Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room
August 19, 2021
Read James 5:13-16
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.
Good Morning! Our God is an Awesome God!
James reminds us that through faith we can accomplish great things in the name of our Lord. In other books, the apostle Paul, tells us to pray without ceasing, James teaches us about when, who, why, and how to pray: when suffering, when happy, when ill, when we sin. We should pray, the elders should pray, the righteous should pray. Each of us within the community of faith are called to use our gifts to support one another through our actions and through prayer.
Sometimes people avoid praying because they think they don’t know how to form the words like they hear from those more eloquent than themselves. Some also get the idea there are rules about how to pray like you have to be alone, on your knees, in a “holy” place, hands folded, . . . There is a very old hymn describing prayer entitled “Prayer is the Soul’s Sincere Desire.” Each verse talks about prayer, but the words of the second verse are precious. Prayer is the burden of a sigh, The falling of a tear, The upward glancing of an eye, When none but God is near.
Prayer is not about what we say, how we say it, when we say it, who says it, or where we say it. It is that we say it! We are God’s children and we are called to share in a relationship as a child calling to their parent. God knows what is on our heart before we utter the words. The Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf when we are unable to speak, with sighs too deep for words. You don’t have to be a great orator to pray. Many times simple words are best. Think of the prayers of children, Thank You, God. Amen. JUST PRAY!
Loving God, Thank You for loving us. We sometimes focus on all the insignificant parts of our life in Christ. You call us to join in a relationship with you. May we talk to you often. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Rejoice always.Pray continuously. Give thanks for everything.
Talk to God! Pastor Liz
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