Silence: Find a quiet place, remove potential distractions, clear your mind of other thoughts, and ask God to speak to you as you read and contemplate this passage:

Reflective Reading: Read James 2:14-20 thoughtfully:

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

Meditation: Reflect on this discussion by James, believed to be one of the leaders of the early church at Jerusalem, and delivered to early Jewish converts to Christianity. What is God speaking to you through this passage? What is the challenge that James gives to these Christians?

Oration: From your reading and prayer, verbalize or write in the space below your response to what God is speaking to you from this passage:

Contemplation: Over the next day, contemplate this passage and what God is saying to you. Think on these topics:

• Can faith truly be real, and alive, without actions?
• What is the difference in believing that God is real (as the demons do) and placing your faith in God?
• If your faith were measured by your actions, how powerful would you say your faith is?
• What actions or attitudes might this passage be directing you to begin?