20240212

extraordinary things

James 5:13-18 (JDV)

James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.
James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the congregation, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
James 5:15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.
James 5:17 Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months, it did not rain on the land.
James 5:18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.

extraordinary things

Any kind of suffering can be a cause of joy if it leads the sufferer and his congregation to a more consistent prayer life. God does not always use this means, but he can. My prayer for a fellow believer who is suffering is an opportunity for my own growth and spiritual enrichment. It is also an opportunity to operate in reciprocal spiritual gifts. It is also an opportunity to demonstrate that we ordinary human beings can do extraordinary things by connecting to our extraordinary God in prayer.