Daily Devotionals

Bowen's Daily Meditations

Devotional: July 6th

"Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray." - James 5:13.

This word that we now encounter is moving with haste and earnestness among the haunts of men. Up one street, down another, knocking at this door and at that, stopping to address here a company of noble personages, there a gathering of the poor and mean, it wends its way with something angelic in its mien, on very much the same mission that engaged the thoughts and energies of our Lord when on the earth.

" Is any among you afflicted?" It speaks in a kindly accent, knowing that many of these afflicted ones are unwilling to disclose their inward grief. It speaks with earnestness, as though it were conscious of possessing some medicament for the woes of mankind. It does not merely say, " Art thou afflicted? But are there afflicted ones among you? Do you know of any in the circle of your friends?"

" I know of some," will be the natural response. " I have been myself afflicted, and shall probably be so again. Some of my friends are even now afflicted, and most welcome would my visit be to them, if I could banish their affliction. But how may this be?"

Go and tell them to pray.

" But all men pray.’

On the contrary, scarce any pray. And here is the evil, that almost all suppose they know what prayer is. As Naaman heard the command to wash in the Jordan, so they hear the direction to pray. They are perfectly unable to understand how prayer should be the means of delivering them from sorrow. Many came in contact with the garment of Jesus as they crowded around him, without receiving any benefit; others, touching in faith, found in a moment what they had sought for scores of years. Go to your afflicted friends and tell them to pray; to pray in faith; by the prayer of faith to draw near to God the fountain of all good; in the name of our sympathizing High-priest; and they shall receive the Holy Ghost, who will disclose unto them the riches of the grace of God embedded in the promises; will convince them of their own unworthiness and take away pride, that inward cancer, that great enemy of peace; will remind them that whom God loveth he chasteneth; will make them aware that they have been strangely oblivious of an inheritance most magnificent and soul-satisfying, fading not away; will give them patience, submission, hope and love; and compensate them a hundred-fold for that of which they have been bereft.

-