WE WANT THE UNCOMMON

We Want the Uncommon


“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” — James 5:16 (NKJV)


“You cannot expect uncommon results while maintaining a common approach to prayer.” — PG


There is a difference between knowing God can do something and praying like you believe He will.


A difference between saying God is able and approaching Him with expectation. A difference between having a prayer life and living a life surrendered to prayer.
We serve an extraordinary God. Yet sometimes we approach Him with ordinary expectations and prayers that never move beyond what we can see.


We want the uncommon.
But if we want to experience the uncommon things of God, we must learn to approach Him according to His Word.


James 5 gives us a powerful picture of what this looks like. It speaks to our suffering, celebration, sickness, sin, and prayer.


James writes:
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.” — James 5:13 (NKJV)


Notice that both suffering and celebration have a response.
When you're hurting, pray. When you're grateful, praise.
Every season has a sound, and neither pain nor prosperity should silence your relationship with God.


Sometimes we allow suffering to make us withdraw. We stop praying, stop reaching out, and allow disappointment to turn into offense. But we cannot allow our pain to become a prison.


Don't let the season you're walking through determine whether you keep walking with God.
James continues by instructing the sick to call for the elders of the church to pray over them. He reminds us that we don't have to fight every battle alone.
There is strength in asking for prayer. There is humility in admitting we need help. And there is power in believers standing together in faith.
And yes, God still heals, saves, delivers, and restores.


The question isn't simply whether God is able. The question is whether we trust Him enough to bring our needs before Him and believe He hears us.
Faith doesn't mean God must answer according to our plans. It means we trust His character, seek His will, and remain faithful even when the outcome is different from what we expected.


James then gives us another instruction:
“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” — James 5:16 (NKJV)


We have become comfortable hiding our struggles behind carefully constructed appearances.


We smile at church while fighting battles nobody knows about. We carry guilt, shame, and habits we refuse to address because we're afraid of what people might think. But hiding is not the same as healing.


God calls us to honesty, humility, and accountability. Confess your sins to God, and seek prayer and support from trusted, spiritually mature believers.


Sometimes the first step toward healing is being willing to stop pretending you're not hurting.


Then James declares that the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much.


Effective prayer is rooted in God's Word. Fervent prayer comes from a heart that genuinely seeks Him. And righteous living means pursuing a life surrendered to His authority.


Prayer is not about finding the perfect words or praying the loudest. It is about knowing the God to whom you are praying.


The power is not in your performance. The power belongs to God.
So let me ask you something.


Are you praying like God can be counted on?
Or have disappointment caused you to lower your expectations? Have you prayed about something for so long that your prayers have become routine?
You can be honest about your pain without allowing disappointment to define your faith.


You can acknowledge that you don't understand what God is doing while continuing to trust who He is.
“Don't allow what God has not done yet to make you forget who God has always been.”


This applies to our homes, too. When tension rises and circumstances become overwhelming, Ephesians 6 reminds us to put on the full armor of God.
Stand in truth. Walk in righteousness. Hold on to faith. Use the Word of God as your foundation.


Prayer is not an excuse to avoid responsibility. We pray, but we also obey. We trust God, but we also take the steps He has placed before us.


We pray like God is working, and we live like His Word matters.
We want the uncommon—not because we want attention, but because we serve an extraordinary God.


It begins when prayer becomes more than a routine, Scripture becomes more than something we read, and faith becomes more than something we talk about.
Pray with expectation. Live with integrity. Stand on the Word. Walk in faith.
And trust the God who hears you.


Live It Out Loud:
• Turn On: “Prayers of the Righteous” By Israel Houghton
• Give Every Season a Sound: Bring your struggles to God in prayer and your blessings to Him in praise.
• Pray the Word: Find a Scripture that speaks to an area where you need God's help and use it to guide your prayers.
• Ask for Prayer: Reach out to a trusted believer and ask them to pray with you about something you're facing.
• Choose Honesty: Identify a struggle you've been hiding and take a step toward confession, accountability, or appropriate support.
• Put on the Armor: Read Ephesians 6:10–18 and ask God to help you stand firm in faith throughout the week.
• Build a Prayer Life: Set aside a specific time each day to seek God. Don't wait until a crisis forces you to pray.


My Prayer:
Holy Spirit, I come to You in the name of Jesus.
Thank You for being a God who hears me when I call. Forgive me for allowing pain, fear, and disappointment to weaken my prayer life.
Teach me to seek You in every season. Help me trust Your Word, pray with expectation, and remain faithful when I don't understand the outcome.
Give me the humility to ask for help, the courage to confront what needs to change, and the wisdom to walk in righteousness. Cover my home and family with Your peace, and help me stand firm in faith.
Lord, I don't want a faith that exists only in words. I want a relationship with You that changes how I live. Teach me to trust Your character, surrender to Your will, and seek Your presence daily.
We want the uncommon, Lord—not for our glory, but for Yours.
In Jesus' name, Amen.


“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” — James 5:16 (NKJV)


"May the LORD, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are and bless you, as he has promised you!" - Deuteronomy 1:11


Marked By His Presence,
PG