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About James Banks

Dr. James Banks and his wife have two adult children and live in Durham, North Carolina, where he is the pastor of Peace Church. He is the author of The Lost Art of Praying Together, Praying the Prayers of the Bible, Prayers for Prodigals, and Prayers for Your Children. Find books by James Banks

People of Encouragement

By |2024-12-02T01:33:20-05:00December 2nd, 2024|

“Sheer encouragement.” That was the phrase J.R.R. Tolkien used to describe the personal support his friend and colleague C.S. Lewis gave him as he wrote the epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien’s work on the series had been painstaking and exacting, and he’d personally typed out the lengthy manuscripts more than twice. When he sent them to Lewis, Lewis responded, “All the long years you have spent on it are justified.” Lewis and Tolkien didn’t always agree on literary matters, but their shared faith and mutual intellectual interests served as catalysts for great creative accomplishments in both their lives.  

Perhaps Scripture’s best-known encourager was Joseph from Cyprus, better known as Barnabas (meaning “son of encouragement”), the name the apostles gave him (Acts 4:36). It was Barnabas who advocated for Paul to the apostles (9:27). Later, when non-Jewish believers began to place their faith in Jesus, Luke tells us Barnabas “was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.” Luke describes him as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith,” adding that because of him, “a great number of people were brought to the Lord” (11:23–24).

The worth of encouraging words cannot be measured. As we offer words of faith and love to others, God—who gives “eternal encouragement” (2 Thessalonians 2:16)—may move through what we share to transform someone’s life forever. May He help us to offer “sheer encouragement” to someone today!

Unmeasured Kindness

By |2024-11-13T01:33:26-05:00November 13th, 2024|

Two friends were shopping for a laptop in an electronics store when they ran into basketball great Shaquille O’Neal. Aware that O’Neal recently suffered the loss of his sister and a former teammate, they empathetically offered their condolences. After the two men returned to their shopping, Shaq approached them and told them to pick out the nicest laptop they could find. He then bought it for them, simply because they saw him as a person going through a difficult time and was moved by their kindness.

Millenia before that encounter, Solomon wrote, “Those who are kind benefit themselves” (Proverbs 11:17). When we consider others’ needs and do what we can to help and encourage them, we are rewarded ourselves. It may not be with a laptop or material things, but God has ways of blessing us that this world cannot measure. As Solomon explained just two verses earlier in the same chapter, “A kindhearted woman gains honor, but ruthless men gain only wealth” (v. 16). There are blessings that are worth far more than money, and God measures them generously in His perfect wisdom and way.

Kindness and generosity are part of God’s character, and He loves to see them expressed in our own hearts and lives. Solomon summed up the matter well: “Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (v. 25).

Love beyond Boundaries

By |2024-10-10T02:33:23-04:00October 10th, 2024|

“God has been so good to us! I want to thank Him for our anniversary.” Terry’s voice was steady, and the tears in her eye showed her sincerity. Those in our small group were deeply moved. We knew what past years had held for Terry and her husband. Though a believer, Robert suffered from the sudden onset of severe mental illness and had taken the life of their four-year-old daughter. He would be institutionalized for decades, but Terry visited him, and God did a beautiful healing work, helping her forgive. Despite profound heartache, their love for each other grew.

Love and forgiveness like that could only come from one source. David writes about God this way, “He does not treat us as our sins deserve . . . . As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:10, 12).

The mercy God shows us comes through His expansive love: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love” for us (v. 11). Love so profound compelled Him to go to the depths of the cross and grave to take away our sins so that He could bring all who “receive Him” (John 1:12) home to Himself.

Terry was right. “God has been so good to us!” His love and forgiveness reach beyond unthinkable boundaries and offer us life that never ends.

When Believing Is Seeing

By |2024-09-01T02:33:13-04:00September 1st, 2024|

“I can’t believe what I’m seeing!” My wife, Cari, called me to the window and pointed out an adult doe in the woods just outside our fence, bounding from one end of our yard to the other. Keeping pace beside her inside the fence were our large dogs, but they weren’t barking. Back and forth they went, for nearly an hour. When the doe paused and faced them, the dogs stopped also, straightening their front legs and crouching back on their haunches, ready to run again. This wasn’t predator and prey behavior; the doe and the dogs were playing together, enjoying each other’s company!

To Cari and me, their morning romp provided a picture of the coming kingdom of God. The prophet Isaiah proclaims God’s promise of that kingdom with the words, “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17). He goes on to say that “the wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox” (v. 25). No more predator, no more prey. Just friends.

Isaiah’s words seem to show us that there will be animals in God’s eternal kingdom; they also point to what God is preparing for His creation, especially “for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). What a beautiful place that will be! As we trust in Him by faith, God lifts our eyes to the reality that’s coming: peace and safety in His presence forever!

Convicted and Freed

By |2024-08-15T02:33:10-04:00August 15th, 2024|

I didn’t do it!” It was a lie, and I almost got away with it, until God stopped me. When I was in middle school, I was part of a group shooting spitballs in the back of our band during a performance. Our director was an ex-marine and famous for discipline, and I was terrified of him. So when my partners in crime implicated me, I lied to him about it. Then I lied to my father also.

But God wouldn’t allow the lie to go on. He gave me a very guilty conscience about it. After resisting for weeks, I relented. I asked God and my dad for forgiveness. A while later, I went to my director’s house and tearfully confessed. Thankfully, he was kind and forgiving.

I’ll never forget how good it felt to have that burden lifted. I was free from the weight of guilt and happy for the first time in weeks. David describes a time of conviction and confession in his life too. He tells God, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away . . . . For day and night your hand was heavy on me.” He continues, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you” (Psalm 32:3-5).

Authenticity matters to God. He wants us to confess our sins to Him and also to ask forgiveness of those we’ve wronged. “You forgave the guilt of my sin,” David proclaims (v. 5). How good it is to know the freedom of God’s forgiveness!

Devoted to Prayer

By |2024-07-15T02:33:12-04:00July 15th, 2024|

“I’ve been praying for you for fifty years,” said the elderly woman. My friend Lou looked into her eyes with profound gratitude. He was visiting the Bulgarian village that his father grew up in and left as a teenager. The woman, a believer in Jesus, lived next to his grandparents. She began to pray for Lou as soon she heard about his birth a continent away.  Now, over half a century later, he was visiting the village on a business trip, and while there he spoke to a group about his faith. Lou hadn’t become a believer in Jesus until he was almost thirty, and when this woman approached him after he spoke, he wondered about the impact her persistent prayers had made on his coming to faith.

We’ll never know the full effect of our prayers this side of heaven. But Scripture gives us this counsel: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Colossians 4:2). When Paul penned those words to believers in the small city of Colossae, he also asked for prayer himself so that God would “open a door” for his message wherever he went (v. 3).

Sometimes we may think, I don’t have the spiritual gift of prayer. But of all of the spiritual gifts listed in the Bible, prayer isn’t among them. Perhaps this is because God longs for each of us to pray faithfully, so that we may see what only He can do.

Generously Given and Shared

By |2024-06-02T02:33:16-04:00June 2nd, 2024|

When my wife, Cari, and I finished our higher education, we had several thousand dollars in debt that we needed to consolidate through a lower interest rate. We applied for a loan at the local bank but were turned down because we hadn’t lived or worked in that city for long. A few days later, I shared what had happened with my friend Ming, who was an elder in our church. “I’d like to mention this to my wife,” he said on the way out the door.

A few hours later, the phone rang. It was Ming: “Ann and I would like to loan you the money you need, interest free,” he offered. I didn’t know what to say, so I responded, “I can’t ask that of you.” “You’re not asking!” Ming answered jovially. They kindly gave us the loan, and Cari and I paid them back as quickly as we could.

I believe Ming and Ann were generous because of their love for God. As Scripture tells us, “Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice” (Psalm 112:5). Those who trust in God can have “steadfast” hearts that “are secure” (vv. 7-8), understanding that He’s the source of everything good in their lives.

God has been generous with us, giving us life and forgiveness. Let’s be generous in sharing His love and our resources with those in need.

How has God been generous to you? How can you share His kindness and generosity with someone in need today?

The Authority of Jesus

By |2024-05-01T02:33:12-04:00May 1st, 2024|

Even after Jesus had set my son Geoff free from years of substance abuse, I still had worries. We’d been through much together and my focus sometimes  remained on his difficult past instead of the future God had for him. Parents of addicts often worry about relapse, and one day at a family gathering , I pulled Geoff aside. “Remember,” I told him, “we have an adversary, and he’s powerful.” “I know, Dad,” he responded. “He has power, but he has no authority.”

In that moment I was reminded of Jesus’ incomparable  authority to rescue us from our sins and transform our lives as we look to Him. Immediately I thought of His words to His disciples shortly before He returned to His Father in heaven: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go . . .” (Matthew 28:18–19).

The crucified and risen Jesus  has made a way for us to come to Him no matter what our past may be. . . He holds both our past and our future. Because He’s promised to be with us always (v. 20), we can be assured that He’ll accomplish His purposes and that our lives are  in His unfailing hands. Jesus gives us unparalleled hope, a hope so good we can’t keep it to ourselves. The devil and the world may have some power for a little while, but “all authority” belongs to Jesus forever.

The Valley of Praise

By |2024-04-19T02:33:16-04:00April 19th, 2024|

Poet William Cowper struggled with depression much of his life. After a suicide attempt, he was committed to an asylum. But it was there through the care of a Christian physician that Cowper came to a warm, vital faith in Jesus. Soon afterwards Cowper became acquainted with pastor and hymnwriter John Newton, who encouraged him to collaborate on a hymnal for their church. Among the hymns Cowper wrote was “God Moves in a Mysterious Way,” which contains these words pressed from the crucible of experience: “You fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds you so much dread, are big with mercy and shall break in blessings on your head.”

Like Cowper, the people of Judah also met God’s kindness unexpectedly. As an alliance of armies invaded their nation, King Jehoshaphat gathered the people for prayer. As Judah’s army marched out, men in the front ranks praised God (2 Chronicles 20:21). The invading armies turned on themselves, and “no one . . . escaped. . . . There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it” (vv. 24-25).

On the fourth day, the very place where a hostile invading force gathered against God’s people was dubbed the Valley of Berakah—literally, “the valley of praise or blessing.” (v. 26). What a change! God’s mercy can turn even our most difficult valleys into places of praise as we give them to Him.

Owner or Steward?

By |2024-03-01T01:33:04-05:00March 1st, 2024|

“Am I an owner or a steward?” The CEO of a multibillion-dollar company asked himself that question as he weighed what was best for his family. Concerned about the temptations that can come with vast wealth, he didn’t want to burden his heirs with that challenge. So he gave up his personal stake in the company. Recognizing that everything he owns belongs to God helped him make his decision to allow his family to earn a living in exchange for work while also using future profits to fund Christian ministry.

In Psalm 50:10, God tells His people, “Every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.” As the Creator of all things, God owes us nothing and needs nothing from us. “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens,” He says (v. 9). He generously provides everything that we have and use as well as the strength and the ability to earn a living. Because He does, as the psalm shows us, He is worthy of our heartfelt worship.

God owns everything. But because of His goodness, He even chose to give Himself, entering into a relationship with any who turn to Him. Jesus “did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). When we value the Giver over the gifts and serve Him with them, we are blessed to delight in Him forever.

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