ELIJAH…ELIJAH PRAYS

While putting people on a pedestal is easy, we should never forget that they are still human. We are all fully capable of mistakes. It would be easy to put Elijah on a pedestal, and he was an ordinary man. James makes this clear…

James 5:17 MEV

Elijah was a man subject to natural passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.

WE MUST COME BOLDLY BEFORE THE THRONE OF GRACE

Elijah may have been a very normal man, but he is an excellent example of faith and steadfast prayer. He was not moved by what he saw or even knew for a fact. Faith comes into the Lord’s presence and trusts in His provision.

1 Kings 18:42b–44 MEV

And he said to his servant, “Go up now, and look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. On the seventh time, he said, “A small cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising out of the sea.” And he said, “Go up and say to Ahab, ‘Mount your chariot and get down, so that the rain does not stop you.’ ”

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FOUR QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE PRAYER

EFFECTIVE PRAYERS ARE HUMBLE PRAYERS.

We come humbly before our Lord. We’re not demanding from Him. He is our Father, but still very much God who deserves our reverence.

1 Kings 18:42 MEV

So Ahab got up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he threw himself down on the ground and put his face between his knees.

From the O.T. to the N.T., our God has not changed. God does not like pride, to the point that He rejects it. To be prideful is to push God out. The flip side of this is humility. It is to submit ourselves to God and walk closer to Him humbly. When you come humbly before Him, He will pour grace over you.

James 4:6b,10

James 4:10 MEV

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

EFFECTIVE PRAYERS ARE SPECIFIC PRAYERS.

Much like Elijah prayed and interceded for his people in a drought-stricken land, we pray and intercede for our loved ones. Like the rain that poured out from Elijah’s prayers, the Spirit of the Lord is poured out on our dry and weary land!

When we intercede, God’s glory and power are revealed. Spiritual warfare destroys demonic powers and strongholds. When we intercede fervently, there is a spiritual awakening.

1 Kings 18:43 MEV

And he said to his servant, “Go up now, and look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times.

James 4:2 MEV

You lust and do not have, so you kill. You desire to have and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have, because you do not ask.

EFFECTIVE PRAYERS ARE PERSISTENT PRAYERS.

From Elijah's example, we can see that he did not just pray once, twice, or even three times. He prayed seven times before the answer showed up on the horizon. You may not always see the answer, but that doesn’t mean you give up. Sometimes, it will take much prayer and fasting, but heaven will move.

1 Kings 18:43 MEV

And he said to his servant, “Go up now, and look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times.

James 5:16 MEV

Confess your faults to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much.

EFFECTIVE PRAYERS ARE EXPECTANT PRAYERS.

We can not allow ourselves to live in theory alone. We do this when we embrace a prayer routine without expecting an impact on the here and now. It is not wrong to look for evidence that our prayers are answered. If we become accustomed to unanswered prayers, we tend to settle for living in a realm of theory alone.

1 Kings 18:44 MEV

On the seventh time, he said, “A small cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising out of the sea.” And he said, “Go up and say to Ahab, ‘Mount your chariot and get down, so that the rain does not stop you.’ ”

There is a faith that can not be worked up or produced by man. It can only come from God because He alone is the source of faith. It is nothing that we can take credit for. Sometimes, the answer comes quickly and sometimes takes some time. This faith believes that our prayers have been answered and that God will answer in His perfect timing. This faith will produce trust in God.

Mark 11:24 MEV

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you will have them.

1 Kings 18:45–46 MEV

In the meantime, the sky turned black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. The hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

WHAT IS YOUR PRAYER NEED?

Life Group Questions:

Do you currently have a faith-filled, consistent prayer life? If not, describe your prayer life.

What specific prayer do you need to bring before God?

What is one prayer that you have consistently prayed? If there is not one, who or what must you commit to praying for?