Testing – The Presidential Prayer Team

I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness, in the uprightness of the heart. – 1 Chronicles 29:17

Testing may not be pleasant, but it is an important part of life. Products such as toys, automobiles, or appliances must be tested to make sure they work. In academia, students undergo testing before they go on to the next level of learning, for eventually, they will be applying what they learn in their careers.

When you become a believer in Christ, you learn His ways through Bible teaching and training. God tests you to ensure you are learning and His Word is working in your life. It is important to be not only a hearer of the Word but a doer of the Word as well. How does He test you? Frustrating experiences may arise in your life to test your patience. Perhaps there is a difficult person in your path to test your love. While God does not tempt you to do evil (James 1:13), He may allow an opportunity to test your integrity. He provides tests to make sure you are understanding whatever He is teaching you. It was the Holy Spirit who led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1).

Are you being tested? Are you attentive to what God teaches you, putting action to His lessons in your life? The new year is an opportunity to set goals. Have you set some that include encouraging your brothers and sisters in Christ, giving to and helping others, and sharing God’s Word? Thank Him for the tests in your life and ask Him to give you the grace and strength to pass them. Pray for believers in the United States Congress, and in the nation at large, as their faith is tested, that they will stand strong, following Christ with complete devotion.

Today’s Verse: 1 Chronicles 29:17

I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you.

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: James 1:2-8, 12-15, 22-25

²Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

¹²Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. ¹³Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. ¹⁴But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ¹⁵Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

²²But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. ²⁴For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. ²⁵But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.