Ask God
James, a servant of God and of the
Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the
Dispersion: Greetings.
My brothers and sisters, whenever you
face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the
testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full
effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.
If any of you is lacking in wisdom,
ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given
you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of
the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded
and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the LORD.
We have all been faced with situations
when we did not know what to do, or there was nothing we could do. When we are
distressed, we probably don’t want to hear someone tell us to “Just Pray.”
However, in the real world of belief in Jesus Christ, that is exactly what we
should do. The answer can seem too simplistic and can even feel hurtful if it
is said unthinkingly.
“Just Pray.” During the days of the
early church, James wrote the believers who were going
through their own trials – difficulties that most of us know nothing about,
such as stonings, imprisonment, and beatings because
of their faith. James told them to ask God for the wisdom and comfort to stand
up to whatever they were facing.
When you encounter a problem, remember
the simple instructions to “Just Pray.” God will give you what you need, just
as you need it.
No request is
too great or too small to bring to God.