Faithful
in Prayer
By
Brita Crouse
“Are any of
you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing
praises.”
James
5:13 (NLT)
For every year of college, I tried to have a
“theme verse” that I would carry with me throughout the school year as a
reminder or an encouragement. My very first year of college, I chose the verse
from above. Little did I know what the year would bring and the significance it
would hold for me.
The first year of anything can be full of
challenges and trials, yet, those hard times can often be contrasted with joys.
Here, in my first year of college, I found myself hundreds of miles from home,
far away from family and familiarity. This hardship was contrasted with the joy
of having my best friend as a roommate. There were these disparities all year
long as I suffered the loss of a loved one, yet received unconditional love and
support from my college friends. I experienced times of loneliness and sadness,
but grew immeasurably as an emerging adult.
As I’m close to the end of my first year of
graduate school, I am experiencing some of those very same situations I did
five years ago as a freshman in college. My family grieves over the condition
of a loved one, yet is filled with immense happiness as we prepare for two
little additions. Once again, I am far away from anything familiar, yet I have
found excitement in exploring a new city and forming new friendships. While there
are definitely days of emotional struggle, I have my brother living a short
drive away if I ever need support.
The verse above similarly highlights these
contrasts of life. There is suffering and hardship and there is happiness and
joy. But, through it all, we are to pray. Looking back on these experiences, I
know my prayer life was not always perfect, but it was one thing that helped me
through the difficult times and allowed me to express gratitude during the
happy times.
I think of Hannah and Mary, David and
Solomon, who used their prayers to show thanks and gratitude for their
blessings, as well as anguish and desperation in times of trial. These men and
women of the Bible stayed in communication with God no matter the circumstance.
And the amazing thing is, God heard every one of these prayers, just as He
hears our prayers today.
Let’s follow the examples of these men and
women and be faithful in prayer, no matter the circumstance.
GOING DEEPER:
1.
Are you experiencing a trial right now? How is this trial being
contrasted with joy?
2.
How can you be faithful in prayer this week?
FURTHER READING:
Brita is currently
working toward her Master’s in Counseling at the University of Minnesota-Twin
Cities. She has called Oakwood her home church for the past seventeen years.
