Pray When in Pain.

James 5:16-20
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! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

James is writing this letter to Christians who are encountering trials in their lives. This book is one of my favorites in the Bible because it's a relatively simple one and is really helpful in times of suffering. As you can see, faith does not prevent pain from entering our lives. We can not live a pain-free life. Instead, James tells us how we can get through the worst of times in such a broken world.

We all have our methods of getting through something difficult. What do you typically do when hings aren't going well?

We get so confused and start questioning God when we go through trials. We ask whether he cares about us or if he is loving and good after all. James is showing us here that God is always present and gracious. He wants us to turn to God and not look so much at our problems. God wants us to draw our faith and says we should pray. Understand that in the midst of everyday stress and anxiety or broken relationships God is at work. We can be in the hottest fire of our life but God is holding us through the burning flames. Think about the day you will be in heaven and not have to worry about a thing. Until then, just turn to God and PRAY.

Take it easy today and have a painless, stress-free day!