THE SECRET OF ANSWERED PRAYER (2)
How wonderfully Elijah’s prayer was answered! Notice three results of this answered prayer: First, it blessed the entire land. It was “a heavy shower,” just what was needed to fill the ponds and lakes, start the creeks and rivers flowing again, and raise the water level in the land. “The sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (James 5:18). Second, it blessed Elijah. How was Elijah able to outrun the chariot? It had been a long and exhausting day. Elijah had probably not eaten all day. Verse 46 says that “the hand of the Lord” was on him. Prayer has that capacity. It will bless the one who prays, even when the prayer has been for another. Third, it had the potential of blessing Ahab, and, through him, all of the country. Remember, Ahab’s life was spared. He had seen all that had happened. He had another opportunity to start acting like God’s anointed and turn the country around.
What does this story teach us? James says that this event teaches that there is power in prayer, that God answers prayer: “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16b). Note these three powerful words: Prayer is “effective”; prayer can “accomplish” something; prayer can accomplish “much.” James gives proof of the power of prayer in the next two verses: Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit (James 5:17, 18).
God answered Elijah’s prayer, and (by implication) He will answer yours and mine. We need to learn this lesson—and we need to teach it to our children. One man who wanted to teach his children about prayer began a procedure strongly recommended for any parent. When his first child was born, he and his wife bought a little notebook. On one side of each page, they wrote, “We ask,” and on the other, “He answers.” During their devotionals with their children through the years, they wrote down prayer requests under “We ask.” When they received an answer to a prayer, they recorded that under “He answers.” They stressed to their children that God can answer prayers with “Yes,” “No,” or “Wait awhile.”
It is always exciting, as in the case of Elijah, when God answers prayer with a clear-cut “Yes.” The man who kept the notebook gave an illustration of a “Yes.” He told of a father who sold his business at a loss to work full time for the Lord. Things had gotten difficult financially. One evening at the family devotional, Timmy, the youngest of their four boys, asked, “Daddy, do you think God would mind if I asked Him for a shirt?” “Of course not,” the father replied. They wrote in their little prayer-request book: “Shirt for Timmy.” The practical mother added, “Size 7.” Every night Timmy made sure they prayed for the shirt. They prayed for it every night for weeks.
One day the mother received a phone call from a Christian businessman who owned a department store. He said, “I’ve just completed our July clearance sale. Knowing you have four boys, it occurred to me that I have something you might use. Could you use some boy’s shirts?” The mother asked, “What size?” “Size 7.” “How many do you have?” The businessman replied, “I have twelve of them.” That night, as usual, Timmy said, “Don’t forget, let’s pray for the shirt.” The mother opened the notebook, smiled and wrote “Yes,” then said, “We don’t have to pray for the shirt, Timmy. The Lord has answered your prayer.” “He has?” “Yes.” One of the brothers went out and brought in a shirt and put it on the table. Timmy’s eyes grew big. The brother went out and brought in another shirt. He went out and back, out and back, until twelve shirts were piled on the table. Timmy thought God had gone into the shirt business. You could never convince that young man that there is no God in heaven, who is not interested in a boy’s needs.
God does not always say “Yes” in answer to our prayers. Elijah’s next recorded prayer was answered with a “No.” It is important that we learn—and that our children learn—that a “No” is as much an answer as a “Yes.” The man who recommended the prayer notebook also had an illustration of God’s answering “No.” He and his wife prayed for additional children. God appeared to answer that prayer right up to the time of birth. The child was born dead. The father came home and found his four children at the door. “Hey, Dad! What is it, a boy or a girl?” He took them to the couch, got the little book, opened it, and wrote in it “No.”
Word Affirmation: “ Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things." - Joel 2:21 (Don't just say it, mean it!)
“ God answers prayer. "
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