“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” James 5:13
James, the writer of the book from which this verse is taken, is considered by many theologians to be the half-brother of Jesus Himself, the son of Mary and Joseph. We know that He was the leader of the Christian Church in Jerusalem and officiated at the first Council from Acts 15. His place of authority in the Church gives extra weight to his words above.
I love the fact that James exhorts believers to approach God both in trouble and in joy, and we can conclude also, for all that is in between. Prayer and praise should be our response through the entire spectrum of human emotion and experience. God is with us throughout all of life’s trials and blessings and when we call out to Him, we recognize this truth and remind ourselves that He is always with us.
Very often we remember to pray when we are facing some challenge of difficulty, but do we also remember to praise Him when we have reason for joy or are happy? Do we sing songs of praise when things are going well or when we have received a special blessing? I pray that we do. Recognizing God’s presence in our lives at all times and responding in prayer and praise, is the best way to live out our Christian lives knowing that He will never leave us or forsake us!
Know that you are loved!
Peace and Joy,
Pastor Kilian