James 4

Which worship songs are based on James 4?

  1. The War Inside — Switchfoot (2011) James 4:1

    The song traces outward fights to an inward battle, closely paralleling James’s explanation that quarrels arise from desires warring within people. This specific connection between interpersonal conflict and internal warfare goes beyond a general theme of personal struggle.

  2. One Prayer — Pastor Mike Jr. & Tamela Mann (2023) James 4:2

    The bridge directly uses James's teaching that people sometimes lack what they desire because they have not asked God.

  3. Pray — Pastor Mike Jr. (2025) James 4:2

    The statement that people lack because they do not ask closely quotes James's teaching about neglected prayer.

  4. Loco! — Bryson Gray (2021) James 4:4

    The introduction reproduces James's warning that allegiance to the world places a person in opposition to God.

  5. Kingdom at Hand — Bryson Gray (2022) James 4:4

    The charge that professing believers remain aligned with the world closely follows James’s warning that friendship with the world constitutes hostility toward God.

  6. Humpty Dumpty Country Club — ApologetiX (2010) James 4:6

    The song closely adapts the contrast between God's opposition to the proud and his favor toward the humble. The same formulation also appears in 1 Peter 5:5, so the wording does not uniquely distinguish those two passages.

  7. He Giveth More Grace — Don Moen (2012) James 4:6

    The opening directly reproduces James’s declaration that God gives greater grace. The hymn applies that declaration to increasing hardship, whereas James emphasizes God’s grace toward the humble.

  8. Worth It — Lecrae (2017) James 4:6

    The outro explicitly identifies a verse and repeatedly invokes James's declaration that God supplies grace greater than human sin and failure. Its wording closely follows translations that render the passage as God giving greater grace.

  9. Broken — Lecrae (2014) James 4:6

    Lecrae directly states God's opposition to the proud. The surrounding discussion of worldly desire, humility, and grace particularly fits James 4, although the same statement also appears in 1 Peter 5:5.

  10. Swept Away — Flyleaf (2009) James 4:7-10

    The song connects surrender to God with his promise to lift the humbled person up. Its surrounding resistance to evil also fits James's sequence of submission to God, resistance to the devil, repentance, and divine exaltation.

  11. Prayed Up — Karen Clark Sheard (2010) James 4:7

    The bridge’s insistence that the devil must retreat, alongside the song’s repeated acts of resistance, closely adapts James’s assurance that resisting the devil makes him flee.

  12. Unstoppable — Crowder (2024) James 4:7

    The bridge presents the believer's relationship with God as the basis for the Devil being driven away, closely echoing James's instruction to submit to God, resist the Devil, and see him flee.

  13. Promises — Carrollton (2017) James 4:8

    The song directly restates James’s reciprocal promise that God approaches those who approach him.

  14. Sing for Joy — Don Moen (2025) James 4:8

    The song's invitation to draw near to God reflects the sentiment found in James 4:8, which encourages believers to approach God with confidence, assuring them of His presence and response.

  15. Closer to God — Anne Wilson (2022) James 4:8

    The opening directly engages James's reciprocal language about approaching God and God approaching the believer, while confessing a mistaken, performance-based understanding of that promise.

  16. Burning Pages — Éowyn (2011) James 4:8

    The bridge's invitation to approach God and its reciprocal movement toward nearness closely adapt James's call to approach God with the promise that God will approach in return.

  17. Always Enough — Kari Jobe (2014) James 4:8

    The spoken prayer explicitly invokes Scripture's promise that God draws near to those who draw near to him, closely restating James 4:8.

  18. Runnin' with God — 808 BEEZY (2021) James 4:8

    The song explicitly cites this verse and applies its command by describing deliberate movement toward greater proximity to God.

  19. Just To Be Close To You (Live) — CeCe Winans (2021) James 4:8

    Winans explicitly invokes the reciprocal promise that approaching God results in God approaching the worshipper, closely paraphrasing James's exhortation.

  20. Draw Near — Bethel Music & Jeremy Riddle (2012) James 4:8

    The opening prayer closely adapts James’s promise of reciprocal nearness between God and those who approach Him, turning that promise into a personal petition.

  21. Jesus, Friend of Sinners — Casting Crowns (2011) James 4:8

    The pre-chorus combines divided loyalty, unclean hands, and a heart needing purification. This cluster closely adapts James's call for sinners and the double-minded to draw near to God and become clean.

  22. Reaching for You — Chris Tomlin (2020) James 4:8

    The reciprocal movement between the worshiper approaching God and God responding with nearness closely paraphrases James’s exhortation and promise.

  23. Waiting (Live) — LO Worship (2025) James 4:8

    The song explicitly references the idea that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us, which is a direct quote from James 4:8.

  24. Never Land — Andy Mineo & Marz (2014) James 4:8-10

    The bridge presents humility as the route to being lifted up by God, closely adapting James’s instruction to humble oneself before the Lord. Its accompanying emphasis on nearness to God reinforces the connection to the surrounding passage.

  25. DROP! — Forrest Frank (2025) James 4:10

    The lyrics reference the concept of humility and elevation, echoing the sentiment found in James 4:10, which states that those who humble themselves will be exalted.

  26. Dirt — Lecrae (2022) James 4:12

    The chorus pairs God's unique power to save with his unique authority to judge, closely matching James's description of the one Lawgiver and Judge who can save and destroy.

  27. Echoes — Corey Mills (2017) James 4:12

    The song reserves final judgment for God rather than human accusers, closely reflecting James's declaration that there is one lawgiver and judge.

  28. Your Will (Wait) — ALIA LARA (2024) James 4:13-15

    The singer conditions her future plans and actions on the Lord’s will rather than presuming control over her path, closely reflecting James’s instruction to submit intended actions to God’s will.

  29. hollow — Jaisua (2024) James 4:13-14

    The warning about not knowing tomorrow closely reflects James's teaching that human beings cannot presume upon the future because life is brief and uncertain.

  30. — [DASH] — Crowder (2024) James 4:14

    The song directly adopts James's image of human life as vaporous and briefly present, using it to emphasize mortality and the urgency of living purposefully.

  31. Sure As — Brian Courtney Wilson (2020) James 4:14

    The opening describes human life and present circumstances as vapor-like, appearing briefly before vanishing, closely following James's warning about life's transience.

  32. Sunday Morning — Lecrae (2020) James 4:14

    Kirk Franklin directly adopts James's description of human life as a vapor that appears briefly and then vanishes, using it to emphasize mortality and the uncertainty of tomorrow.

  33. In the Dust — Brandon Heath (2012) James 4:14

    The chorus describes human life as an ephemeral vapor that disappears, closely adapting James's distinctive illustration of life's brevity and uncertainty.

  34. Satisfied — Ryan Ellis (2024) James 4:14

    The description of human life as a briefly appearing vapor closely paraphrases James's warning about life's transience.

  35. Talk to Me Nice (feat. S.O.) — KB & S.O. (2023) James 4:14

    S.O. characterizes human life as vapor, directly invoking James's image of life's brevity and uncertainty.

  36. Break Your Knees — Flyleaf (2009) James 4:14

    The song depicts earthly life as a brief mist, closely matching James's image of human life as vapor that appears temporarily and then disappears.

  37. Be Unto Your Name — FFH (2007) James 4:14

    The description of human life as vapor closely recalls James's image of life as a mist that appears briefly and then vanishes. The song places this image of mortality against God's eternity.

  38. a life worth dying — Josiah Queen (2024) James 4:14

    The song describes human life as vapor-like and exceedingly brief, closely echoing James's warning about life's transience and the uncertainty of tomorrow.

  39. The Right Things — Chris Renzema (2021) James 4:14

    The song frames human life and the passage of years as a transient vapor, directly echoing the epistle's image of life as a mist that appears briefly and then vanishes to humble presumptuous planning.

  40. It Ain't Safe — KB (2024) James 4:14

    The description of life as vapor closely restates James's warning that human life is a mist that appears briefly and then vanishes.

  41. Your Will — Kelly Khumalo (2018) James 4:15

    The song attributes continued life and the possibility of tomorrow specifically to the Lord’s will, closely reflecting James’s instruction to acknowledge that human life and future plans depend upon what the Lord wills.

  42. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas — Bebo Norman (2007) James 4:15

    The song makes its hope for future reunions conditional on the Lord's permission, closely adapting James's instruction to qualify future plans by acknowledging God's will.

James 4 (King James Version)

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.