"The Answer Is -- Pray"

"Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms." James 5:13 

What should we do in times of affliction? What should we do when we are facing trouble, hard times, difficulties or suffering? What should we do when we are in need? The answer is found in three little words from our scripture text-- "let him pray". Wait a minute, did it say to "pray"?

Praying in times of trouble seems to be a foreign idea to most. I think they misread the scripture to say-- let him worry; let him try to figure out a solution; let him seek the help of man; let him lean to his own understanding; let him give up because there is no hope; let him exhaust every resource then pray.

 

In the minds of many prayer seems to either be too simple a solution or too hard to do, therefore, people try everything else before they will bow their knees to God and seek His help and counsel. Prayer should be the first thing a Christian does. It should not even be a question about what to do. It should come automatically and natural for us.

 

What do you do when you are in a time of trouble, need, difficulty or want? Is turning to God in prayer the first thing you do or the last thing you do after you have done everything else that you know to do? There is a principal to prayer that we often forget-- "seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33) When we seek Him first in prayer about our situation, everything we need will be given (added) to us. The wisdom we need, the grace we need, the answer we need, the solution, the help we need, will all be given to us. Prayer is the only place where we are guaranteed to get the answer and help that we need when going through affliction. "Ask and ye shall receive".

 

Have a great day. What do you do when you are in trouble? Do you pray or do you look for another solution?

 

For further reading:

John 16:23, 24

Matthew 7:7

James 4:2; 5:16

Proverbs 3:5,6