Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. James 5:13 (ESV)
If you are suffering – PRAY! It is so simple. Instead, we worry. We allow negative feelings to churn inside of us. We get stuck on an emotional roller coaster.
Pray! It is it is to speak. It is to take those negative thoughts and feelings and to formulate a request from God. It is to articulate a request. There is something about clearly articulating ourselves that makes a difference. When we force ourselves to make a clear request to God, it gives us the opportunity to see more clearly when God answers our prayer.
I would encourage you to speak out loud or to write your prayer down. Often when we pray, we will not speak anything out loud. We will sit there and just allow the thoughts to swirl around in our mind. It may seem strange to speak out loud when you are alone. But remember that you are not alone. God is with you. And if you are with someone and want to communicate with them, you speak to them. It shouldn’t matter if someone is there physically that we see with our eyes, or if someone is present with us that we see with faith. But if you are uncomfortable with speaking out loud, try writing down your prayer. The great thing about writing your prayer is that you will then have a record of that prayer to keep. When God answers the prayer, you can also record his answer.
The challenge is to speak it. And when you speak, choose your words carefully. The way we speak has the power to change the course of our life and the people around us. The words we use will influence our family, our place of work, our church, and any other group with which we associate. The words we use will empower something on a spiritual level. They will empower darkness, or they will empower light. The question to ask is: what do your words empower?
You may have feelings that lead you to believe you are a failure and that God does not love you. Those are the negative thoughts that swirl in your mind. Instead of thinking you are a failure and that God does not love you – declare with your lips that you a precious child of God. Declare he loves you above all else. Declare that he loved you so much that he sent Jesus to die for you. Declare that God has a wonderful plan for your life. Then see how when you speak those things, even though you may not be convinced of them at the time, will begin to shape your faith in a positive way.
I was recently listening to a podcast by Ray Edwards. In the podcast, he offered a 10-day speech challenge. The challenge fell basically along these lines:
Don’t say anything negative
There is enough negativity in the world. It is easy to watch the evening news and to declare the world is a mess and is falling apart. Instead of watching the news, pick up the Bible and read God’s Word. Then declare that this is God’s creation, and he has a plan for it. Every day this world is moving closer to God’s redemption.
Don’t say anything that assumes the worst about a person, place, or situation
Always put the best construction on everything. It is so easy to see the negative aspects of another person. The challenge is to discover their positive qualities and abilities. It is incredibly empowering to bring out the positive in someone or something when no one else can get past the negative.
No scary what-ifs
We all have these. The scary “what-ifs” hold us back from doing what we know what is right. If I go out and start my own business, I might fail. You might fail and probably will fail if that is what you speak. But consider the alternative “what-if.” You might go out and succeed! Move past fear to faith.
Find the alternative
When you find yourself saying something negative, replace the negative with the positive. Find the alternative. Instead of saying I have to go to work. Say I get to go to work. There are many people who are unemployed and without work. I may not have the dream job that I want, but I have a job!
Start over
The final part of the challenge is if you find yourself slipping up, start over. Go back to day one. What you may find happens is that this becomes a challenge to last a lifetime.
The end of the matter is this: don’t allow yourself to sit and suffer from worry. Declare what God has promised. Articulate what you desire God to do. Let it build faith.
Questions for Reflection
- What is the difference between worry and prayer?
- What are the benefits of clearly articulating our thoughts before God?
- Do you agree that our words set the course of our lives? Why or why not?
- Share your comments.
Betty says
I do write my prayers down and also journal …and it is a blessing to be able to go back and see how my life has changed and I also have changed…I have a relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus.
Gretchen says
I love the idea of eschewing negativity. In this Internet age it’s cool to be “snarky” and insult people one doesn’t know! We are all so negative in so many ways every day, and we don’t even see it. I suspect that eliminating negative words will go a long way toward eliminating negative thoughts and thus promote inner peace, a more loving attitude toward man, and better harmony with God.
Vivian says
Negative words cause my thoughts to evolve into anger. I want anger released in my life.
amy says
This is so good! Very wise words from a wise man! Thank you for sharing God’s plans!
Dawn says
I needed to read these words. Brought tears to my eyes. I will print this and read over and over and start a journal. Thank you.