Drawing near

Scripture

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:7-10 NKJV)

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. (James 4:7-10 NLT)

Observation

1. Submit to God.

He is the supreme authority over my life.  Lower myself before him.

2. Resist the devil

He will flee if I persist in resisting.  I have to take a stand against the devil's schemes.  Example is Jesus temptation, he resisted the devil with the word of God and satan fled.

3. Draw near to God and He will draw near to me.

Come close to God, go near him and he promises to respond to me.

4. Purify and cleanse my hands and my heart.

Truly mourn my sins.  This is more than guilt, it is repentance.  It is more than wanting forgiveness, it is wanting cleansing and transformation.

5. Humble myself before God and He will lift me up.

Application

Submission

Resisting

Drawing

Purifying

Humbling 

Prayer

I humble myself before you and submit to your authority over my life.  I resist the devil's advances but I come close to you, I respond to your wooing.  I repent of my sins and ask for your forgiveness and cleasning, I acknowledge my complete need of you.