THE SECRET OF ANSWERED PRAYER (1)

Many people think that the day Elijah challenged and killed the 450 prophets of Baal was the greatest day in his life. We have read of the showdown on Mount Carmel. We have read of the fire coming down and the people shouting, “Jehovah, He is God,” and the slaying of the false prophets. At the end of the incident, the bodies of the false prophets were lying in ghastly heaps unburied on the banks of the brook Kishon, with the king looking on, his eyes probably as big as saucers. We might think that the drama is over, with the last part of the chapter being a mere appendix to “the battle of the gods.” Not so; the climax is still to come. Look at 1 Kings 18:1: “The word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, ‘Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.’” Sending rain is what chapter 18 is all about. Before the rain could come, Elijah had to show himself to Ahab to get all of Israel to Mount Carmel, where he could bring about a demonstration of national penitence. Once that had been accomplished, the promise could be fulfilled. As we shall see, that promise was fulfilled in answer to prayer.

What if we were asked to name a great example of prayer? Maybe we would name Jesus or Paul. If we were confined to the Old Testament, perhaps we would name David. In his epistle, however, James made a less obvious choice. To appreciate James’ choice, keep in mind two truths: (1) James’ small epistle says more about prayer than any other letter to Christians, and (2) James himself was a great man of prayer. Tradition has it he had knees hardened like the knees of a camel from spending so much time kneeling in prayer. James chose Elijah as his example. Notice the events he chose from the life of Elijah: not the prayer that raised the dead son, not the prayer that brought down fire, but the prayer that made the rain cease and the prayer that made it start again. Let us examine 1 Kings 18:41-46 and James 5:16-18 together to discover “the secret of answered prayer.”

Elijah continued, “For there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower” (1 Kings 18:41b). This was not a physical sound. There was not a cloud in the sky (1 Kings 18:43). Elijah heard the sound of rain with the ear of faith. God had said, “Show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth” (1 Kings 18:1). Elijah had fulfilled God’s condition. It was time for the rain to come, and Elijah believed it would. “So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel” (v. 42a). Both went up on the mountain with Elijah going higher. However, note the contrast in the reasons for their going: Ahab went up to eat and drink, while Elijah went up to pray. “And he crouched down on the earth, and put his face between his knees” (v. 42b). Elijah knelt down and leaned forward, bowing before his God. The word “pray” is not used in this story, nor are we told what Elijah said. From the context it is obvious that he prayed, and James affirms that he did (James 5). We sing, “Standing on the Promises”; Elijah was kneeling on the promises.

“And he said to his servant, ‘Go up now, look toward the sea’” (v. 43a). “So he went up and looked and said, ‘There is nothing.’ And he said, ‘Go back’ seven times” (v. 43b). The servant did, and he came back and said, “There is nothing.” Elijah prayed some more and then said, “Check it out a second time.” The servant did, and came back, saying, “There is still nothing.” So it went for the third time, the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth, until the seventh time. “And it came about at the seventh time, that he [the servant] said, ‘Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea’” (v. 44a). It was only a cloud as small as a man’s hand, but that was enough for Elijah.

Word Affirmation: “ Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen." - Joel 2:19 (Don't just say it, mean it!)

“ For someone to become a reference point, check where he goes in times of trouble. "

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