“Is anyone among you suffering? He must pray [to God]...”
James 5:13 AMP
My old paradigm of what “praying” meant limited my ability to get the help and answers that I needed. I used to think praying was just telling God that I needed help, then waiting for some miraculous change to occur. This does happen sometimes, but the praying mentioned in this scripture is more than just that.
In times of suffering, sorrow and desperate need, my prayers were often only made in hopes that the suffering or sorrow would cease. If, and when, the suffering did not cease I was led to believe that my prayer was not answered. Therefore concluding that the scripture was false. That the scripture and my prayer was ineffective.
I have learned that “praying” is not a one time event. This prayer that is mentioned should be something more. Like a conversation that continues, even though there may be pauses or waiting periods in between the moments of communication.
Praying is more than just us talking to God. It is not just our mental or verbal words, or requests to God. Prayer is also worship. Worship can be acts of singing, declaring or even physical acts of doing things.
Prayer is communicating with God. We communicate by our words but we also communicate by our actions. What we do, or do not do, are signs of prayer, worship and belief. Belief about ourselves, about our circumstance and about God.
Since prayer is communication this means that it is not one sided. Often we say, or think, our words and requests in prayer but we do not wait to hear, or see, God’s response. Prayer is talking with, communicating with God. Not just to God.
This is probably why we are encouraged to pray in these moments of suffering, sorrow or grief. So that we can be sure to find the right, and the best, answers for our lives. Opening our minds to God, and looking for our answer to come from Him, is the only way to find the true answer.
If we don't pray for God to help us and give us His answers we will go to something else. And the answers from anything other than God will not be healthy, sustainable answers for our lives.
As I have personally experienced when dealing with grief, sorrow, loneliness, or multiple other types of suffering, I always looked for some type of an answer. Sometimes the temporary answer I chose was a pill, a drug or maybe sex. Some of the temporary answers I went to weren't quite so stigmatized. Like working out everyday at the gym, becoming a workaholic, etc.
If you think about it, we always pray, or search, for an answer for our multiple various experiences of suffering. We just aren't praying and searching for the answers from the correct thing, God.
God has the answers that we need. Maybe not the ones we thought we needed, or wanted. But they are the answers that we actually need. They are sustainable, healthy and wise.
These answers from God are brought to us in a variety of ways. But if we aren't asking and aren't searching for them we won't see them.
The answers, God’s responses to us, are not always received immediately. And often we do not receive the entire answer to resolve the entire need. But over a process of time, of moments, we get parts of the answer.
We can be sure not to miss all of the various portions and pieces of the answers we need if we stay in a mindset and awareness of “prayer”. Through the moments, the minutes, hours, days, and sometimes even months or years of suffering, if we will stay in a posture of “prayer” (communication with God), then we will be aware when more pieces and parts of His answer are placed in front of us.
It’s through those moments, minutes, days and even years of suffering that our “praying” will often take on different forms. At times our praying is in the form of words and requests to God, mentally or verbally. Other times its takes the form of worshipping God. With music, or worshipping by declaring our faith in Him and His ability to answer and help us. Maybe for a moment or a day your “prayer” may take on the form of doing a specific act. Giving to someone or helping someone else, even though you are in need. This is also an act of worship, and an act of prayer.
Here is the scripture, defined from Strongs Concordance. Using the original Greek words that were written:
{Is} any one
τις (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.
of
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's Greek 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.
you
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's Greek 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.
suffering ?
Κακοπαθεῖ (Kakopathei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 2553: To suffer evil, endure affliction. From the same as kakopatheia; to undergo hardship.
He should pray.
προσευχέσθω (proseuchesthō)
Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 4336: To pray, pray for, offer prayer. From pros and euchomai; to pray to God, i.e. Supplicate, worship.
There have often been times in my life when I was suffering to such a great degree, dealing with clinical depression, that even the thought of praying seemed too difficult. Yet God even hears our deep groanings, our inner crying, our internal moans from the weight and heaviness that is upon our soul.
In those moments I found that I only had to get my mind and my inner intentions to think toward Him. On the inside of me, my mind and soul, if I could look toward God, instead of a drug, or a pill, or alcohol, or sex. If I could get myself to even think toward Him, over anything else, He heard me. Sometimes the prayer seemed to me as being unheard, but I was heard and He got me through that day.
What did His answers look like? Sometimes I would receive a thought or an imagination that gave me hope. Maybe a song would come on that gave me a sense of life and willingness to live. The answers He gives, and can give, vary in creativity and what they may look like. But He hears and He does answer.
I did not always stay in this posture of prayer and communication. It wasn’t natural to me. I had not lived this way most of my life. Learning to do this happens like learning everything else. Through repetition and by trial and error.
Below are some writings by Vance K Jackson. I thought they flowed well with this topic. Especially for those who may be suffering. Those who may need some hope, life or comfort.
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Jehovah Rapha
“O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.” Psalms 30:2 NLT
Cry out to God and He will heal you. Cry out to God and He will restore you. Cry out to God and He will set you free. Call out to Christ and let Him heal your heart. Let God restore your soul.
Psalm 23:1-3 NLT declares, “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.” Let God renew your strength. Let the Lord guide you. Let the Lord shepherd your heart. Let Christ guide you along peaceful streams. Let God lead you along His pathway. Let God completely heal your heart.
Psalm 30:2 NLT declares, “O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.” God heals. God restores. God delivers. Let God set your heart free.
2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV declares, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Seek His face. Turn. Humble yourself. Pray and let God heal your land. Let Christ heal your heart.
By Vance K. Jackson.
O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You have healed me.
Psalms 30:2 AMP
The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters. He refreshes and restores my soul (life); He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Psalms 23:1-3 AMP
and My people, who are called by My Name, humble themselves, and pray and seek (crave, require as a necessity) My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear [them] from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 AMP
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Withering Is A Choice.
“See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;”
Deuteronomy 30:15 KJV
You have a choice to wither. You can choose to connect to God in an intimate and relevant way — or you can choose to disconnect. The choice is yours. Deuteronomy 30:15 NLT declares, “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster.” Withering is a choice. You can choose to spiritually dry up or you can be nourished by His Word.
Psalms 1:1-3 NLT declares, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” Get planted in His Word. Those who are planted, their leaf will not wither and they will continue to bear fruit in every season of their lives.
If you feel like you’re withering, choose to connect to God. If you’ve turned away from God and you feel like all hope is lost — choose to turn back to Him. It’s not too late. He is not ashamed of you. He loves you and wants to receive you back into His arms. Remember, withering is a choice. His arms are open and He’s ready to receive you. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1 KJV
By Vance K. Jackson.
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Whatever suffering, trial, sorrow or sadness you may be facing just call out to your Father. He is for you. He wants you to live. Not just to be alive, but to truly live. He wants you to thrive.
Even if, like me, you have chosen, or maybe you're still choosing unhealthy answers because your suffering is so great, call to Him anyways. He is not ashamed of you. He will guide you through the suffering you may be experiencing so that you will learn how to overcome it. And it will NEVER rule over you again.
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