Reading: Devotional

September 19

^{∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞}

Elijah’s Model Prayer—Part 1

1 Kings 18:36, 38

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted

among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Psalm 46:10 (ESV)

Elijah’s prayers were obviously effective and well-suited to the challenges of his day. What may not be quite as clear is how well they serve as a model for us to follow. I’m confident that whether or not we see equally spectacular results, we cannot go wrong praying as Elijah prayed.

The first thing Elijah asked for was that the Lord God would make himself known as the one true God: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel.”

Elijah wasn’t asking the Lord to do something new and different here, for God had a history of revealing himself as the true God and worthy of all praise, adoration, and obedience. So really what Elijah was asking was that God would do it again. The people had forgotten; they no longer believed. So Elijah wanted the Lord to show himself again to be God and to make what he had done in the past relevant and immediate to his people of that day. Elijah asked that God would light the fire, not for Elijah’s sake but for God’s sake, so that the people would get beyond a merely formal understanding of God and get to know him as their Lord.

What an excellent prayer for us today—that the church and the world both will know that the Lord God is the true God. The continuing existence of God’s people today is dependent upon the knowledge of God, upon God making himself real and known. God wants to do that, so we can pray that prayer with confidence, sure that God will confirm himself to his people as their sovereign creator and redeemer, and that he will also help the unbelieving world know this truth. 

September 20

^{∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞}

Elijah’s Model Prayer—Part 2

1 Kings 18:36, 38

The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced;

therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know I shall

not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near.

Isaiah 50:7–8 (ESV)

The sec­ond part of Elijah’s prayer followed from the first: “[And] let it be known…that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.” God had called Elijah to be his servant and to speak for him. So Elijah was quite properly pray­ing for God to validate him: Lord, prove that I’m not just making all this up out of my own head, but that I’ve been acting at your direction. I’m just speaking your Word. I don’t have in myself the power to bring your promises to fulfillment; you have to do that. Validate that the word I speak is your word.

Elijah’s prayer for God to validate him was not a self-seeking or proud prayer. He could have become proud when Ahab credited him with bringing the country to a standstill in the drought. But he didn’t; he had only God’s glory in mind. He knew how unimportant he was, but also how important his work was—his work to reveal the glory and promote the honor of God. Only as a servant on a mission did Elijah demand the people’s attention; he wanted everyone to recognize they were all called to be the servants of the Most High God.

We can and must also pray for the Lord to support and defend his true church as servant and agent of his saving work. We can pray boldly and confidently for this because God tells us that this is his desire. God lifts up his church not so it will get the glory, but so the attention of the world will be focused more and more on Christ. What is to be glorified is not the persons of the church, but the work and the service of the church, which is for Christ’s sake. May the world come to realize, in its encounters with God’s people, that they are dealing with God himself. 

September 21

^{∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞}

Elijah’s Model Prayer—Part 3

1 Kings 18:37–39

[John the Baptist] will go before [the Messiah] in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.

Luke 1:17 (ESV)

The third part of Elijah’s prayer was for a proper response—for the people to recognize God and confess him. “Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

Elijah knew that every revelation of God—whether of mercy or of power—demands an answer from the people who witness it. He also knew that people would not necessarily be changed by such a revelation. That is, not all hard-hearted people who see God’s miracles become believers. For example, Pharaoh’s heart had not become soft when he had seen the Lord’s power in Egypt. Nor did the prophets of Baal get soft hearts when they saw fire from the Lord. It’s not enough for people merely to recognize the might and power of God; they must also accept his rule with a willing and believing heart.

The long drought had made the people sad, to be sure, but it had not made them recognize that the Lord was God and return to him. At this point, they were still faithless. So along with the outward and visible revelation of God in fire, Elijah prayed for an inward revelation, a change of heart, demonstrated by repentance and conversion.

This prayer was magnificently answered in all respects. God did just what Elijah asked. He revealed himself as Lord, he proved that Elijah was a faithful prophet, and he brought the people to repentance and devotion. We must likewise pray that people today not only recog­nize God’s power, but that they also respond to his call to put away their idols and come over to his side. 

September 22

^{∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞}

Elijah’s Model Prayer—Part 4

1 Kings 18:41–45

I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the

dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit upon your offspring,

and my blessing on your descendants.

Isaiah 44:3 (ESV)

God’s answer to the first parts of Elijah’s prayer testified to the power and grace of God. Yet, a most important thing was still lacking. So, after his prayers for God’s glory, his own vindication, and the people’s response had been answered, “Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.” He was ready to ask now for the return of the covenant blessings and specifically the blessing of rain.

Elijah prayed seven times, the number seven symbolizing the fullness of the rich communion possible between the Lord and his people. But that repeated prayer also shows Elijah’s persistence in prayer. It is possible, after all, to miss out on God’s blessings by giving up too easily.

God’s answer began in the form of a little cloud that grew and finally brought an end to the drought. Neither the fire nor the rain came automatically, but only after prolonged prayer. Elijah prayed so intensely that a watcher might have thought that the blessing was entirely dependent on his prayer. In a way it was; it was what God expected and desired from his servant partner—Elijah raising the needs of the people to their sovereign Lord, just as Christ would later do and teach his followers to do.

I wonder how often our prayers are like Elijah’s. We are invited to approach God with pitiful cries for help, painful prayers of repentance, and joyful prayers of thanksgiving and praise. But, also, as partner-servants of Almighty God, we need to pray the bold, working prayers of Elijah. The more we get to know the Scripture in which God reveals so much of his plans, goals, and promises, the more we can pray like this. 

September 23

^{∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞}

Why Elijah’s Prayers Worked

1 Kings 18:25–46

Pray then like this: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Matthew 6:9–10 (ESV)

Before leaving this story, I want to emphasize the main factors that ensured the success of Elijah’s prayers. On the surface the prayers of the idol prophets had much in common with Elijah’s prayers. They were offered to someone unseen, they asked for similar things, and they were energetic. Elijah’s prayer does seem to have been offered with more confidence. And yet, it was not his confidence that made the prayer work; it was God. Prayer only works for the ones whose God is real. That was the first factor in Elijah’s success. 

A second factor of equal importance was that Elijah prayed according to God’s directions. He knew in advance that God wanted the very things for which Elijah prayed.

·   God wants it known that only he is God.

·   God promises to validate those who do his bidding.

·   God repeatedly makes clear the results he intends from the revelation of his power.

·   God’s blessings are meant for those who are in a proper relationship with him.

It’s no wonder Elijah’s prayers worked. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that they were unnecessary because they just summarized what Elijah already knew God wanted to do. Elijah understood that the prayers of believers are part of the process by which God advances his kingdom and fulfills his promises.

May our prayers be as urgent, knowledgeable, to the point, confident, and persevering for our world. As God’s partner-servants, let’s keep praying, “Reveal yourself, vindicate your servants, bring people to repentance, and send the blessings that you promised. Do it for your glory Lord, over and over again.”