Be Still And Know

James 5:16 Some years ago I contracted whooping cough. To be honest I thought that it was something only children got so was amazed when my GP told me that I had caught it. From time to time over a number of weeks I struggled to breathe. The worst episodes were in the middle of the night; I will never forget those desperate attempts to breathe, which ended in the “whoop” as air finally, slowly and painfully returned to my lungs. Breathing is essential to life, and I now have a new respect for the process – and a deep gratitude that I can breathe without a struggle. The Bible makes it clear that prayer is the way in which we ‘breathe’ as Christians. Everything depends on prayer. It has been wisely said that we are as strong as our prayer lives and no stronger. It would be impossible to exaggerate the importance of prayer – just as it would be impossible to exaggerate the importance of breathing for ongoing life. James encourages his readers to pray because it can have incredible results. In the nex