Heavenly Father I praise You for the lessons I can learn from James, the half-brother of Jesus, while He was here on the earth. I praise You for our Pastor doing a chapter per week to glean wisdom. I praise You for all You have done for me.
Holy Spirit, James wrote: “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring yield at the same opening sweet and bitter water? Can the fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a vine, figs? So no spring can yield both salt water and fresh water.” [James3:8-12]
Holy Spirit I realize that if my heart contains evil it will come out of my mouth that way. If my heart contains You and wisdom then that is what will come out of my mouth. Let me be like David and say, “let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and redeemer. [Psalm 19:14] Help what I focus on, what I keep in my thoughts and the deepest desires of my heart be on what You want from me and how You want me to live. Let the core of my being be full of Your forgiveness, mercy, and wisdom. Let my heart be completely turned over to You so that I may speak as You want me to speak.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Holy Spirit help us to bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances we may have against one another. Teach us to forgive as the Lord forgave us. And these virtues help us put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, since we are called to peace as members of one body. Let us be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in us richly as we teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in our hearts to God. And whatever we do, whether in word or deed, help us to do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Amen. Colossians 3:12-17