's hearts, and in conditions in the world. The greatest things in the world are wrought not in the councils of nations, by their deliberations and resolutions, but by the prayers of sim­ple believers in their closets. "Prayer changes things." Think of the prayer of Moses; think of the prayer of Elijah; think of the prayer of Hezekiah, and many others. "This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us." Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him. Therefore, "ask and it shall be given you." "All things, what­soever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

Prayer

Our Father, teach Thou us to pray. Grant unto us the Spirit of prayer and supplication, and may we in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make our requests known unto Thee. We thank Thee that Thou dost hear and answer our prayer. May we never doubt Thy promises. But help us to realize our unworthiness, and that Thou dost hear our prayers only for the sake of Christ our Lord, who atoned for our sin. We praise Thee, and pray in Christ's name. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Rom. 8:26, 27; Ex. 17:11; 32:32; James 5:17, 18; 2 Kings 19:15-35; 1 John 5:14; 3:32: Matt. 7:7; 21:22.

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