October 26 A Call To Prayer and Praise James 5:13-18
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (James 5:13-18)
Throughout the epistles of the New Testament, there are various commands and exhortations. Near the end of the Book of James, there is a call to prayer and singing. It is a call to PRAYER! A call to PRAYER with the proper ATTITUDE!! It is a call to PRAYER when we are in times of suffering. James was referring to suffering of any kind. It is obvious that we are in the midst of a time of worldwide suffering. So, what should we pray for? We need to be PRAYING for the removal of the suffering, if it is the Lord’s will. We need to be PRAYING for strength to endure the suffering. We should be PRAYING for ourselves and for OTHERS! It is a wonderful privilege to PRAY, and PRAYER is an amazing source of comfort when we are suffering. James, also, tells us to SING PRAISES when we are going through “Good” times. Are you getting the message? Troubled times will happen and Good times will happen, so, how is it that Followers of Jesus Christ should act? We must PRAY and we must SING PRAISES! Prayer and praise are very special privileges for the Christian. WHY DON'T SOME CHRISTIANS SING PRAISES MORE OFTEN, MORE FERVENTLY? Hasn't God done enough in our lives to prompt us to praise Him fervently in song? What excuse can we possibly give for refusing to praise God for His glory and goodness? We cannot use the excuse that we cannot sing. God "commands" all to sing, and unless we are "mute" the command applies to us, Fortunately, God is not concerned with how it sounds, but that it is coming from the heart, therefore all who can speak can and should sing! Heaven is described by John, in the Book of Revelation, as a place where singing praises to God and Christ is an on-going activity. If we don't sing praises to God on earth, though able… Can we really expect to be allowed to praise God in heaven? Singing praises to God is just as important as praying to God! Perhaps our prayers would be answered more often, if we would praise God more often! If you are not PRAYING and you are not PRAISING, it is time to evaluate your relationship with Christ and determine the health of your status as a TRUE BELIEVER! We are in a time when True Followers of Christ should be in a constant state of PRAYER AND PRAISE! Remember- YOUR ATTITUDE, YOUR OBEDIENCE, YOUR WITNESS, YOUR COMMITMENT IS ABSOLUTELY KEY TO YOUR SPIRITUAL HEALTH AAND SURVIVAL! It is easy to “appear” spiritual, during the Good times, however, it is more difficult to keep up appearances when times are hard! Be True, Be Real, Be Strong, Be Prayerful, Be Praising and claim the Promises and Provisions of Almighty God for your survival and well-being! In the midst of this present STORM, let your LIGHT shine through the toughest of times! FINAL THOUGHT: Christian, be an active believer and be in a constant state of PRAYER AND PRAISE!!! What God does with you is entirely up to you! It always has and it always will! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!