Request from the One giving! (James)

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5

(For the first part of the verse visit this link:

http://createapositiveday.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-art-of-using-wisdom-james.html)

Let him ask: request for oneself

Giveth: to grant, give to one asking, let have

All: means "all" in the sense of each (every) part that applies

Liberally: simply, openly, frankly, sincerely, led solely by his desire to bless

Upbraideth: finding fault, to disgrace (insult), reproach; mock (curse); insult, cast blame (create shame) 

Not: negates the underlying idea (concept) of a statement, ruling out its possibilities, 

And: moreover, even, indeed

Given: to grant, give to one asking, let have

Literal translation: Let him request from the One giving. 

The art of USING wisdom. What good is it to know something, and not put it to use? 

And if you are absent of wisdom, you are to go to the source — God Himself, the One who can supply wisdom! 

If you need the plumbing fixed at your home, you don't ask the grocery clerk to fix it. You call a plumber. When you need wisdom, looking for it in the wrong place will get you nowhere. 

Yet, in our lives, when we need wisdom, we turn to whomever is on TV, or the latest self-help book. While those things may have some good ideas, it is not true wisdom! 

The art of using wisdom is vital to life. And when wisdom is absent, then trouble begins. 

If I am not practicing the art of USING wisdom, then I need to go directly to the SOURCE and request wisdom. God is waiting to give it to me. He will not scold me for not asking sooner. He will not tell me that this is the UMPTEENTH time, I've asked for the same wisdom. He will not shame me or find fault that I don't know something. 

God is waiting to abundantly supply all that I need to know so that I can practice the art of using wisdom! 

I only need to REQUEST from the One giving!

Thanks Living: Companionship

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6, 7

Be anxious: to be troubled with cares, distracted, take thought

Nothing: not even one, absolutely not one

Everything: every condition or in every matter, anything whatsoever

Prayer: earnest prayer addressed to God

Supplication: feel pressing need because of lack; hence, to make urgent appeal; to have deep personal need causing one to beseech (make earnest, specific request)

With: association and companionship; the same relations of participation

Thanksgiving: gratitude; actively, grateful language (to God, as an act of worship)

Requests: a thing asked

Make known: be brought to the knowledge of

To: respect, which is the destination of the relation

God: the Creator and owner of all things

And: moreover, even, indeed

Peace: quietness, rest

God: the Creator and owner of all things

Surpasses: superior, superiority, excellency, higher, supreme

All: part(s) of a totality

Understanding: the intellective faculty, the understanding

Will guard: to mount guard as a sentinel; to hem in, protect—keep (with a garrison)

Hearts: the center and seat of spiritual life, "the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors"

Mind: thoughts and purposes; the intellect

Through: as in the condition (state) in which something operates from the inside (within)

Christ Jesus: the Anointed One; His human name, as the incarnate, eternal Son of God

Association and Companionship.

With the same earnest compassion as when I make an urgent appeal to God—I am to give thanks to God. The earnest prayer expressing my need is to always be in the companionship of thanksgiving. 

Where the is a pressing need, anxiety becomes overwhelming, for we become consumed with the pressing need. However, when that need is shared with God along with thanksgiving to God, then God's peace becomes supreme diminishing the anxiety. 

Requests should always be in the companionship of thanksgiving. For when thoughts are directed from the urgent pressing need to thanking God for who He is, then things are put back into their proper perspective. And when one can see the situation from God's perspective, then peace overwhelms the anxiety. 

Companionship. 

God wants to hear our urgent pressing needs! But we must always make sure that we keep the companionship intact—request/thanksgiving. Thanks Living is truly understanding (and practicing) the companionship of crying out and thanksgiving. 

Full-body

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 150. Here is what I learned.

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his ·Temple [holy place; or holiness];  praise him in his ·mighty heaven [strong firmament]. Psalm 150:1

Praise begins in the presence of God. If I can’t praise God in His presence, how can I praise God when I’m “out and about”. Praising God directly in His presence, is the foundation for praising God elsewhere. 

Praise in prayer. So often, prayers are more of asking or telling God what we want, “making our requests known”. But prayer should be more that just asking. Prayer needs to begin with praise and honor to God. For when I praise God, that changes my perspective from me and my wants to God and His will and goodness. 

This morning, I made a cup of instant coffee. I filled a mug with water, put it in the microwave, and after the water was hot, I started to drink it. It was very weak tasting. I had forgotten to add the coffee! If I pray only asking for things, not only is my prayer life going to weak, but I’ll miss out on the “full-body” flavor of what prayer is all about. 

Praise should be the first and most often ingredient in prayer. Praising God is the essence of prayer and creates a heart in me ready to be molded to God’s plan and purpose. 

To create a positive day, and to make my prayers and life “full-body” I need to be praising God Almighty!