Grace to the Humble

1.      Pray with thanksgiving.  Ask for wisdom.  Pray for your Pastor and leaders.  Pray for the President and the government.  Pray for our nation to turn back to God and for true revival to start.
2.      Read and review James 3 through James 4:1-4.
3.      Read James 4:6.  I am so thankful that God gives more grace.  Can you think of times in your life when God gave you more grace?
4.      According to verse 6 who does God resist?  Why do you think He resists the proud?  Usually if someone is proud they do not think they need God or they do not want God because they think they can handle things on their own.  Define the word pride.
5.      According to James 4:6 who does God give grace to?  Define the word humble.
6.      Read James 4:7.  Who are you supposed to submit yourself to?  What does it look like to submit yourself to God?  It may help to define the word submit.  God is in charge and there is no need trying to fight Him to get our way.  He will discipline you when you get off track.  If someone has kept telling God no and disobeying Him then they will grieve the Holy Spirit and their heart may become hard and callous to God.  Make sure you daily surrender to God, yield to Him and put yourself under Him. 
7.      Who are you supposed to resist?  What does resist mean?  The Christian life is hard and we are in a battle daily with evil forces that we cannot see but we must resist.  We can use the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18 to fight the devil with.  Read about the armor of God and make it a daily prayer to pray on the armor of God.  What happens when you resist the devil?
8.      Read James 4:8.  You can draw nigh to God through prayer (talking to Him) and singing to Him.  You must have a personal, intimate relationship with God.  Do not rely on church as your only way to be with God.  What does He say happens when you draw nigh to God? 
9.      Usually when you draw close to God He will show you your sin.  “Cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purify your hearts ye double minded”.  We can do what 1 John 1:9 says and confess our sins to God.  He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us. 
10.  Read Psalm 139:23-24.  Let God search your heart and purify your heart.  We must be single hearted and single minded, sold out to the Lord and nothing else.
11.  Read James 4:9.  We should sorrow over our sin because it grieves the heart of God.  I don’t always do this.  I need to be more sensitive of how awful sin is.  Do you ever cry over your sin?
12.  Read James 4:10.  The good news is that when we choose to humble ourselves before God He lifts us up and turns our mourning into joy when our sins are forgiven in His presence!

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