The word counsel is תַּחְבֻּלָה, which literally means guidance or strategy. It can have to do with steerage or a plan. The word counsellors is יָעַץ, which means to advise, counsel, or consult. It can also mean to determine. Do you get the picture? God is the ultimate adviser. However, at times, He can use a human vessel to communicate His truth accompanied by life experiences.

Love y’all,
Dr. Randy Reese

Without repentance, there will be no revival. Repentance is a change of mind and heart that results in turning from sin and turning to God—a complete U-TURN. Do you need to make a U-TURN?

Has something—a secret sin—crept into your life? Unknowingly, it will destroy you. Whether intentional or not, things that displease our Lord must be dealt with. Revival for the Christian means dealing with unconfessed sin. Are you willing to ask God to search your heart? That is the first step toward being revived.

Remember: LITTLE COMPROMISES lead to BIG CONSEQUENCES!

A lame man had been healed. The religious crowd ridiculed Peter and the disciples. So he stood and called the men of Israel to repent. Then and only then would there be times of refreshing in the presence of the Lord.

Even after conversion, our hearts need reviving. Why? Because of the war between the flesh and the Spirit! Satan is constantly shooting his fiery darts, attempting to ruin our testimony and make us ineffective in witnessing to others about God’s love and grace.

Conclusion: While this message was technically directed at Israel, the same call is for the Church today. This does not mean being saved again—which cannot happen—but instead being refreshed and revived after salvation.

Introduction: Have you ever walked into a spider web? The web wraps around you and clings to you sticking to your hair and skin without letting go. You wonder if there is a black widow somewhere or a brown recluse ready to sink it’s fangs into your bloodstream. If you have ever walked in the woods at night or in a dark room without a light you can relate to this sticking situation. But if you have a beam of light from a flashlight shining in front of you it will detect the spider web. The bright light will eliminate the chance of being tangled up in a mess from a spider web. Did you know the devil has his spider webs? Yet, if we use the BRIGHT LIGHT of the Word of God it will show the demonic webs around us!

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psa 119:105)

4. Watch out for the step down because of a DANGEROUS CONCLUSION! (2Thess 2:12) – “That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 

Bottom line: REVIVAL starts when we get on our knees and PRAY! Are you willing to pray for personal revival? National revival? Community-wide revival? Church-wide revival?

Writing to believers in Rome—comprised of both Jews and Gentiles—Paul urges them to pray with and for him. Does that make sense? In other words, Christians ought to be praying for each other as well as for the work of the ministry.

Are you praying for someone right now? If not, why not? Have you become self-absorbed with things going on in your circle? Admittedly, at times we do!

Why pray? To be protected!

“That I may be delivered from them…” The word delivered (ῥύομαι – rhýomai) literally means to rescue or save—to be delivered from danger, destruction, or distress.

Does anyone reading this devotion need to be delivered?

Why pray? To be productive!

Look at the phrase “my service.” Prayer empowers the believer to be fruitful.

What will the Lord do in answer to prayer? Give joy and rest!

Are you in need of refreshing, renewal, or revival? How about God’s peace in your mind and body?

The word “refreshed” (συναναπαύομαι – synanapáuomai) means to find rest together—indicating that the believers in Rome would also experience rest as they prayed.

What will the Lord do in answer to prayer? Give peace of mind and peace in our body!

Conclusion: Will you strike the match that lights a REVIVAL in your heart? Then, will you let it burn and light others with the fires of REVIVAL?

Praise the LORD! Jesus is ALIVE! That means we have a glorious future ahead! Heaven is waiting for its citizens. Actually, according to Paul’s inspired writing, that is what every believer has to look forward to. Do you ever think about it? Can you imagine what heaven is going to be like? “I can only imagine!”

Following the unmistakable trail of Jesus makes the pathway to Victory possible for every believer. But how is that done, one may ask?

Either SELF is on the throne of our heart, or JESUS is. Which one is really ruling?

Fully God and yet fully man, JESUS was willing to GO DOWN so that we could GO UP! Leaving Heaven’s glory to come to this earth’s suffering meant GOING DOWN… down from heaven’s splendor and praise to be made a SERVANT.

Have you noticed in POLITICS and in our world today, it is about GOING UP without GOING DOWN in HUMILITY? Our Lord did the opposite.

Where are you? Are you willing to take the LOW road called HUMILITY? Or would you rather stay on the hills of PRIDE—SELF-SUFFICIENCY and INDEPENDENCE?

Dying to SELF—being crucified with Christ, taking up a cross daily—is going UNDER.

However, this is diametrically opposed to the world’s way! Contrary to biblical truth, if we are being CONFORMED to this world instead of being TRANSFORMED by the renewing of our mind, then deep down inside, we reverse going UNDER for striving to be OVER.

However, God’s way, as demonstrated by our Lord Jesus, was going UNDER and then being placed OVER.

Did you figure out what is meant by the way OUT is IN?

Simply put, the WAY OUT of JUDGMENT and hell is being placed IN a relationship with Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, some choose to stay OUT instead of IN.

Are you IN or OUT?

More than likely, you are IN or you wouldn’t be reading this devotion. So how badly do you want others to be IN?

2. Prevailing Prayer Works! (James 5:16) – “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed… The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Check out the word study:

• The word “effectual” is ἐνεργέω (en-erg-eh’-o), which means to be at work, to be active, or to be effective. Are your prayers working?
• Do you see the word “righteous”? Does it mean perfect? Not hardly! Instead, it is the word “δίκαιος”, which means just or upright. Greek scholars identify the word as referring to the elect or a Jewish idea. Additionally, the word elect is used for the Church as well.
• The phrase “availeth much” is ἰσχύω (is-khoo’-o), which means to be strong or to have power. It also has to do with prevailing. Do you feel like your prayers have power? If not, why not?

If you continue reading the next verses in this chapter, you will discover that James uses Elijah as an example of a man of prayer. His prevailing prayers caused God to withhold rain for three and a half years and then release the rain. Needless to say, Elijah was a courageous prophet who was bold and had great faith in the God of the Bible. Is it any wonder that his prayers prevailed?

“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (James 5:17)

Introduction: Have you lost your hope? How can you get it back? One way is by reading and trusting in God’s Word, especially the book of Revelation. Our Lord reveals what is to come in the future. Have you read this apocalyptic writing?

How can we find hope?

By drinking the water of life freely!

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal…” (Rev. 22:1)

“And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17)

This is the great invitation. In John’s gospel, Jesus invited any and all to come and drink from His everlasting fountain:

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” (John 7:37-39)

Are you thirsty? Once, there was a Samaritan woman who needed to drink of that living water.

“There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water… The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.” (John 4:7, 15)

Jesus said, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)

Once she tasted the living water, her eyes were opened, and her heart was quickened by the greatest Lover of her soul—Jesus Christ. Consequently, she wanted others to drink of this same water.

“The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, ‘Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?’ Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.” (John 4:28-30)

How can we find healing for our homes and nation?

By the water of life is the tree of life, whose leaves are for the healing of nations.

The word “healing” is θεραπεία (ther-ap-i’-ah), which means care, attention, especially medical attention (treatment).
The word “nations” is ἔθνος (eth’-nos) (as distinct from Israel): a race, people, nation; the nations, heathen world, Gentiles.

Jesus extends His healing power right now from the terrible disease called sin. There is healing power from the balm of Gilead—healing from strongholds, lusts, pride, jealousy, bitterness, and all kinds of demonic activity.

Love y’all,
Dr. Randy Reese

If we backtrack in this same chapter, Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, commends many of the fellow servants in the Church. Listen to his commendation:

“I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ… Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise, greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ. Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us. Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. Salute Apelles, approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus’ household. Salute Herodion, my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord. Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord. Salute Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.”

Conclusion: Someone has said, if you study the real thing (God’s Word), then you will be able to detect the counterfeit very easily. Can you detect false teaching?

The word “confess” is ἐξομολογέω (ex-om-ol-og-eh’-o), which means to acknowledge, or even to give thanks, or perhaps acknowledge a debt. Truthfully, one of the most difficult things after becoming a Christian is admitting our failures. Why? Because it often makes us FEEL BAD! We do not want to feel bad unless God the Holy Spirit is convicting us, which means we are God’s children (see Heb. 12:5-11).

Yet, much like dreading a visit to the dentist for an extraction or filling because of the initial pain, ultimately, afterward, it brings great RELIEF! And so it is with our walk with Jesus. Having sweet fellowship with Him through confession and cleansing makes it well worth taking a step of obedience with transparency.

However, we need to add a word of CAUTION: Beware of sharing confidential information with just anybody who professes Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Why? Because most Christians are not ready to hear or respond from a biblical point of view rather than a fleshly point of view—not to mention keeping it private without gossiping. A tidal wave of irreparable damage can result from innocently “sharing.” Be extra careful!

The word “faults” is ἁμαρτία (ham-ar-tee’-ah). It has to do with missing the mark. It can also refer to guilt. Literally, it means sin, or it can mean a fault or a failure (in an ethical sense)—a sinful deed. We have all missed the mark! Unfortunately, at times, we take our eyes off Jesus, like Peter, who began to sink after being distracted by the wind and waves. Do you ever get distracted from Jesus?

By the way, this verse does not insinuate that we need a Pope, priest, or preacher to confess all of our sins to. Instead, this seems to indicate some accountability along with responsibility. This, of course, is only after we’ve done business with the God of the Bible.

• Do you need to be more accountable?
• Are you one that just hits and misses in church when you want to?

Conclusion: Our Father in heaven knows what is best for His children. Therefore, He led James by His Spirit to pen these words. Confession is good for the soul! Without it, our heart gets as hard as a rock. However, with it, God softens our heart to be pliable.