It’s been exactly one year since my son was able to come home from the hospital. Due to many complications, what started out as appendicitis turned into forty-something days in the ICU and on the surgical recovery floor. During that time, he won over every tech, nurse, and doctor with his patience and kindness. His perseverance and long-suffering were truly amazing. I didn’t hear him complain one time.
On a typical day during his time in the hospital, I would spend the night there. My wife and the girls slept at home. In the morning, my wife would come to the hospital, and we’d take care of our son together for a few hours. Then I’d go home and sleep during the day while my wife took over at the hospital. My daughters did school, chores, etc. I’d eat dinner with the girls, and then we’d all go to the hospital, where we’d be together until my wife took the girls home. And the routine would start all over again.
“16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!” — James 5:16-17
Recently, I’ve been reading in the book of James. These verses reminded me of the power of prayer in a fresh way. James shows us that we experience healing, breakthrough, and spiritual strength through two simple but important practices: confession and earnest prayer.
Verse 16 calls us to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other so that healing can flow. Confession certainly isn’t about earning forgiveness from Jesus. On the contrary, His grace already covered us at the Cross. Instead, confession is about walking in the light. It keeps the enemy from cornering us with shame and isolation. It also gives Believers permission to live in an honest, transparent, and grace-filled way. We begin to heal when we step into the light with a trusted community and invite God into our weakness.
Then James points to Elijah in verse 17. He writes of a man “as human as we are.” A man whose earnest prayers absolutely shaped the world around him. Elijah wasn’t perfect; he was simply willing. His life reminds us of something we should never forget. That fervent, faith-filled prayer from ordinary people invites extraordinary intervention from God.
These Verses Remind Us
Honesty opens the door to healing. Equally important, earnest prayer opens the door to God’s power. We don’t need to be spiritual giants. We just need to always surrender ourselves, be humble, and be willing to pray.
Considering this, is there something in your life He’s prompting you to confess so you can walk in the light? And how can you take steps today to pray in faith, believing He hears and responds?
“There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.” Proverbs 29:20 (NLT)
Speaking without thinking can get people into quite a mess, can’t it? We definitely see this in our world every day. Especially with social media. People post almost everything they say and do online. Not just in the form of videos but also in the comment sections. And too often this ends up negatively.
This is certainly not a recent problem. People did not just discover this phenomenon with the World Wide Web. In fact, Solomon recognized this danger in the 10th century B.C. when he penned the book of Proverbs. Today, access to seeing everyone’s words and thoughts online has only increased their visibility.
Carefree Comments
I’ll be honest, my loose tongue can get me into hot water from time to time. It’s easy for me to sink into making jokes or being carefree with my comments. To my shame, this is often at someone else’s expense. I don’t always consider how my words may affect someone else. Even the most innocent of my nonchalant quips has offended someone. Or at least made them uncomfortable.
Of course, I’m not saying God has no sense of humor. And I’m not saying joking around is always wrong. However, I am convicted to consider, “Am I thinking before I speak?”
Proverbs 15:2 says, “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.”
Downright Hurtful
I can also be thoughtless in my speech when I am frustrated or angry. Sadly, when walking in my flesh, it can be so easy to sink back into heedless comments. My speech can be cold, dismissive, or thoughtless. Sometimes, even downright hurtful. Unfortunately, those closest to me are the ones who catch a good deal of those reckless words.
And what does the verse above in Proverbs 29 say? In those moments when I speak without thinking, I am worse off than a fool. And if you know Proverbs, Solomon already has a low view of fools. Truly, to have less hope than a fool is pretty hopeless.
Mercy
However, praise Jesus for His mercy that is new every day. Hallelujah for His patient, loving kindness for a fool like me. Along the way, He sanctifies me by His grace to be more like Him in my speech. And at the same time, more thoughtful before I speak.
Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”
Lord help us (help me) to think before we speak. To be self-controlled with our tongues. Equally important, to be considerate of others and what honors You. Help us to always “speak life” to those around us.
At times, our world can certainly seem like an unending cloudy day. We long to catch a glimpse of the sun, or at the very least, a silver lining in the clouds. Evil lurks everywhere, and the news of it is like unwelcome rain. The world leaves us outside with no shelter in sight. Then comes the thunder and lightning, maybe even hail. Typically, we react in one of two ways to the evil around us. I think a couple of biblical examples will help me explain.
The first is found in the Old Testament book of Habakkuk. The prophet Habakkuk sees confusion and suffering. Specifically, the problem of evil in the world around him. He grapples with why wicked people prosper while the righteous suffer. “Been there, done that” in my own walk of faith. So I appreciate how honest Habakkuk is with God.
Does life ever surprise you with the joys and sufferings that happen, sometimes simultaneously? There are so many encouraging things happening in and around our church. People are meeting Jesus. God is saving people as well as transforming lives.
At the exact same time, however, a brief review of my prayer journal reveals people are suffering through job loss, death, and grief. Along with that, there are hospitalizations, accidents, sicknesses, and several other challenging circumstances.
Have you ever noticed how quick and easy it is to change your diet, clothes, or even your daily routine? But it’s pretty much impossible to change the way you think?? It doesn’t matter how hard you try to shut down certain thoughts. The same temptations and worries always sneak back in.
Well, that’s because the greatest struggle that you and I face each day isn’t around us. Instead, the battle is inside us. It’s in our minds.
Our culture today offers us all kinds of solutions. Download this app. Read this book. Think these thoughts. And some of those things may help for a moment. But, sooner or later, the same thoughts and worries absolutely return. No matter how disciplined or determined we are. We can never truly renew our hearts and our minds. Without a doubt, that work belongs to God alone.
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” — Acts 3:19-20 (NIV)
Peter had just performed a miracle—healing a man who couldn’t walk. The crowd was obviously amazed. But Peter didn’t take the credit. Instead, he pointed people to Jesus. Additionally, he told them to repent and turn to God.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” — 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Recently, I was talking with a friend about the story of Jonah. We recounted the story play-by-play. It reminded me how the story of Jonah has undoubtedly become one of the most challenging Bible stories to believe. In 1794 (230 years ago), Thomas Paine, author of “The Age of Reason,” said the book of Jonah was “…A fit story for ridicule if it was written to be believed — or of laughter if it was intended to try what credulity could swallow, for if it could swallow Jonah and the whale it could swallow anything.”
“He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” — Matthew 9:35-38
Our church has undeniably been blessed with LOTS of new people. Attendance is at an all-time high. New people are just about everywhere! In fact, over the past six years, we are averaging 856 new people/year, 71 new people/month, and 16 new people/weekend. Assuming half of the new attendees don’t even turn in programs, you can perhaps double that number.
Are you a prayerful person? Most of us would say we have room to grow in prayer. One of the most encouraging aspects of believers’ lives is pouring out our hearts to God and watching as He responds. There is absolutely no better way for us to communicate our thankfulness, adoration, desires, or grievances with God than through prayer. Yet, for so many of us, it becomes an afterthought. We can also be robotic or neglect to pray altogether.
