– Charles Finney, the famous evangelist, was overheard praying, “And thou knowest Lord, that in these matters, I am not accustomed to being denied.”
– not many of us would dare to make that statement to God
– most of us would admit that there is something lacking in the quality and effectiveness of our praying
– either we don’t pray enough or, when we do pray, we have big doubts whether or not there will be an answer
– we’ve all prayed and felt out prayers were bouncing off the walls in our faces
– we’ve all come away from times of prayer doubting whether we’d get a positive answer
GOD WANTS TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS
– And God wants us to experience spiritual renewal
– This is the message throughout Scripture.
– God wants to bless us individually, our families and our churches
– God’s blessings are more extensive and diverse than anyone could describe or even imagine.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us… (Ephesians 3:20).
– God grants his blessings as an act of grace.
– There is nothing we can do to earn or merit God’s favor, but out of his gracious heart he brings blessing to us.
– However, God releases his blessing when we call out to him.
– When we honor him and call out to him in the midst of our needs, he responds to our cries.
– This is true in all areas of personal and church life.
– It is particularly true in the area of spiritual revival and spiritual renewal.
… if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14).
AN ILLUSTRATION FROM THE LIFE OF ELIJAH
– There was dryness and famine throughout the land.
– there had been no rain for more than three years
– there were no crops
– the cattle were lean or dead
– river beds had dried up
– the nation was facing desperate economic conditions
– any nation that forsakes God will pay a price
– rain throughout the Bible is a picture of God’s blessing
– rain also is a picture of the Holy Spirit
– rain is a picture of how God meets the needs of his people
– the old hymn “Showers of Blessinigs” was based on this concept
– Elijah called on the people to turn to God and then he prayed.
– In response to his prayer, God sent rain that refreshed the land and brought God’s blessing.
– It is a picture of our need for renewal and spiritual refreshing in our land and in our church.
HOW NOT TO GET GOD’S BLESSING
– Several people did nothing, even though they could have done something about the situation
– These people, unfortunately, represent the response of some people today.
i. Ignore the situation
So Ahab went off to eat and drink… (1 Kings 18:42 ).
– Ahab was the king.
– He had plenty of food and lived in the luxury of his palace.
– Though he was aware of the situation, he was insensitive to it
– He simply went off to eat and drink.
– He knew the importance of prayer but refused to pray.
– Until we personally feel the consequences of sin and the results of the spiritual famine in our land touch us personally, it is easy to be insensitive to the dire need for God to open the windows of heaven with spiritual rain.
– Some of us in the church are so spiritually stuffed that we lose sight of the condition of those outside the family of God.
ii. Become rebellious and antagonistic
So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” (1 Kings 19:2).
– Jezebel went a step further than her husband Ahab.
– She became outwardly antagonistic towards Elijah and anyone else who would stand up for God.
– People who are not living in a right relationship with God, will often become extremely vocal and critical of those who stand for righteousness and cry out for God’s blessing.
– Carnal, unloving and ungracious people in the church are often the source of great persecution for sincere believers.
iii. Compromise your faith
… Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord. While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.) (1 Kings 18:3-4).
– Obadiah is one of the most fascinating characters in the story.
– He was a devout believer in the Lord.
– he had risen to a place of prominence in King Ahab’s palace and was the manager of Ahab’s palace.
– In order to reach this position, though he may have retained his internal faith in God, he compromised his faith by serving in the evil palace of Jezebel and Ahab.
– He would not have survived had he publicly taken his stand for Jehovah.
– He compromised and served the establishment.
– Obadiah was busy, but not really working to solve the problem.
– He was called by God and put in a strategic position where he could influence the spiritual direction of the nation.
– However, he compromised his convictions for his own personal comfort and security.
– Obadiah did protect the 100 prophets of God by hiding them in caves and supplying them with bread and water.
– As nice as this was, it was like a wealthy person putting a few coins in the offering when he could do so much more.
– and there is no indication he prayed
iv. Be afraid to express your faith
– The 100 prophets who were hidden in two caves and fed by Obadiah, were good people.
– There is no indication that they compromised their faith in any way.
– However, they had been commissioned in the same way Elijah had, to stand and speak for God in the midst of the famine.
– They paid a price for their lack of faith.
– While they were living on bread and water, Elijah was enjoying the fullness of God’s provision.
– There are people today who are called of God to ministry, but who shrink back in fear and live on God’s second best.
– In the process, while they do not compromise their faith, they do not contribute to bringing God’s blessing to the church.
– Though they have the answer to the situation, they choose to sit on the sidelines in fear.
v. Run around looking for blessing
“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” (1 Kings 18:43).
– Somewhere along the way, Elijah picked up a servant.
– We don’t know how long this servant had been with Elijah, but certainly it had been long enough for him to learn the principles of faith and prayer from watching Elijah.
– When Elijah climbed the mountain to pray, his servant was with him.
– There is no evidence that the servant ever prayed.
– He spent his time running around looking for the rain clouds, but he never contributed to the appearance of the rain clouds.
– Many today are like this servant.
– They have learned that prayer is the channel through which God sends spiritual rain, but they just run around from seminar to seminar, church to church trying to find renewal and blessing.
– However, they never contribute to bringing about revival.
– Seldom are they content and satisfied.
– They are revival junkies – as soon as there is some spiritual noise somewhere else, they are off and running to that new location.
HOW TO PRAY FOR GOD’S BLESSING
i. Pray
So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel… (1 Kings 18:42).
– History demonstrates that prayer can change the world.
– A prayer warrior, on his knees, involves himself in a mission capable of altering the destiny of men and nations.
– Prayer is doing business with God.
– Prayer is two people in love communicating
– Prayer is God giving you access to the provision for your need.
– Prayer is the key to the miraculous.
– Prayer is essential for spiritual renewal.
– The power of prayer is really the power of God released through our praying.
– Note these two quotes from the writings of R.A. Torrey:
“Prayer is the key that unlocks all the storehouses of God’s infinite grace and power.”
“There have been revivals without much preaching; but there has never been a mighty revival without mighty praying.”
… if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14).
ii. Pray privately
– there is no indication that there was anyone with Elijah
– no one was there to pray with him – he prayed alone
– Jesus talked about people who prayed publicly to be seen
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:5-7).
iii. Pray earnestly
… bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. (1 Kings 18:42).
– There was a seriousness about Elijah’s praying.
– He prostrated himself.
– He put his face between his knees and called out to God.
– The key today in praying is not our physical position but the seriousness of our praying.
Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. (James 5:17-18).
iv. Pray repeatedly
The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.” (1 Kings 18:44 ).
– Elijah prayed seven times.
– There is no magic in the number seven.
– He only prayed once when he prayed for God to send fire on the sacrifice
– The key was that he prayed until there was an answer.
– It’s what old-timers called, “praying through.”
– Elijah prayed through the spiritual barriers.
– He prayed until there was a response.
– Too often today, we quit praying before the answer comes, when with just a little more praying, God would open the windows of heaven on us.
– We need to pray like Jacob.
–Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me. (Genesis 32:26).
v. Pray expectantly
– Elijah sent his servant to look for the rain cloud!
– He knew in his spirit that the answer was on the way
– There was no question about it – rain was coming
– Elijah prayed a “prayer of faith”
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