The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again. James 5:16
What is prayer? Prayer in both the Old and New Testament it is communication and cooperation with God. But today it’s mostly a laundry list of what we want God to do for us. Like it or not, too often our prayers are more self-centered and a one way message, rather than a conversation. A conversation requires at least two parties of which there is speaking and hearing on both parts. But sadly, we do a lot better and talking and have really hard time hearing. Not because we can’t, but because we won’t, and usually the reason is we don’t have time. We need to change that and start making time if we want our land to be truly healed, not just made better, but healed.
James tells us that when Elijah, a righteous man prayed it didn’t rain for 3 years and it didn’t rain again until he prayed that it would. So what does praying like that look like? 1 Kings 17:1 tells us; Elijah was a prophet from the town of Tishbe in Gilead. He said to King Ahab, “I serve the Lord, the God of Israel. By his power, I promise that no dew or rain will fall for the next few years. The rain will fall only when I command it to fall.” Sounds a lot different from what we call fervent praying, doesn’t it? Elijah’s been in communication with God and he received a message from Him to declare His word to Ahab that it wasn’t going to rain, and for 3 1/2 years and it didn’t! He prayed the Word of God. Do you pray the word? Do you take time to know Scripture well enough that it can be declared appropriately for every situation? After all Paul calls it our sword, and what does a sword do but wage war to destroy the enemy. After 3 1/2 years God told him to pray for it to rain in 1 Kings 18:41-46. He told Ahab to get ready it was going rain. Then him and his servant went up on Mount Carmel, Elijah bent down, put his head between his knees and began to pray. Then seven times he sent his servant to look and see if a cloud was coming. On the seventh time he came back and said he saw a cloud the size of a man’s hand. Elijah knew heavy rain was coming.
Notice these prayers didn’t entail screaming, yelling, crying out, or demanding. No, Elijah had true communication with God, he had a relationship with God, he talked with God, then he listened and then prayed as God directed. We’re in a time where we need to pray like Elijah. We need to ask God to show us what is hindering us and keeping us from living in His ways. Holy Spirit is more than willing, if we’re willing to admit there are such things in our lives He is willing to lovingly show us. Our spiritual ears and eyes are opened to God’s leading and we begin declaring the Word into situations and we will see amazing things happen.
Pray like you have never prayed before!
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