Is any of you in trouble? He should pray.

James 5:13

As I write this article, a wildfire has consumed over a million acres in the panhandle of Texas. People's homes are in danger and some have already been consumed. Thousands of people have been evacuating throughout the day in one direction, while firefighters and other first responders are racing in the other to help put out the fires and take care of the people in harm's way. We have recently received word that two of our dear friends, both firefighters, had a very near miss. Doubtless they are but two of hundreds who are in the middle of violent, sometimes swirling winds, that are a very real threat to their lives. 

All of these dear people, from the victims to the heroes, are in desperate need of the Lord's protection ,and thousands upon thousands of prayers have been offered throughout this day. No one knows how long this will last, nor how far it will spread, but we do know that we will need God's help to get through it all. And get through it we will, for we have a good and loving Father who is helping each one, right now.

At some point, the fires will be over. But the recovery will take a long, long time and those who have been affected will need our prayers. While we are praying that no lives will be lost, we do know that this is a very real threat, and some may be grieving right now. They will need our prayers because they will need God's help to get past the heartache that tragedies like this always seem to bring. They will also need our help, so we should be willing to go beyond just praying for God to handle it all.

It is times like these that we see how fragile and uncertain life can be. It should be that we are already prepared to meet our Maker, but unfortunately the tyranny of our busy and distracted lives often prevents us from doing so. But if we are not prepared, we must remedy that because life is all too uncertain. It is not because God is somehow cruel or capricious with our lives - after all, He is the very One who has gifted us with life in the first place. But life does indeed come with tests that are truly too much for anyone to handle on their own, so we need to lean on the only One who can handle it for us when it is beyond our power to do so.

If you are one of the ones who have lost the most during this time, then only you can really understand the true extent of this tragedy. And while it may sound like it is not enough at the present, please know that there are still thousands of prayers that are still being offered on your behalf. And, if you are one of the many who have been so blessed as to have come through this time with your life and health and family, then let others know how much God has done for you and keep on praying, with thanksgiving, for God's help for those who so greatly need it at this very moment.

We are thankful to God for His help during times such as these. We look forward to the day when such trials will be over and we get to be with our loved ones forever, in Heaven. But to experience that joy, we must be faithful now, in good times and in bad, and we must remember to keep on praying for God's children everywhere. It is a reality of life that there are always people who are in the middle of the greatest trial of their lives, right now, and it would be good for them if we could remember to pray on their behalf. While we may never know the full extent of the effect of those prayers, it is a comfort to know that God hears us, and loves us enough to answer them in the very best way.

There are people in trouble at this very moment, so we should pray!