1 00:00:02,700 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,530 --> 00:00:18,229 Speaker 1: to Daily Devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stonge, and 4 00:00:18,270 --> 00:00:23,370 Speaker 1: today's devotion is inspired by James 5, verse 13, which says, 5 00:00:24,770 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 1: Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? 6 00:00:29,660 --> 00:00:36,050 Speaker 1: Let him sing praise. Our Lord Jesus Christ understands seasons 7 00:00:36,110 --> 00:00:38,989 Speaker 1: of suffering. When we look at the experience He had 8 00:00:39,090 --> 00:00:42,940 Speaker 1: on this earth, suffering was something He became well acquainted with. 9 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:45,989 Speaker 1: Maybe you're going through a season of suffering right now. 10 00:00:46,990 --> 00:00:50,540 Speaker 1: What does God's Word recommend to us when those seasons come? 11 00:00:51,700 --> 00:00:55,860 Speaker 1: We're invited to pray. We're invited to unload our burdens 12 00:00:55,980 --> 00:01:01,700 Speaker 1: on the Lord. We're invited to trust Him with our spiritual, physical, emotional, 13 00:01:01,940 --> 00:01:05,950 Speaker 1: and relational needs. But not every season of life is 14 00:01:06,010 --> 00:01:09,580 Speaker 1: consumed with suffering. In fact, there are times when we're 15 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,460 Speaker 1: blessed to go through long stretches when it feels like 16 00:01:12,819 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: everything is going great. Ironically, there's a danger that comes 17 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:21,650 Speaker 1: with long and cheerful stretches of life. The danger is 18 00:01:21,690 --> 00:01:24,390 Speaker 1: that we can forget that the Lord is the giver 19 00:01:24,450 --> 00:01:28,070 Speaker 1: of all good things. So this scripture also encourages us 20 00:01:28,130 --> 00:01:32,140 Speaker 1: to pray when we're cheerful. We're reminded... to express our 21 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: thanks and our appreciation to the Lord for these seasons 22 00:01:35,860 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: of cheer. The overall point being communicated in this section 23 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 1: of Scripture is that we're invited to come before the 24 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,330 Speaker 1: Lord in prayer in the midst of every circumstance of life, 25 00:01:46,950 --> 00:01:50,470 Speaker 1: in our high moments and in our low moments, on 26 00:01:50,530 --> 00:01:53,330 Speaker 1: behalf of those who are suffering or ill, and on 27 00:01:53,390 --> 00:01:57,430 Speaker 1: behalf of our own concerns. The Lord invites us to 28 00:01:57,550 --> 00:02:01,980 Speaker 1: confidently and regularly enter into His presence, And seek His 29 00:02:02,060 --> 00:02:09,960 Speaker 1: intervention through prayer. Let's pray. Lord, we thank You for 30 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,370 Speaker 1: Your Word. And we thank You for the privilege that 31 00:02:12,389 --> 00:02:14,010 Speaker 1: it is to be able to read this portion of 32 00:02:14,070 --> 00:02:18,010 Speaker 1: Scripture together today from the book of James. And Lord, 33 00:02:18,110 --> 00:02:20,750 Speaker 1: in this portion of Scripture, You show us the kind 34 00:02:20,790 --> 00:02:24,530 Speaker 1: of circumstances that we go through during different seasons of life. 35 00:02:24,590 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 1: Sometimes we're going through a season of suffering. Sometimes we're 36 00:02:27,940 --> 00:02:31,460 Speaker 1: going through a season that's primarily cheerful. But in the 37 00:02:31,540 --> 00:02:35,239 Speaker 1: midst of those seasons, you're reminding us here never to 38 00:02:35,300 --> 00:02:39,380 Speaker 1: forget you. We're never to forget your presence. We're never 39 00:02:39,419 --> 00:02:42,870 Speaker 1: to forget your power. We're never to forget the fact 40 00:02:42,930 --> 00:02:45,110 Speaker 1: that we're to rely on you in the midst of 41 00:02:45,330 --> 00:02:48,429 Speaker 1: every circumstance of life. If we feel down, we can 42 00:02:48,490 --> 00:02:51,169 Speaker 1: come to you. If we're cheerful, we can come to you. 43 00:02:51,790 --> 00:02:55,490 Speaker 1: In all circumstances, you call us to trust you and 44 00:02:55,530 --> 00:02:59,630 Speaker 1: to acknowledge you. So Lord, thank you for this reminder today. 45 00:03:00,580 --> 00:03:02,370 Speaker 1: And thank you for the fact that you allow us 46 00:03:02,410 --> 00:03:04,650 Speaker 1: to come before you no matter what we're going through. 47 00:03:05,130 --> 00:03:07,130 Speaker 1: We can come before you on behalf of those who 48 00:03:07,169 --> 00:03:09,750 Speaker 1: are suffering or ill. We can come before you on 49 00:03:09,790 --> 00:03:12,990 Speaker 1: behalf of our own concerns. We can enter into your 50 00:03:13,070 --> 00:03:19,019 Speaker 1: presence confidently, boldly, and regularly as we seek your intervention 51 00:03:19,139 --> 00:03:22,100 Speaker 1: in our lives, in our family, in our community, in 52 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,820 Speaker 1: our country, and in our world. And so, Lord, right 53 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:28,230 Speaker 1: now we seek your intervention. We pray for your guidance 54 00:03:28,290 --> 00:03:30,889 Speaker 1: and grace. We pray for your blessing upon this day. 55 00:03:31,610 --> 00:03:33,490 Speaker 1: We pray that you'd lead us in the direction of 56 00:03:33,570 --> 00:03:37,220 Speaker 1: all truth and that in every circumstance of life that 57 00:03:37,260 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: we would be refreshed by the truth of your gospel 58 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,220 Speaker 1: and we would learn to apply it to our day-to-day lives. 59 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: Thank you, Lord, for all of these things. And we're 60 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,570 Speaker 1: grateful for the privilege to come before you in prayer 61 00:03:49,650 --> 00:03:54,830 Speaker 1: right now. And we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.