But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (James 1:22-25).
Notice the very instructive thought in the beginning and latter part of our theme scripture. It says, be a doer of the Word, for it is the doer that gets blessed. That means practise the Word. You may preach and teach the Word, but be sure to be a doer of the Word that you preach and teach.
Acting or practising the Word could be likened to a baby learning to walk. You may not perfect it overnight, but as you keep at it, it gets better. So don’t be discouraged if it seems like it didn’t work the first time. What you need to do is to learn some more, hear the Word more, build your faith more, and try again. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Faith is a process. If you don’t practise it, you’ll never see growth. It’s like learning to use a tool; faith requires practice; it needs to be used regularly to be effective. For example, in your health, the first thing is to know what the Word says. The Bible says, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 1:2).
Therefore, it’s clear: God’s plan for you is divine health! There should be no cancer, diabetes, or any such thing in your body. Grasp this truth and live by it, and if you experience any symptoms of sickness in your body, don’t panic. Use the Word! Keep declaring, “I have the life of God in me. I walk in divine health. No sickness, disease or infirmities can thrive in my body.” Hallelujah! Keep yourself in health with God’s Word; it’s medicine for your body (Proverbs 4:20-22).
Do the same in your finances; keep practising the Word and exercising your faith. You may say, “But the other day, I declared in the Name of Jesus that I’m getting one million dollars and it didn’t happen.” Maybe you’re not yet at the level where your faith can work for one million dollars; howbeit, don’t give up. As long as you refuse to cower or stagger through unbelief, your faith will certainly prevail. Praise God!
Prayer / Confession
Dear Father, thank you for giving me your Word to live by. As I put my faith to work, it grows and prevails, causing me to live victoriously always, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further study
Hebrews 11:1; Romans 4:19-22; Mark 11:22-24
1-year bible reading plan
Mark 16:1-20; Deuteronomy 1-2
2-year bible reading plan
Matthew 22:34-46; Exodus 23
