Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room
March 9, 2022
Read James 5:13-18
13 If any of you are suffering, they should pray. If any of you are happy, they should sing. 14 If any of you are sick, they should call for the elders of the church, and the elders should pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Prayer that comes from faith will heal the sick, for the Lord will restore them to health. And if they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 For this reason, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve. 17 Elijah was a person just like us. When he earnestly prayed that it wouldn’t rain, no rain fell for three and a half years. 18 He prayed again, God sent rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
Good Morning! God bless the rain that is falling!
Prayer is a mighty tool when prayed by a believer. I have known many prayer warriors in my life. They prayed fervently on behalf of others, and God listened. When we are faithful and truly believe, we have within us the power that Jesus gave us.
Sometimes, people ask what’s the right way to pray. Like many things, we focus on the wrong question. Should we stand, sit, kneel, speak softly, pray out loud, in private, in public, and what should I do with my hands? In this regard, there is no right or wrong way to pray. The only qualifier is that we pray earnestly based on the faith in our Lord and Savior, who conquered death so that we might live.
When you are uncomfortable with the idea of praying, remember that prayer is a conversation with God. Sometimes we are afraid because we don’t the “right” words to say. The Holy Spirit speaks for us when we are unable to find the words.
In our deepest despair, we might think that voicing our problem or calling our trouble by name is admitting that we have troubles. Giving our troubles to God is the first step to finding peace. When we empty out our hearts, souls, and minds of our earthly anxiety, we make room for the calming peace that Jesus promises us. Through this peace, we find love and comfort, and we accept the power to share our gifts with the world.
God calls us to be one body, to belong to the body of believers: the community of faith. As James describes in this passage, we should support one another by praying, by healing, by listening, by forgiving, and by singing for each other. We are all sinners, yet we are all saved by the grace of God. I say it again, Prayer is a mighty tool in the hands and heart of a believer. Pray for yourself, pray for your family and friends, pray for those you’ve never met whose struggles are real, and pray for your enemies that they may find God.
“When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them.” Psalm 91:15
Loving God, Thank You for loving us. Help us focus on serving You and loving all of Your children. Sometimes we are unsure of how to pray, but we are trying to give our worries to you. Thank you for always loving us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Today I will pray for the people I see around me.
Pray often! Pastor Liz
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