INTRODUCTION: According to James 5:16-18, Elijah received answers to his prayers concerning fire from heaven and the halting and renewing of rain despite being “a man subject to like passions as we are.” The next chapter of the Old Testament record (1Kings 19) shows the extent of these “like passions.” In this chapter, Elijah runs from the threat of the wicked Jezebel and whines to God about wanting to die because he is the only one doing anything. Yet, without doubt, Elijah received mighty answers to his bold prayers. The text before us provides insight into why these audacious prayers were answered by God. We would do well to learn from Elijah’s example.
I. HE MADE SPECIFIC REQUESTS TO GOD (18:41)
A. Unbelieving Prayer Tends to be Nonspecific
1. Lord, bless my family – What exactly to you want God to do?
2. Lord, be with me today – He has already promised that He will never leave us or forsake us. What are you praying for?
B. He Must Turn Our General Requests Into Specific Ones
1. From Lord, bless my family to Lord, help Johnny understand his math problems today; Lord, help Suzy be a witness to her friend today; Lord, help my wife (husband) be obedient to You in the commitment she/he made last Sunday.
2. Illustration: Incident in Israel: we did not have invitations to hand out to the people because of the time constraint. It needed to be typed in Hebrew and printed; we needed it by the next day; and Israel has nothing like Kinko’s and such jobs usually take a week or two. So, we prayed. I asked one of the men to pray but he only prayed generally. I prayed again, but specifically for the request. That night we just came on someone who offered to type the invitation and we were able to get it printed the next evening.
As Right As Rain – “Dr. Charles E. Fuller, for many years radio preacher for the Old Fashioned Revival Hour in Los Angeles, was in Waterloo, Iowa for a radio daily. They were in a large metal building during World War II. The rain was coming down in veritable torrents, the wind was blowing, there was such a rumble, and so much interference with the broadcasting equipment, the engineer said the program could not go on the air. Dr. Fuller simply bowed his head and said, ‘Lord, the Old-Fashioned Revival Hour has gone on the air uninterrupted for many years. It’s your program. I ask you now to stop the rain so the broadcast can go on as scheduled.’ Within 90 seconds the rains ceased, the elements were calm, and it didn’t rain again until the program was completed.” –from Prayer, The Holy Spirit and Christian Living (p. 17) by Wm. K. “Kenny” McComas.
II. HE PUT GOD ON THE SPOT BEFORE MEN (18:41)
A. Elijah Told the Wicked Ahab to Get Ready Because Rain Was on the Way
B. Illustration: This trip to Israel was truly saturated with prayer. At one point, our lost bus driver lost his wallet. After he left, we prayed for its recovery. Then, we called to tell him that we had prayed for its recovery (knowing that we were putting God on the spot). He called a few minutes later to tell us that he had found the wallet.
C. God Likes It When We have Enough Confidence in Him to Put Him on the Spot Before the World – Consider David before Goliath (1Samuel 17:45-47)
III. HE MADE PRAYER HIS PRIORITY (18:42)
A. While Ahab Ate and Drank, Elijah Went to Pray
B. If We Would Pray, It Must Become a Priority
1. Prayer is pure spiritual battle and it has the difficulties of war about it. Therefore, when we are not spiritually strong, prayer will be the most unpleasant of holy tasks for us.
2. Prayer calls down the power of God and it is the most effective work of the believer. Therefore, it is the area where the devil will most fiercely battle with the Christian.
3. There are so many hindrances to an effective prayer life, that we must make it a priority if it is to succeed.
4. Example: Man on trip who came from very liberal background, growing in the Lord because of the priority he gave to prayer and time with God a number of years ago.
IV. HE PRAYED WITH GREAT FERVENCY (18:42)
A. Elijah Cast Himself to the Ground and Put His Face Between His Knees
B. God Expects Us to be Earnest in our Prayers to Him (James 5:16-17; Colossians 4:12)
C. Illustration: Prayer on the rooftop for the people of Israel. God broke my heart. How long has it been since the Lord has been able to break you heart? How cold are you to the things of God?
Young Preachers on Fire for God – Jeremiah Jeter (1802-1880), a prominent Baptist pastor in nineteenth century Virginia, told of the young Baptist preachers he saw in the revival times of his youth: “In almost every neighborhood where it prevailed young men were called into the ministry. They were very imperfectly equipped for their work, but they labored among a plain people, whose spirit was not critical. If these young evangelists could not present a logical argument for the truth of the gospel, they believed it with all their hearts, and preached because they did believe. They were unacquainted with many scriptural doctrines, and especially with the proofs of their divinity, but they understood the way of salvation. If they could not contend with astute skeptics, they could guide the honest, earnest inquirer to life eternal. Their sermons were impressive, rather instructive, and were noted not for the variety, but for the importance of the truths they conveyed. They had learned the corruption of their own hearts and the fearfulness of their own guilt, and could testify from sweet experience the power and freeness of redeeming grace.
“They went forth to their work plainly clad, without conveyances [means of transportation], and some of them without a pocket Bible of a hymn-book, but with glowing zeal for the salvation of souls. Whether they had been called to the ministry, or were in the apostolic succession, were questions which did not occupy their minds. The people desired to hear something about Christ, and what these young brethren knew concerning him they were willing to tell in such language as their hearers could understand. The desire to listen to their ministrations was general and intense, and due, doubtless, in part to the prevalence of the revival, and in part to their juvenility and the freshness of their preaching. Everywhere their visits were received with pleasure, their congregations were large, and their labors were crowned with success.” –from Recollections of a Long Life by Jeremiah Jeter (p.40-41). Se Acts 5:42; 8:4.
V. HE LOOKED FOR THE ANSWER TO HIS PRAYER (18:43)
A. Elijah Sent His Servant to Look Toward the Sea for any Evidence of Coming Rain
B. Watch and pray (Colossians 4:2-4)
C. We Must Do More than Pray; We Must Expect Our Prayers to be Answered. We Exercise Faith by Looking for the Answers to our Prayers.
Saved! Saved! – In July of 1910, the Baptist Evangelist Mordecai Ham held an evangelistic campaign in Gonzales, Texas. “One of the most popular evangelistic hymns was born during this campaign. The evangelist was preaching on the subject, ‘Christ Our Refuge.’ In the audience was a man who had killed four men and had despaired of ever being saved. He listened to Mr. Ham explain that Christ is a refuge for sinners of any and every stripe and that the ‘Cities of Refuge,’ described in the Old Testament, are a type of Christ, who is a haven of hope and eternal forgiveness for all who will flee to Him. Midway during the sermon this man jumped up from his seat and shouted: ‘Saved! Saved! Saved!’ Mr. Scofield [Jack P. Scholfield] was so inspired that the next afternoon he sat outside the hotel, where the Ham party was residing, and composed both the words and the music for the hymn entitled, ‘Saved, Saved.’ That night the tabernacle audience heard the song for the first time.” –from A Biography of M. F. Ham by E. E. Ham (p.99-100).
VI. HE CONTINUED TO PRAY WHILE WAITING (18:43)
A. Elijah Continued to Pray even after the Sixth Negative Response
B. The Friend and the Loaves (Luke 11:5-8)
C. To Pray and Not Faint (Luke 18:1-7)
D. We Lose Many Treasures Because We Stop Digging a Half-Inch from the Payload
VII. HE ACTED IN EXPECTATION TO GOD’S RESPONSE (18:44)
A. All the Servant Saw was a Little Cloud like a Man’s Hand
B. Yet This was Enough to Show Elijah that the Prayer was Answered
C. Illustration: Our visit to the traditional site where Elijah called fire from heaven. Our viewing of a small cloud from the dormitory window that looked like a finger of a hand. The comment that perhaps it was a sign of rain. The absence of rain in this time of the year. The rain we had the next night and morning. The declaration of local people that it never rained this time of year. Proof that God will still send His rains of blessing in a time of spiritual drought if we will look to Him.
D. Faith is Acting on the Promises of God Before we can See the Results. Note: Faith is something we exercise and grow in. We cannot go from little faith to great faith in one leap. We do not expect the gangly teen to play high school football without training and exercise. So, to claim great faith before you have exercised your little faith is nothing more than foolishness. Allow yourself to grow in faith. As you exercise the faith you have, God will increase your faith.
CONCLUSION: Elijah received the answer to his prayer (18:45). As a result, he also received a special empowering from the Lord (18:46). What needs to happen in your prayer life? Will you be obedient to the Lord?