Prayer: Seek God’s Will in Your Giving Day 1 (Aug 26)

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16
 
Discipline is part of what shapes our patterns and behaviors, good or not so good, for the rest of our life. Even though the book of James is very short, only 5 chapters and three pages, we “get it” that James is a stern disciplinarian and he pulls no punches with followers of the early Christian church. As it turns out current behavior science theory agree that humans (and pets too) function optimally when we know the boundaries and consequences of our behavior. To all parents…easier said than done! Healthy discipline (internal and external) is good for our immune systems, blood pressure, and helps us deal with environmental stressors, just to name a few benefi ts. James added a new twist to the message of Christ to ‘love one another’ and suggests that you will be healed when you are disciplined to communicate with one another. Again, behavior science continue to bear this out that close human contact and interaction (sharing) can have positive effects and include healing of the body and spirit.

Coming soon at St. Stephen is a program called G.I.F.T. (Generations in Faith Together). One of the elements of this program begin each session with sharing what was “up” in your day/week and what was “down”. Each session ends in prayer. This program seems all new but it embodies the message of James and the ministry of Jesus two thousand years ago; to communicate with one another, love one another, and pray for one another.

Mother Teresa said it best, “prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift of himself”. My grandson has the most amazing ability to make up prayers and pray them boldly. The following prayer he exhorted in chapel one morning that turned heads and raised eyebrows. His proud teacher followed up by remembering each word and shared it with his parents. This prayer is a reminder that the simplest prayers to our Lord are the most powerful.

Dear God, Thank you for this day. Thank you for giving us such a wonderful day! Please help us show love and forgiveness. And help us be the peacemakers. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Author: Jeanette Nation