A God Sized Prayer

This is the story of George Phillips of Mississippi, who was going to bed when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the shed. George opened the door to go turn off the light but saw there were people in the shed in the process of stealing things.

He immediately phoned the police, who asked "Is someone in your house?" and George said, "No", and explained the situation. Then they explained that all patrols were busy, and that he should simply lock his door and an officer would be there when available.

George said, "Okay," hung up, counted to 30, and phoned the police again.

"Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people in my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now because I've just shot them all."

Then he hung up. Within a few minutes, three squad cars, an Armed Response unit, and an ambulance showed up. Of course, the police caught the burglars red-handed. One of the policemen said to George: "I thought you said that you'd shot them!"

To which George replied, "I thought YOU said there was nobody available!"

Today’s story is one of my favorites in the entire Bible- in fact, it is why our eldest twin son is named Elijah. There is something breathtaking about this entire story to me.

So Elijah finds himself on Mount Carmel in a confrontation with 450 prophets. Now, Mount Carmel. Mt Carmel is mentioned frequently in the Bible as a sign of prosperity and fertility- but this is the most famous story that happens in the setting of Mount Carmel- a 20mile long mountain range in modern day Palestine that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.

Elijah was a well known prophet by this point. He has pronounced a famine upon Israel; he has provided a widow with food; and he has raised a boy from the dead- and people knew about it. So, King Ahab set up a meeting between Elijah and 450 prophets of Baal- the local idol that was worshipped by a the majority of people in the region- in fact, Ahab himself was a follower of Baal as the end of ch 16 tells us- in fact, ch16 says that Ahab was more evil than any of the kings that had come before him.

Now, I think there was definitely something going on in Ahab’s subconsciousness. After all, I do not know why you would need to bring 450 people to defeat 1 man if you were so confident in your God, but that’s what he did. So, these 450 guy, who are all chasing after this false god show up to challenge Elijah to a God battle. The terms were pretty simple, first God to send fire down in the altar wins.

You would think that 450 people would get the attention of their God pretty quick, but they did not- not even with the yelling and crying, and cutting themselves.

Elijah had a little different story, as he seat forth his altar and asked that a trench be dug around it- a trench that could hold 2 seahs of seed- a seah is around 9 quarts, so this trench could hold around 18 quarts of water-Elijah was quite confident.

Let’s just be honest, many of us have had water thrown on our prayers- haven’t we? You starting praying with hope and anticipation, but soon the drenching waters of doubt came- more bad news, a test result that did not bring the answer you hoped for; the behavior reared it ugly head; the conflict got even worse- sometimes it seems like the waters of this world will always drench out the prayers of God’s people.

But friends, we need to remember that God sized movements require God sized prayers, and that is what Elijah prayed- a God sized prayer. He did not let the water stop him or deter him.

Do you let the water deter you?

In the past few years our family has really taken to camping for our vacations. We bought a little camper and we really enjoy the “extras” that camping offers our family when we want to get away- our kids love it. Especially Haylee, who wakes up many mornings during the spring and summer and asks expectantly “are we going to the campsite today?” But friends, I have learned something else in the past few years, if you take Jessica to the campground it is destined to rain! I don’t know that I have taken her camping one time yet that a torrential downpour has not accompanied her at some point during our stay. And I am not talking about a 10 minute skiff of rain guys, I am talking entire days soaked to the bone, or storms so strong then knock over our canopy- she brings rain and lots of it. You know what is not a lot of run- camping in the rain.

But sometimes that is what praying feels like- camping in the rain. Pitching a tent up in the middle of a downpour and yelling to God “I AM NOT GOING ANYWHERE EVEN IF IT RAINS!”

James says it this way: But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

God does not always stop the rain; he doesn't always throw an umbrella up- sometimes he ignites a flame in the downpour.

Shortly after Dallas Theological Seminary was founded in 1924, it almost came to the point of bankruptcy. All the creditors were going to foreclose at noon on a particular day. That morning they met in the president’s office for prayer that God would provide. In that prayer meeting was a man by the name of Harry Ironside. When it was his turn to pray, he said, “Lord, we know that the cattle on a thousand hills are Thine. Please sell some of them and send us the money.” While they were praying a tall Texan stepped up to the business office and said, “I just sold two carloads of cattle in Ft. Worth. I’ve been trying to make a business deal but it fell through and I feel compelled to give the money to the seminary. I don’t know if you need it or not, but here’s the check!” The secretary took the check and knowing how critical things were financially, went to the door of the prayer meeting and timidly tapped. When she finally got a response, the president took the check out of her hand. It was exactly the amount of the debt! When he looked at the name, he recognized the cattleman and turning to Dr. Ironside said, “Harry, God sold the cattle!”

There is confidence when you choose to pray in the middle of bad circumstances.

It is the life behind Heb 4:14-16 that says “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

I was licensed to set apart ministry in the CoB in 2007. That means I am quickly approaching 15 years of set apart ministry, and I have prayed a lot of prayers in those years. I have prayed in hospitals, nursing homes, jails, and mental institutions. I have prayed in this sanctuary, my office, your homes, and everywhere in between, and can I admit to you that I don’t think I prayed any of those prayers with confidence in a particular outcome- but I prayed every one of those prayers with confidence in God.

I wonder, if we interviewed Elijah and asked what he was thinking as he poured the water on the altar- what was he expecting---what would his answer be? Was he expecting fire from the sky? Was he thinking there would be fire to evaporate the water first? What were the thoughts and scenarios playing out in his head? Or maybe the question is---was there a scenario in his head? Or was he so confident, so convinced in God’s ability so show up that he just walked into the situation wide open knowing that God would not let him down.

You see, sometime we can walk into a situation confident in an outcome, and sometimes we can walk in confident in God.

Here’s the difference....

Confidence in an outcome is something that we can generate. We can use man made achievements, science, talents, and other things to work for what we want or desire. I think of an athlete. Their confidence comes from their talent, it comes from their training, and watching film, and eating the right diets, and all the things that they can control. Sure, there might be some faith involved, but they work at controlling the outcome by controlling every variable they can.

But, I do think there is something significant about God being in the fire in this story. Because, a fire in uncontrollable, and that is a lot like our God.

Confidence in God...

Friends, Elijah’s story shows us that sometimes all we can do is be confident in God, because there is nothing else that is going to work. This is why the root of prayer is humility, because we are confessing our inability to do anything about our situation.

Proverbs 3:26 says this ;Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

Friends, maybe you need a God sized answer today. There is something in your life that you need Jesus to show up in. Well, if you need a God sized answer- you must be willing to pray a God-sized prayer. A prayer that transcends your ability and your might....