GOOD: Everything good that you have comes from the Father of Lights - James 1:17

My dear brothers and sisters, don’t be fooled about this. Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from Him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same. James 1:16-17 ERV

Praise & Prayer
I am no longer fooled, Father of Lights, and I acknowledge that all the good things and perfect gifts in my life come from You. I bow in worship and praise You for the greatest gift of all: Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son, our Wonderful Savior. In Christ, all of Your goodness resides, and perfect gifts are revealed, providing me with a true understanding of who You are. Lord Jesus, I thank You for being the same yesterday, today, and forever. Holy Spirit, please grant me the opportunity today to share the good and perfect gifts that God has given me with someone who has experienced a painful loss and feels destitute. I pray for their salvation in Jesus' mighty name.

CROWN: God will bless you with the crown of life if you endure testing and temptation - James 1:12

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12 NIV

Infallible Truth: "I [Jesus] AM coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown." Revelation 3:11; "I have spoken these things to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world." John 16:33; "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away." 1 Peter 5:4; "I [Paul] have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Prayer & Praise
I remember Lord Jesus, how the Spirit led You into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for 40 days and 40 nights. You faced the same temptations and hardships that we do, yet You never sinned. You are my Victor, Overcomer, Chief Shepherd, Righteous Judge, and Savior who can never be defeated. I ask You to fill me with Your love for God and grant me the strength to endure the tests God permits me to face so that I do not succumb to the devil's lies. Please teach me, Holy Spirit, to rely on God's written Word just as Jesus did to overcome tests of faith and temptations from my flesh or the evil one. Use me today to help strengthen the faith of someone who is facing a spiritual test or physical crisis. I pray for victory in Jesus' mighty name.

IMPORTANT: God considers you incredibly important - James 1:9

Believers who are poor should be glad that God considers them so important. James 1:9 ERV

Good News: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich." 2 Corinthians 8:9; "And He [Jesus] opened His mouth, and taught them, saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God." Matthew 5:3; "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you." 1 Peter 5:6; "I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. In any and every situation I have learned the secret of being filled and being hungry, of having plenty and having need." Philippians 4:12

Praise & Prayer
"My self-worth, health, wealth, honor, peace, joy, and hope come from You, Holy Father. You reign over all, and in Your hand is power and might to make great and exalt all who love You. Therefore, I praise You for Christ Jesus, who, for my sake, became poor so that through His poverty, I might become rich. Lord Jesus, who am I that You consider me important enough to die upon the cross to save me from the wages of sin and death? Thank You for saving me and loving me unto death. Holy Spirit, please guide someone across my path today who needs to hear this wonderful truth: "Did you know God sees you and considers you incredibly important?" Uplift their impoverished spirit from the ash heap of despair so they can believe that God loves them deeply. I pray for their salvation in Jesus' mighty name." 

WISDOM: Ask God for wisdom, and He will give it to you - James 1:5

Do any of you need wisdom? Ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to everyone. So he will give you wisdom. But when you ask God, you must believe. Don’t doubt him. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is blown up and down by the wind. James 1:5-6 NIV

Eternal Gospel: "I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him." Colossians 2:2-3; "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." 1 Corinthians 1:23-24

Prayer & Praise
I ask for more of Jesus, Father God, for I believe that in Christ are found all the treasures of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. I acknowledge my lack of wisdom and recognize that I know nothing as I ought to know. O Lord my God, please grant Your servant wisdom and understanding so that I may make prudent decisions and strive to enrich the lives of my family and those in the marketplace by helping them grow in faith and become disciples of Christ Jesus. Please grant me discernment between good and evil, for only in Christ do I find purpose and completeness. I ask this in His mighty name, amen.

COMPLETE: Perseverance develops maturity and completeness in you - James 1:4

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 NIV

Eternal Gospel: "And in Christ, you have been made complete [achieving spiritual stature through Christ], and He is the head over all rule and authority [of every angelic and earthly power]." Colossians 2:10

Praise & Prayer
I lift my eyes to You, Lord Jesus, and I praise You for the truth found in this holy scripture that You use hardships to cultivate perseverance in my life, which helps me mature and become complete. Though I may not fully understand it, I believe that in You, I lack nothing. Through You, I have eternal life and a living hope. With You in my life, I experience abundance and fullness. , the richest and most fortunate person in the world. Please guide me, Holy Spirit, to someone today who feels a great void in their heart and feels incomplete because they are separated from God. Use my care to help open the door for me to share this wonderful truth about maturity and completeness through faith in Christ. I pray in Jesus' mighty name.

PERSEVERANCE: The testing of your faith develops perseverance - James 1:3

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1:2-3

Prayer & Praise
Faithful Father, You know everything I am experiencing in life and are familiar with all of my needs. LORD Jesus, it is impossible for me to hide anything from You, so I want to be honest in expressing that I find it very challenging to experience joy during times of trouble. However, I want to learn how to find joy through Your help and the power of the Holy Spirit so that I can develop the virtue of perseverance with unwavering faith. Use me this day to assist someone in persevering through their personal storm by guiding them to faith in You. Please fill their hearts with joy and save them, for You are our faithful Savior. In Your mighty name, I pray.

NEW: God will do something new in you - Isaiah 43:19 GWT

But the LORD says, "Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago. I Am going to do something new. It is already happening. Don't you recognize it? I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land. Isaiah 43:18-19 GWT

Praise & Prayer

Holy Father, You are the God who turns deserts into rivers of water and moves the mountains for those who love You. Nothing is impossible for You! I am excited to see the new and great things You will do in me, through me, and for me in 2025. I praise You for the blessings and trials You used in 2024 to draw me closer to You. Lord Jesus, regardless of the tribulations or sufferings I may face in the coming year, I find peace in knowing that You are with me and working behind the scenes on my behalf to shape me into Your likeness. Holy Spirit, please use me in new ways to help strengthen the faith of my family and uplift people in the marketplace who are downtrodden or depressed by pointing them to Christ. I pray in the name that is above every name, Jesus, our Savior.