Studying James

Our Sunday morning sermons over the last few weeks have been in the book of James. I love the book of James. I wish that he had written more. He writes the way my mind works. Short, concise, to the point - that's also my prayer life. A ton of prayers that consist of about ten sentences or less, but ongoing throughout the day. I used to feel bad about it and the fact that I would fall asleep at night while praying, but someone once told me, "What better way to fall asleep...better that than to forget all together!" But God made me and I know He knows how distractable I am these days and how many interruptions I live with. So I don't think He minds my style...I'm glad there's grace.
I am now back to work and waking up on the mornings that I work somewhere between 5 and 5:30, depending on when Mr. Toby wants to eat (I am still trying to get out of bed that early the other mornings too, but I'm not always so successful). As early as this is, once I am moving, I LOVE IT! The house is quiet, and I can focus on God, read my Bible, and pray about the day ahead (not to mention if I get my coffee early, I can actually drink it while it's still hot!). I feel so much better throughout the rest of the day knowing that I started on the right foot.
Last week while we were on the way home from church, Shawn and I got to talking. James is jam-packed full of so much great practical stuff. That's part of why I like it so much. I have a hard time with the way that Paul writes...he beats around the bush so much and I sometimes find myself having to read something like 10 times, and then having to have Shawn explain it to me. I have let my Bible study time fall by the wayside so many times because I feel like I am just notting getting it. But James - I could read over and over and over and over again and get something out of it that I can directly apply to my life today! That's exciting to me!
So, the Holy Spirit really convicted me in Chapter 1! It didn't take Him long!
1:5-8 "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
OUCH! This passed couple of years have been hard ones for Shawn and I. Living with family for two years, two unexpected babies (not that we aren't completely blessed by our kids - they were just in God's timing not ours), gutting and refinishing a house, financial downs, and Shawn's job keeping him away from us for too many hours a week as well as all the daily struggles he faces with his bosses, etc...I have always thought of myself as a faithful person because I pray about what's going on in our lives and others' lives, but I realize I am not very bold in my prayers. I pray like I don't really think God is going to come through. I pray like someone who's been down a while and expects the worst. But I know my God is bigger than that and if I pray the way that James tells us to, I should expect results (as long as I understand that God's timing and mine are not the same. He can see the big picture that I can't). So, I am done with my old style of hoping he will come through. He makes promises and is much more consistent than anyone I know!
More later...I will come back to Chapter 2 later this week!