God Hears and Answers Prayer
God Hears and Answers Prayer After Elijah proclaims the arrival of covenant curses in response to Israel’s sin and idolatry, the Lord tells him to hide
Alec Motyer calls this period “Elijah’s apprenticeship, during which the Lord prepared him for his future ministry” (Mo- tyer, The Message of James- expected means, but then he faces a more severe test. The son of the widow, who had acted in faith and obedience as she restored (v. 21). Davis says it is important to notice these two prayers because they are evidence that Elijah understood he didn’t have power in himself to bring the boy back from the dead. He knew he wasn’t “a religious magician… [but] rather The Wisdom…, 221). As the child is brought back to life, the power of Yahweh over even the realm of the dead is seen dramatically, but Elijah also learns a simpler lesson: God hears and answers prayer. “And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived” (1 Kings 17: 22).
Another glimpse into Elijah’s prayer life in these chapters is seen right at the decisive moment of the battle between Elijah and Yahweh and the priests of Baal. Baal, the storm god, though often depicted with a lightning bolt in his hand, had failed to ignite his altar despite the hours and hours of prayer and self-mutilation of his prophets. All eyes were on apparently received instruction from the Lord for the actions he was taking (18:36), he did not assume anything of God as he stopped to pray. He asked Yahweh to answer him and to do it so that it would be known in Israel that He was God. power at Mount Carmel, the people “fell on their faces and said, ‘The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God.’” (18:39). Shortly afterward this, Elijah announces to Ahab that rain is coming.
“Thy Kingdom Come…” “Thy Kingdom Come…”
- ably in celebration of the imminent end of the famine, Elijah bows “down on the earth [with] his face between his knees” (18:42). Elijah continues to bow in prayer while sending his servant to look for signs of rain seven times. Interestingly, it is the prayer we are not told about (for no rain) that James describes as fervent, but it is here we see Elijah’s fervency in prayer displayed. James refers to both episodes to make a point about the power associated with the prayer of a righteous person. So that we don’t get the wrong idea about the meaning of ‘righteous’ here, James reminds his original readers and us that Elijah had a “nature like ours;” he was human, and his nature was fallen. Even so, mighty things were accom- plished through his prayers. As Ralph Davis explains, “God’s will is certain, but he delights to do his will in answer to the prayers of his people. The prayers of the saints constitute the appointed channel by which God works his will” (Davis, The Wisdom…, 245). In other words, God had ordained the end: rain would indeed come, and he had ordained the means by which the rain would come: the prayers of Elijah. As we understand that this is how God delights to work, prayer be- comes more than a checklist item, and more than a way to tell God what we need. Prayer is the way we participate in the working of God’s will in the world, the means by which his kingdom comes on earth and his promise to build his church
ARP Women’s Ministry: Prayer Emphasis 2022
ARP Women’s Ministries encourages the women of the denomination to participate in an annual Prayer Emphasis program or event in their local church. The Prayer Emphasis programs at our churches all look different and vary from year to year. Perhaps a dinner is held and your pastor or a speaker is invited to address women on the topic of prayer. Or, a day of prayer is set aside for
November/December 2021 21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
