The Old Testament story of Elijah is incredible. In fact, it’s so incredible if it wasn’t written in the Bible, I’d think for sure that it hadn't happened! At the time Elijah came on the scene the children of Israel had turned away from God and were worshiping Baal and Asherah. A few years ago I looked up false gods in my New Unger's Dictionary, and I was surprised by the picture and thought to myself, they gave up God for this ugly idol? A lot of this idol worship was perpetrated by Jezebel the evil wife of King Ahab.
So to show God’s chosen people that they were off track, God put it in Elijah’s heart to pray that it wouldn’t rain for 3 ½ years (1 Kings 17:1). Now that’s a long time, and you would think that the entire nation would be on their knees asking for forgiveness after just one year, but this didn’t happen. In fact in order to prove that Jehovah was the one true God, Elijah initiated in the third year (1 Kings 18:1) a showdown on Mount Carmel. He told everyone that the one who answered by fire is God.
Elijah told the priests of Baal and Asherah to meet him there and build an altar and offer sacrifices. So as the priests of Baal cried out, from morning until after noon (the Bible doesn't say exactly how many hours are involved here, but at least 3 to 4) When it reached noon, Elijah poked fun at them saying, "Cry out with a loud voice, for he is a god; for he is meditating or has wandered off or is on a journey. Perhaps he is asleep and will awake" (v. 27).
When it was Elijah’s turn, he rebuilt the altar of Jehovah, dug a deep trench around it and then did something a little strange—he asked for them to dump water on the wood and the offering three times. Then he prayed, "O Jehovah, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and that I have done all these things by Your word. Answer me, O Jehovah, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Jehovah are God and that You have turned their heart back again" (Recovery Version of the Bible, v. 36-37) Immediately fire came down from heaven and devoured the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust, and even all the water in the trench!
After that Elijah said he could hear an abundance of rain. Eventually his servant saw a small cloud coming out of the sea; it quickly brought on a downpour. All of this only made Queen Jezebel even angrier. Can you imagine? You’ll have to read 1 Kings 19 to find out how this story ends! I relate this story because in his epistle James makes a reference to Elijah’s prayer that it would not rain for 3 1/2 years:
Elijah was a man of like feeling with us, and he earnestly prayed (Lit. prayed in prayer) that it would not rain: and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth sprouted forth with its fruit. James 5:16b-18This section in chapter 12 of the Life-Study of James that covered Elijah's praying in a prayer ministered to me:
The words “in prayer he prayed” indicates that prayer from the Lord was given to Elijah in which he prayed. He did not pray in his feeling, thought, intention, mood or any kind of motivation arising from circumstances or situations, to fulfill his own purpose. He prayed in the prayer given to him by the Lord for the accomplishment of His will. What is the meaning of this experience to pray in a prayer? The prayer that Elijah prayed was great, for he prayed that it would not rain on earth for three years, six months….Elijah could pray in this way because God gave him a prayer, because God burdened him with a prayer….We should not pray according to our memory, observation, or our own burden. On the contrary we must have a burden from God to pray for a certain thing, just as Elijah was burdened with the prayer given to him by God (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of James. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, Print).
Prayer is something ongoing. I feel like I'm always learning about prayer. It touches me that God gave Elijah the prayer, and he prayed in God's prayer. He didn't come up with shutting up the heavens by himself in order to turn the people back to God. Reading this made me ask the Lord to give me His prayer for a situation in my own life.
I like to listen as much as I can to the Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee that goes along with the Life-Study that I am reading. Both the excerpts from the spoken messages and the commentary are enlightening.
Other Posts on the Life-Study of James:
From the Life-Study of Matthew:
What is the Crucial Significance of Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13?
Have You Seen the Battle Between the Two Kingdoms in Matthew 12:26-28?
From the Life-Study of Luke:
Why is Persistent Prayer Important in Luke 18:1-8?
From the Life-Study of Acts:
How is Acts a Book on God's Move & Prayer?
Seeing God's Move & Satan's Frustration in Acts 14
From the Life-Study of Galatians:
How Do We Practically Enjoy Grace in Galatians 5:18?
From the Life-Study of Ephesians:
How Do We Apply the Armor of God in Ephesians 6?
From the Life-Study of Philippians:
Why Does Paul Put Anxiety and Prayer Together in Philippians 4:6?
From the Life-Study of Colossians:
From the Life-Study of Colossians - What Happens When We Pray?
What is Christ Doing at the RIght Hand of God in Colossians 3:2?
From the Life-Study of 1 Timothy:
What is Paul's First Exhortation in 1 Timothy 2:1?
From the Life-Study of James:
What James 5:17-18 Teaches Us About Elijah's Prayer
From the Life-Study of Revelation:
What are the Golden Bowls of Incense in Revelation 5:8?
From the Life-Study of Exodus:
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus: The Incense Altar
From the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Samuel:
What We Can Learn from Hannah's Prayer in 1 Samuel 1
Other Posts:
Why Prayer Matters
Calling on the Lord Makes a Difference!
Hearing God (From Collected Works of Watchman Nee, Vol. 18 - Tell Him)
Hearing God (From Collected Works of Watchman Nee, Vol. 18 - Tell Him)
