Man of Faith – The Presidential Prayer Team

You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works. – James 2:22

Today’s verse refers to Abraham, the father of the Jewish people. Abraham lived by faith long before it was tested at Mount Moriah (or the modern-day Temple Mount) when God directed him to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham was the son of Terah in Ur of the Chaldeans, modern-day Iraq, at about 2150 B.C. After Abraham had married Sarah, Terah and his family headed toward Canaan but settled in Haran which is in modern-day Turkey (Genesis 11:31).

After Terah died, God called Abraham to continue the move to Canaan, which is now Israel. He made the move by faith, listening to and obeying the Lord. He listened to his wife who had grown impatient to have children and took Hagar, Sarah’s servant, as a wife. God made a nation of this son, Ishmael, but His perfect will was Isaac, born to Sarah when she was 90 and Abraham 100. Imagine having a baby at that age!

Abraham found the courage to obey the Lord’s command to sacrifice Isaac because he knew God kept His promises. Since God promised He would raise up a seed through Isaac, Abraham believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19). If you meditate on God’s promises, you can overcome obstacles by having faith in the God who always keeps His promises, just as Abraham did.

As you intercede for the nation and its leaders, meditate on God’s promises, such as 2 Chronicles 7:14, 1 Timothy 2:1-4, and Jeremiah 29:7, and any others that the Lord impresses on your mind. Hold onto His promises and, by faith, act on them.

Today’s Verse: James 2:22

You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: Genesis 22:1-14

22 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ²He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” ³So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. ⁴On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. ⁵Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” ⁶And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. ⁷And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” ⁸Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

⁹When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. ¹¹But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ¹²He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” ¹³And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”