James week 6 / day 1

Read James 5:7-12 and watch video #11 at RightNowMedia

Gut-Level Prayer: Sometimes when you’re suffering, praying can be difficult—especially if you’re trying to mind your manners with God and pray correctly. Remember that prayer is open and honest communication with God. Take Job’s example and let God know just how miserable you are, just how angry, sad, scared, or confused you may be. Tell Him exactly how you feel. You aren’t fooling Him by trying to keep a secret from Him.

Listening: Find out someone else’s story. People become resilient through perseverance. When someone is gong through a terrible time of suffering, it may seem like it’s never going to end and hopelessness takes over. Even Job asked God to crush him and cut off his life so that his pain and misery would end. But Job persevered, and so have many, many people. Go to someone in your family, someone in your church, or someone else you know who has come through suffering. Ask to hear that person’s story.

Sit with the suffering: It’s good to pray for those who are suffering, and you should pray for them. But, sometimes they need someone just to be there with them, to comfort them and let them talk and hold their hand. You don’t have to have answers, especially to the question, “Why is this happening?” You can say, “I don’t know, but I’m here for you.”

Research and support: In various parts of the world, Christians are suffering for their faith. Research their struggles. Pray for them. Connect with an organization that helps them.