One Secret Of Abundance

Devotion for Friday October 27, 2017

Topic: One Secret Of Abundance

Text: James 4:1 – 3

Yesterday’s food for thought was James 4:1- 3, which speaks that we ask amiss and don’t get from God. James mentioned the reason for this in that verse as avarice. Charles Caleb Colton said that, “Avarice has ruined more souls that extravagance.” A greedy person is like a bottomless pit which never gets filled.  Such a fellow will exhaust all efforts to get satisfaction but can never be satisfied. The story of Ahab and Naboth’s vineyard is an example. Lust and greed are inseparable twins. It leads to covetousness and murder as James made us to understand. He reprehends them who are not ashamed to make God the minister and helper of their lust and pleasures, in asking for their wicked motives and uses.

We pray amiss and don’t have when our aims and ends are not right with God. In prayer, we must consider three things; 1) the object, 2) the manner and 3) the end. We must not only guard our affections, but secure our intentions; for prayers that want a good aim, do also want a good issue. What is you aim for the 7 days, 21 days or 40 days fasting and prayers? Is it aimed at expanding the kingdom of God or for worldly satisfactions in cars, husband, job, money, children, etc? If any of these or many others not mentioned here is your reason for the fasting and prayer, you are not getting it right or you may be asking for what God will give you that you will regret at the end. Remember the case of manna the Israelites had with God in the wilderness. Have you ever considered why God don’t answer all the prayers we say?

If we intend to pray and have what we ask for in abundance, then we should always consider our object, manner and end before praying. Certainly, God will answer you, and your joy will be full (John 16:24).

Food for Thought: “If your desires be endless, your cares and fears will be so too” – Thomas Fuller

Memory verse: James 4:2

Prayer: Re-order my motives in prayer O Lord, so I will not do things wrongly and end up without a reward in Jesus name. Amen.