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If I could pick one topic to preach on every weekend that would guarantee the biggest reaction do you know what that would be? Anything to do with suffering: pain, struggle, brokenness. Why? Because it is universal and it is constant.
Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. Job 5:7
Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34
Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering - and it's all over much too soon.
Woody Allen
So it is no surprise that James devotes significant portions of his letter to this common human experience
– suffering. He was familiar with the ubiquity of pain and suffering. He knew that faith would not come easy in a tough world and that faith was indeed a gritty thing.
He kicked off the whole letter with it: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, James 1:2
And now he ends with it…
James 5: 7-20
So listen carefully those of you who face cancer, job loss, financial difficulties, divorce, troubled children, depression, substance abuse, aching bodies, numb minds, crushed spirits, and broken hearts
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READ
Let me boil it down…these last words of James…
As you wait for God’s intervention in your suffering, patiently persevere, pray, and by all means, protect your moral integrity.
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As you wait for God’s intervention in your suffering, patiently persevere
Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Patient perseverance
– what is it? Of course it is crucial…we all know that. But let’s be clear what it isn’t:
 patience does not mean passivity…it does not mean compliance…it does not stoicism…and it does not mean happy face theology (Praise the Lord, it’s all good!)
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what it does mean according to James is something far more vibrant and active and edgy o Note Vs. 8 - to be patient is to stand firm
 lit. to take food to fortify yourself – strengthen yourself from the inside out.
Suffering is the time to vigorously work on your soul, spirit and body o Notice too the illustrations
– Vs. 10 the Prophets

 in the face of suffering they aggressively carried out their calling…suffering does not suspend your calling. Stay at it! o then there’s the Ill. of Job.
Vs.11 – he was not passively patient. He was persistently confrontational with God. And that is OK (though you may have words at some point)
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Biblical prayer is impertinent, persistent, shameless, indecorous. It is more like haggling in an outdoor bazaar then the polite monologues of the church. Walter Wink.
When you face pain and struggle…argue with God. Haggle. Wrestle. But…a word of caution…he might fight back. And you might limp therafter.
Patient perseverance is active, vibrant and edgy… fortify yourself, pursue your calling and wrestle with God … and one more thing…keep you eye to the horizon. o note the farmer illustration Vs. 7
– waiting for the rains to come.
James biggest point about patience is that something is coming…keep looking for it and…hang on…it’s very near. What was it?
 the Lords’ coming. (the parousia) o the Day of the Lord when God would judge oppressors and sets the world to rights o cf 5:8 – it is near = imminent = so near that the impact is already being felt …close enough for things to start happening
 As James wrote these words…it was in the air… something is about to happen…keep in mind what they were experiencing…the explosive presence of Jesus…the coming of the Holy
Spirit…the persecution and scattering of the church…the oppression of the religious leaders and the looming power of the Roma empire (which boiled over within 10 years of this letter
(AD70)
 James said ….wait for it… and keep your eye on the horizon…God is going to do something.
Be patient…and wait for it…
1. As you wait for God’s intervention in your suffering, patiently persevere
2. As you wait for God’s intervention in your suffering, pray
13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. 16 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.
17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18
Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
This probably goes without saying but when you are struggling it is the time to pray. It is the time to seek God. It is the time to inquire of God…to call out to God.
How do we pray? What level of expectation? How aggressive should we be? How persistent?
We’ve already seen that God fully expects arguing and wrestling at times. But if you want the best insights into the kind of prayers to offer in times of suffering pay attention to this prayer:

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Luke
22:42,44
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Note a few things in this prayer: his intensity, his clear request, his submission . That’s how to pray in suffering
Sometimes though you need to kick it up a notch and call in others. In this case the elders of the church. Who were they?
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probably not an official office though they may have been
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most likely the older, wiser, trusted people of the community
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they would be helpful in a number of ways o they would pray “over” – could mean laying hands or symbolically like a shelter…which would say we’re with you o they would anoint with oil – a symbol of being set apart for God o they would bring their collective wisdom to the situation
– maybe providing clarity
 it doesn’t have to be officially the elders (although it can be) – it should be those you trust and to whom you look for guidance.
Now what about Vs. 15 and the illustration that follows? And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. And verse 16 - The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective
This verse has caused many a person in pain to second guess themselves.
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did God not answer my prayer because I didn’t have enough faith?
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did I not pray the wrong way?
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is there sin in my life that caused unanswered prayer?
Let’s get some things out on the table:
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We know that many times God does not answer even the most faithful, pure, righteous prayers the way we want. o people die, jobs are lost, relationships crumble
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I t’s just true…that God’s mind and purposes are sometimes different than what we think he should do or think…which is why Jesus prayed as he did…not my will but yours… and why
James suggests praying in the name of Jesus (according to his purposes)
 so you could be faithful and pure and still not get the answer you desire. …. but you WILL get an answer. And something will happen.
We may approach God with some material benefit in mind, and sometimes, blessedly, we receive it.
But in the very act of praying we also open up a channel that God can use in transforming us, in making us good. Philip Yancey, Prayer
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Another thing though to keep in mind…God DOES expect faithful prayers. You can’t just chuck one up to the Big guy and expect him to load you up from the cosmic vending machine.
But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord.
James 1:6-7

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If the Lord is indeed going to heal in response to prayer it will no doubt come from a prayer of this intentionality and intensity
– one of faith
1. As you wait for God’s intervention in your suffering, patiently persevere
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As you wait for God’s intervention in your suffering, pray
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As you wait for God’s intervention in your suffering, protect your moral integrity
9 Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear--not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. James 5:7-20
Throughout all the talk about suffering and prayer, James weaves the theme of sin. the sin of grumbling against each other, the sin of presumption, and the danger of wandering from the truth.
Suffering can chip away at our moral integrity. It’s easy to justify sin when you hurt…who would blame you for slipping – right? Wrong. There are huge risks in letting you moral guard down such as…
9 Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
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We all know how easy it is when trouble comes to lash out at each other. Too often family tragedy leads to relational destruction. we turn on each other…blame and attack… Be very aware of the dangers!
12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear--not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
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Another potential sin is that of presumpt ion…take matters in our own hands…make rash vows and plans to solve our issues.
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W e play God … or think that we can manipulate him with our zeal
And of course way too often people, disappointed with God, simply reject their faith and walk away.
Since God allowed that to happen…forget him! What kind of God would allow that to happen to me?
19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. James 5:7-20
It is so unfair that while you are suffering so deeply you run the double risk of falling into sin. But that is the insidiousness of pain.
When we see a brother or sister in pain we must come along side of them like the elders to pray over them and offer insights but we also must keep a wary on them knowing that they are most vulnerable to sin.

One way to nip it in the bud is what James suggests in Vs. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
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So yes, Job you are indeed correct and wise when you say Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. Job 5:7
But trouble, suffering and even tragedy needn’t be the end of us… it does not have to unravel all of our life… it does not need to bury us or consume us utterly
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." Lamentations 3:22-24
Wait for God and as you do…
As you wait for God’s intervention in your suffering, patiently persevere, pray, and by all means, protect your moral integrity.