A congregation was singing the familiar song “For You I Am Praying,” as the closing hymn. The preacher turned to a man on the platform and asked quietly, “For whom are you praying?”
The man was stunned. “Why, I guess I am not praying for anybody. Why do you ask?”
“Well, I just heard you say, ‘For you I am praying,’ and I thought you meant it,” the preacher replied.
“Oh, no,” said the man. “I’m just singing.”

Pious talk! A religion of words! Is that what you have? To paraphrase James 1:22, “We should be doers of the Word as well as talkers of the Word.” We must walk what we talk. It is not enough to know the language; we must also live the life.

Verse for today: “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21, NIV).
Also read: James 1:22, 4:17, 1 John 2:17, 3:21-22; Revelation 22:14.

Action assignment: If you won a diamond ring, would you opt for one with a rhinestone or a genuine diamond? Obviously you would be smart to choose the latter, since you could always sell it and keep the cash. Right?
Now, in the realm of spiritual things, are you opting for the genuine experience of living for Christ—or are you content with just mouthing the jargon that accompanies such an experience? Look at yourself in a mirror and say out loud, “I want to be a genuine doer of God’s Word, not a hearer or talker of the Word only.” Now ask God to help you live out that desire in tangible ways for the rest of your life—one day at a time.