121 Days of Prayer

Be Doers of the Word, and Not Hearers Only

The purposes of this prayer are: Guidance/Purpose, Obedience, Wisdom and Holiness/Righteousness.

Everlasting God, James exhorted his flock to be diligent in keeping Jesus’ commandments and not merely students of them, writing, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks in the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James 1:22–27 (ESV). So vital is the obedience of his followers to Jesus that he told them, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15 (ESV). Heavenly Father, we strive to obey all of Jesus’ commandments, but we so often fall short. Give us, we pray, the determination to always live within your will, while being doers of your perfect law, and not hearers only. Amen.