Grace to Endure

Is anyone suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing Psalms. – James 5:13

In this passage, James gives us two extremes: the one who is suffering and the one who is cheerful. He doesn’t ask if anyone is suffering or cheerful with any doubt that the believers he writes to are experiencing these things. He writes because he knows that they are experiencing them. Both joy and suffering are essential elements of the Christian experience. Instead, he writes to instruct us on what to do when we experience them. The one who suffers is to pray, and the one who is cheerful is to sing psalms.

In this blog, I will be focusing on the one who suffers and the instructions given to him to pray. I intend to show:

That suffering is a glorious and normal part of the Christian experience, and all Christians must suffer in order to be conformed to the image of Christ.
What to pray for in suffering
What to expect in answer to our prayers.

Expect Suffering

Every Christian should understand and expect that a certain amount of suffering will accompany a godly life. This is clearly demonstrated in taught in the scriptures:

They strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. – Acts 14:22 NLT

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. – Philippians 1:29

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing has happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings… – 1 Peter 4:12-13

There are some who teach in the body of Christ that Jesus suffered for us so that we would never have to suffer. Those who say such things are either woefully ignorant or downright liars. His suffering for us was an example for us to follow, not an escape from the realities of this present world.

For to this you were called (suffering), because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps… – 1 Peter 2:21

Jesus suffered for our sins so we will never have to suffer for sins, but not that we would escape all suffering. Instead, He was our forerunner, our trailblazer, teaching us by example how we should glorify God.

I don’t mean to teach that we should seek suffering for its own sake. There are certainly extremes on this end. For example, some in the early years of Christianity sought out martyrdom. They would turn themselves in or purposely provoke the authorities with the intention of dying as martyrs. But these extremes were condemned by church leadership. We are not to seek suffering for its own sake, or for vainglory’s sake, but only to patiently endure it when it does come.

Prayer in suffering

In our text, James tells us to pray in the midst of sufferings. Notice that James does not tell the reader to ask other people to pray. He says, “Let him pray.” This doesn’t mean that it is wrong or never called for to request the prayers of others in suffering. Instead, it means that the greatest benefit comes to the sufferer when he prays for himself. Prayers during suffering, when we wrestle with God and receive his comfort, are prayers that shape us and deepen our relationship with the Lord.

It should be noted, however, that this suffering does not include suffering in sickness. In the next verse, James tells the sick to call for the elders to pray. In sickness, we should be quick to call for prayer. But in hardship and persecution, we should focus on our own praying, for often the hardship is a tool God uses to draw us closer to Him.

But what should we pray for when we are suffering? I think we can pray for two things. First, we can pray that God would deliver us from suffering. However, God doesn’t always answer that prayer quickly. If He doesn’t deliver us right away, we should pray that God would strengthen us so that, by His grace, we can endure with patience through the challenges we face.

I love Psalm 50:15, where God tells us to call upon Him in the day of trouble, and that He will deliver us. I believe this is 100% true. He always delivers those who call upon His name. However, I don’t see very many examples in scripture where He delivers His chosen instantly. Most had to walk through the valley of the shadow of death for a time. And when God’s perfect timing came, they were delivered in a glorious way. Pray that God would deliver you instantly. And praise Him if He does! But if you must endure for a time, pray for His grace to give you strength.

A great example of this is Paul’s ‘thorn in the flesh,’ from 2 Corinthians 12. Paul pleaded with the Lord three times that the Lord would take it away. But the Lord answered this way: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:8). God didn’t answer in the way Paul would have liked at the moment. He wanted the thorn to be gone. But it wasn’t God’s will for it to be removed. Instead, it was God’s will for him to endure that thorn by God’s grace. And his grace was enough; it was sufficient. In other words, we don’t need to be delivered from suffering instantly. God’s grace is enough to carry us through as long as it is necessary. Deliverance will always come, but God must work His plan through our suffering first; then glorious deliverance will come, sometimes in this life, sometimes in the next.

What to expect in answer to our prayers

As I mentioned already, we can expect God to do one of two things in answer to our prayers. He may deliver us instantly, as he did for the three Hebrew children out of the fiery furnace and Daniel from the mouth of the lions. Or He may have a purpose in us enduring suffering by His grace, as Joseph did for 13 years, and many of the prophets and apostles did for most of their lives, sometimes ending in martyrdom.

God has a purpose in our suffering. This is important to understand. We may not know what the purpose is for many years, or even for our entire lives. But God uses afflictions to shape us, as a smith uses fire to purify and mold his work. Look what He says to His people in the book of Isaiah:

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. – Isaiah 48:10

We are made perfect through suffering. If we don’t suffer, we can’t become the people that God desires us to be, a glorious people, fit for His eternal kingdom. Some may not like this, but it is absolutely true. Even Jesus was made perfect through sufferings:

For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. – Hebrews 2:10.

If Jesus was made perfect (complete) through sufferings. How can it be that any of us can circumvent the refining fire? Instead of fighting to escape any and all discomfort, we should be willing to embrace it, as Jesus was. Notice how He prayed:

He went a little further and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” – Matthew 26:39

This cup was a cup of suffering, which He would experience on the cross. Though Christ was fully God, He was fully man, and being a man, He felt the same pain and emotions that we feel. He certainly didn’t want to face the agony of the cross if He didn’t have to. He asked God three times for this cup to pass from Him, but the Father wasn’t willing to take it away. Instead, God gave Him the strength to endure through that time of suffering:

Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. – Luke 22:43

Conclusion

No Christian is exempt from suffering. Just as much as a Christian will be cheerful at times, so a Christian will suffer at times. During those times of suffering, we are instructed to pray. We are not instructed to gather up an army to pray for us, but we are to pray for ourselves. We are to call upon God for deliverance. But if He does not deliver us right away, we must ‘commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator’ (1 Peter 4:9). Through these trials of suffering, God is refining and shaping us into the image of Christ. His deliverance will come in due time. We must endure with patience, knowing that He will never fail us.