James 4:1-3
[1] What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? [2] You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. [3] You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Head: What does the passage identify as the cause for conflicts between people? (v.1)
Heart: What heart does God want you to have in your prayer? (v. 3)
Hands: How do you want to bring more peace into the world?
Do you see any conflict around you? Or maybe you are involved in conflict right now, yourself? The Bible reveals the cause for them: there is conflict within ourselves. There is a battle going on in our hearts. On one side, we have godly intentions, desiring to honor God and to live for God in all things. Yet, there is also a part of us that wants to have our own way and do not want to follow God's plan and timing.
So sometimes, as we give in to the selfish heart, we take matters into our own hands to gain what we want. This then causes the conflict within us to carry over to our relationships with other people. Now, with disregard for God's command for us to do things in a humble and righteous way, we may treat people however we feel is proper, letting the ends justify our means.
God calls us to get our hearts right with God. Let God know what you want, but ask Him with the right heart that says, "According to YOUR purpose, YOUR timing, and YOUR wisdom. This heart towards God will bring peace to your heart, which will then shape how you treat others around you.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." (Matthew 5:9)
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Devotional Guide:
1) Pray for understanding in your mind, for trust in your heart, and for powerful obedience in your daily living.
2) Read the passage and mark anything that blesses you, challenges you, or raises a question.
3) Reflect on the passage. What's God saying about Himself? What's God saying about you?
4) Pray in response to what God puts on your heart through the Word.