Some of my reading this week has focused on Prayer. The need. The value. The necessity. Part of what got my attention was a devotion by Charles R. Swindoll. He talks about Elijah’s problem with the prophets of Baal and the Israelites who were drifting over to the worship of Baal. At the same time the land of Israel was going through a drought and Elijah’s concerns were at least 2 fold.
Drought/Baal worship!
Where do we start?
Why with prayer, of course, out of which came an answer to deal with both issues. Pray. Build an altar. Challenge the Prophets of Baal and Pray some more. After prayer and challenging Baals prophets a contest was held. Build altars, sacrifice bulls. The proviso being that Baal or Elijah’s God had to supply the fire to burn the offering on the altar of wood. Baal & his prophets failed miserably. Elijah made it even more challenging by dousing his altar with water. You remember, God answered Elijah’s prayer with the fire from Heaven and consumed the burnt sacrifice. This was followed by destruction of the prophets of Baal followed by the people falling on their faces and saying “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God.
Think of the faith of Elijah who saw fit to make prayer the answer to the dilemma. His foes numbered 100s of Baal prophets and those Israelites that had starting worshiping Baal.
Our strength of faith must rest on God’s eternal promises. Prayer is the key for all of us who profess faith in our God. You will recall that after the sacrifice event Elijah went to a mountain to pray for rain. Seven times he prayed till finally a small cloud appeared. Seven times! We must not give up. God expects us to pray much for the things that are important. It’s been said “when all else fails read the instructions”. Gods instructions, contained within the Bible, include praying unceasingly.
We have a God who cares and answers prayers. No matter when, why or where. We must use this great resource in the way God intended it to be used. Some verses of scripture to back up the value of prayer.
Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it will be given to you; Seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Matthew 21:22
and whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.
That verse only includes those things that are needful or valuable not frivolous. We need to be prudent when we go to the Lord in prayer making sure what we are asking for is within the “Will of God” Our prayers need also to be asked in reverence and thoughtfulness.
Mark 11:24
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Our prayers must always make sense and done within the “Will of God” Our prayers may also not be answered immediately or even as we think they should. I remember a song that used to be sung in church’s I’ve attended in the past, the title is “Pray till the light breaks through” Just keep on praying till light breaks through. The Lord will answer, will answer you God keeps His promise, His word is true. Just keep on praying ’till light breaks through
I remember a song that used to be sung in church’s I’ve attended in the past.
Pray Till the Light Breaks Through
Just keep on praying till light breaks through The Lord will answer, will answer you God keeps His promise, His word is true. Just keep on praying ’till light breaks through
