Redemptive suffering

There's something very touching about able bodied young men asking for the prayer and blessing of some elder who is old and frail. And best still that elder may not even speak well. Ever wondered why is this so prevailing in so many different cultures and you see it happening too in the old testament times?

There is value in suffering, there is value in going through the things that you are going through. Some biblical examples shows Joseph's brothers asked him to forgive them and through him asked for God's favour (Gen 47:25). "For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably." Jacob said this to Esau when he met him again and asked for his forgiveness (Gen 33). Job's three friends after being found guilty for wronging him also asked him to interceed in behalf of them for God's mercy to be shown onto them. Jesus who walks the path of the cross and after bearing the weight of the world, now sits at the righthand of God interceeding for us.

So thats why James 5:16 says that "the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective". Note this, righteousness doesn't come overnight. The righteous ones would have gone through the path of struggling to be righteous and therefore know the struggle of those striving to be righteous. Hence, he can pray a more honest thus powerful and effective prayer. Thats the meaning of that verse in its context. Anyways not just prayer, christian ministry is all about honesty. How can anyone pray a honest prayer if we haven't went through the situation, how could we even be constructive in our help? Even if we think that we can, we will be exposed by the weight of our words.

Therefore praying is not about the eloquence of speech but rather the honesty of the words you speak. A simple "Have faith" two words can weight so differently when different people says it the same way. God looks at the heart.

So if you think you are suffering and thought that theres only "bad" in it, think again. There is value in every experience. God turns the works of satan around for the good of those who believe.