God Could And Would If He Were Sought
Friday November 13, 2015
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)
If you want someone to do something, you can ask them. If you want to make sure they do it you might remind them. In these few verses James is telling us to pray about everything and is encouraging us to pray especially for those things that are troubling us. Whether we are in early recovery or have been sober for many years, we are all desperately in need of God's help to overcome our powerlessness in dealing with life on our own. In the Twelve Steps we are reminded that we "sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God..."
When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God, your God, is above all a compassionate God. In the end he will not abandon you, he won’t bring you to ruin, he won’t forget the covenant with your ancestors which he swore to them. (Jeremiah 29:13, Deuteronomy 4:31 MSG)
Each day we all face troubles of many kinds. Some problems are caused by our own choices and behaviour. We also encounter people and events that bring trauma and pain into our lives. Sickness and injury will visit all of us at some point in our journey. Since we have a sinful nature, we all need to recognize when we have sinned, confess it and receive God's forgiveness. No matter what we face today whether it is disease in our bodies, our minds, our hearts, or our relationships, God has an answer. I love the line we hear read in AA meetings around the world, "God could and would if he were sought." That's really what these verses in James are reminding us about. If we will look for God, surrender our will and our lives into His care, and seek His will and guidance, we truly will find all the comfort and help we need. Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (Philippians 4:6-7 MSG)
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