The Posture of Faith, Victory, & Renewal

In the Spiritual world, Elijah heard what God was going to do.

No one else heard the rain, it was discerned because God was showing it to Elijah.

Isaiah 64:4 KJV 1900

4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, Neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, What he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV 1900

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

1 Kings 18:41–46 KJV 1900

41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, 43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. 44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. 45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. 46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Famines result in malnutrition, starvation, disease, and high death rates.

Animals, people were dying

everything was faded

Spiritual stagnation

Prayer meetings being a wasteland

We need spiritual food

Our attitude

Discouragement is a horrible distraction and a great barrier to our ability to live victoriously

Elijah couldve been discouraged

He remembered that He and God were a majority

Marriage can be in a drought

Your Spiritual life could be in a drought

The devil wants to question God’s faithfulness

The devil wants us to doubt God

discouragement actually dishonors God

When we allow discouragement to win in our life, it draws our focus and the focus of others away from the goodness of God

We’ve all been discouraged, but discouragement causes us to become hinderances to God’s work

When it seems like we don’t have the power

We don’t see a vision for our children

Our marriage

Our ministry

We will get in the flesh when we aren’t seeing what we think we should

Take personal responsibility for your walk with God

James 5:17–18 KJV 1900

17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

Take personal responsibility for your walk with God

With your church

With your influence as a believer in the life of others

Prayer takes your eyes off the flesh and onto the Spiritual

How can we conquer?

Praying earnestly

God wants to bring Spiritual refreshment to others through you Mom - Dad

Christian

Revival

Miracles

Broken chains

Happen through a burdened soul, willing to follow God through a season of believing prayer.

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah all refer to earnest prayer as a woman travailing in birth to bring forth a child.

Galatians 4:19 KJV 1900

19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

Seeing the children of God formed into Christ

Do you want to see God do something in someones life?

Travail - Labor, striving, I must have this brought forth

Desiring passionately for God to work deeply in someones life

Teachers - travailing in prayer

Preachers - travailing in prayer not content with the work that is being done

We must, in prayer, denounce the spirit of discouragement

We must, in prayer, defy the doubts that creep into your heart and mind.

We must cast off the fears the evil one brings.

We must renounce discouragement as we look into God’s face in prayer, and cry out His promises and stand upon God’s unchangeable Word.

Luke 11:5–13 KJV 1900

5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. 9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Staying with God until He answers.

We cannot give up in prayer.

We cannot take matters in your own hands. When you try to make things happen by the arm of the flesh - you will ruin it

Stop taking what belongs in God’s hands into your own.

Importunity - God I can’t do this, it must be you.

1. Elijah covered his eyes

If you keep looking at people, you will get discouraged

Salvation

Leadership

God’s power

Attitude changes

Instead of covering our eyes in prayer we try to do the work through our own power and wisdom.

You have to cover your eyes in prayer or you will get distracted and discouraged

James 5:16 KJV 1900

16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Eyes off our circumstances

When a church spends time covering our eyes in prayer - the supernatural will take place, people will get help...

Elijah knew he must not face circumstances with his intellect

Hebrews 12:2 KJV 1900

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Look heavenly and you will see heavenly things

Look earthly and you will see fleshly things

There is a price in seeing God work miraculously

God is looking for people to trust Him

The Red Sea

God had to do something at this time

1st

2nd

3rd

How many have been discouraged that prayer wasn’t answered and then gave up

A hand of a man coming up out of the sea

Prepare your spiritual eyes, in prayer, to see the working of God

Faith is a powerful thing - without faith there is no way you can please God

Substance - hoped for

Evidence - not seen

Being angry at people is exactly where the enemy wants you

Having the it’s my way or the highway attitude is exactly where God wants you.

Elijah didn’t give up - seven times

How many times do you go to a prayer meeting - don’t quit

How many times do you pray for a conflict to resolve

I’m not letting go of your marriage

See through the eyes of faith

Don’t give up

Ask God to show you the finished product

Children

Marriage

Spiritual Growth

Knock and don’t listen to those who say to quit

Rebellion

Lost in sins

Importunity caused someone to get up and answer the door

Knock

You will get your prayers answered if you aren’t weary in well doing

Your flesh can’t fix anything about you or anyone or anything else.

Your flesh is not the answer in your home

At your workplace

At this church

Your flesh will ruin everything it touches

Walk in the spirit

Pray in the spirit

Ephesians 6:18 KJV 1900

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Elijah became what he was by faith and prayer. Naturally he was subject to the same fears and failings as ourselves. There are two reasons why we should endeavor to convert men: (1) for their salvation, (2) for the arrest of their baleful influence.

Isaiah 62:6–7 KJV 1900

6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, Which shall never hold their peace day nor night: Ye that make mention of the Lord, Keep not silence, 7 And give him no rest, Till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

The arm of the flesh will fail you...

Isn’t God big ?

2Ch 32:7 Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:

2Ch 32:8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

2Ch 32:21 And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria.

Sennacherib was strong - in flesh

What are you praying ?

Ask God to move whatever that means.

Do you have someone you’re praying for tonight?

Why don’t you pray again tonight?

Don’t stop knocking...