“Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing. Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master. Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you’ve sinned, you’ll be forgiven—healed inside and out.” (James 5:13-15 MSG)
I do believe prayer changes things. Finding myself in need has changed my prayer life. Bonita and I find ourselves praising, pleading, and reaching out to God at all times, all places, and all circumstances these days. Driving in the H-town traffic does not keep us from calling out to God and using that time to pray for others who are in similar circumstances. (Sometimes praying for a faster commute is a stress reliever).
Singing changes/soothes the soul. Close friends recently stated that music has been so soothing to their suffering. They are not musicians, and they are not young, but in their suffering they have discovered what a blessing God’s music is to us. God’s gift of His music has been so important to me all these years in ministry. The scripture sung hides God’s Word in your heart and is there when you need it the most. My testimony through my illness with sepsis confirms that even in my comatose state, music penetrated to my soul and kept my mind on Him. My toes would keep to the beat of those amazing songs of the faith even when I was asleep. How awesome is that?
So, as I pray and as I sing, I am reminded that suffering is not new, and suffering is not just mine alone. Suffering is not contained to health, but can permeate emotionally to all avenues of our lives.
“Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You’ve heard, of course, of Job’s staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That’s because God cares, cares right down to the last detail.” (James 5:10-11 MSG)
My deepest desire is to honor God with my life in all circumstances. I know that HE cares right down to my last detail. I have to remind myself of that each and every day. So, I continue to ask for healing, but I am asking for healing inside and out!