Prayer and Praise

Throughout our lives, we will all experience both suffering and joy. We'll have times of great grief and times of overwhelming happiness. Sometimes, these experiences will happen in separate seasons. But at other times, they will merge at the same time.

In either case, James expected Christians to come to God. If someone was suffering, prayer was the call to action. If someone was cheerful, praise was the clear next step.

This might seem obvious, but when suffering clouds our thinking, we can sometimes forget to prioritize prayer. And when things are going well and life is good at the moment, it’s easy to just enjoy the season and not stop to praise God. But every season of life is an opportunity to put into practice what James wrote about… 

When we are suffering, let us pray. When those around us are suffering, let us pray. When we are feeling blessed or cheerful, let us thank God. When others are happy, let us praise God and celebrate with them.

In every circumstance ...