Daily Devotional

Scripture: James 5:16-Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Ephesians 5:8-9 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)”

How do we, as believers walk in the light? What is the key? Prayer is the key that connects us to the Father. Prayer is the ongoing conversation we can have with him all day long. Lifting up our praise, struggles, hopes, needs, gratitude, and praying for others is the tie that binds us to him. The prayer of a righteous person ( righteous: upright, straight, pleasing to and approved by God). Sneaky, deceptive, secretive behaviors, and hidden sins should not exist within the fellowship of Christ. “Lies and deception do not become us. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body” Ephesians 4:25. To be genuine and authentic, we must be honest with ourselves. We need to be honest with others about who we are. This includes our trips and stumbles. We need to be real about our failures. We also need to acknowledge our struggles with sin. This way, the enemy cannot gain a foothold through guilt, shame, fear, and manipulation. Living this way clears the path for the supernatural works of God. God works through authenticity and genuineness.

We have, in God’s living word to us, evidence of how willing he is to work in and through us. This is possible if we are surrendered to him. We must also be honest and transparent with him and others. I will include SEVERAL passages you can dig into on this. Prayer is essential!! Paul told us to Pray without ceasing and I want to share that passage in the full context. Our attitudes and mindsets towards others matter to God. He does not approve of disrespect, mocking, ridicule, intentional bitterness, and hatred. He longs for us to work out our struggles and see one another as he sees us. Paul gives us this to process on attitude, treatment, and prayer for one another: 1 Thessalonians 5:14-21 We [earnestly] urge you, believers, admonish those who are out of line [the undisciplined, the unruly, the rude, the disorderly], encourage the timid [who lack spiritual courage], help the [spiritually] weak, be very patient with everyone [always controlling your temper]. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer; in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench [subdue, or be unresponsive to the working and guidance of] the [Holy] Spirit. Do not scorn or reject gifts of prophecy or prophecies [spoken revelations—words of instruction or exhortation or warning]. But test all things carefully [so you can recognize what is good]. Hold firmly to that which is good. God will always work, actively, in us through prayer—He will hear, answer, transform, and strengthen us. When we pray earnestly, honestly, and persistently, we are intentionally inviting his Kingdom to intervene on our behalf. He loves when we surrender to His power, allowing wisdom, and miracles to become a natural part of our lives.

If we will lay down our will, our way, and surrender EVERYTHING to HIM…we will see his hand at work in our daily lives. Below are the several passages I mentioned I would add. Feel free to jot them down and dig into them. His word is alive and active – it is God breathed through the power of the Holy Spirit in the ones who he chose to write it. His word is life – consume it, be strengthened, empowered, healed, transformed, and inspired by it.

God Responds to the Prayers of the Righteous Devotional Reading:

📖 James 5:16 – “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

• When we pray with passion and sincerity, God moves powerfully.

📖 Proverbs 15:29 – “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.”

• God is attentive to those who seek Him in righteousness.

📖 Psalm 34:17 – “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.”

• Prayer isn’t just words—it’s a cry that reaches the ears of God!

God Works in Us When We Seek Him in Prayer Devotional Reading:

📖 Philippians 2:13 – “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.”

• When we pray earnestly, God shapes our desires to align with His will.

📖 Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

• When we call upon God, He reveals things we could never discover on our own.

📖 Ephesians 3:20 – “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.”

• Our prayers activate God’s power to work beyond our imagination!

📖 Luke 11:9-10 – “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

• Persistence in prayer keeps the door open for God’s movement in our lives.

📖 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

• Earnest, humble prayer leads to personal and national healing.

📖 Luke 18:1-8 – (Parable of the Persistent Widow)

• Jesus teaches that God responds to persistent, unrelenting prayer.

The Holy Spirit Works in Us Through Prayer

📖 Romans 8:26-27 – “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”

• Even when we don’t know what to pray, God works through our prayers!

📖 John 14:13-14 – “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

• Praying in Jesus’ name aligns us with God’s will and releases His power.

📖 1 John 5:14-15 – “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”

• Earnest prayer increases our confidence in God’s power.

Blessings to YOU,

Cassandra Lee

There’s JOY in the journey – nourishing body & soul…

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