Where Is The Power In Prayer? Part 2
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Dismiss children to children’s church.
Last week we looked in depth at the first two points on prayer…
Prayer is Pertinent
Prayer Brings Healing
Today we will look at the last two with a focus on a man named Elijah...
Prayer Requires Faith
Prayer is for All Believers
“The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him.” D.L Moody
We see in our nation an overwhelming lack of prayer… yet we see God doing great works even miracles in the church around the world! We look to our government, bank accounts, and careers to fix things… when people in the church around the world can only look to God.
“It makes me boil when I think of the power we profess and the utter impotency of our action. Believers who know one-tenth as much as we do are doing one-hundred times more for God, with His blessing and our criticism. Oh... if only God's power would become known among us.”
Jim Elliot
Throughout history and the scriptures we see God work through ordinary, and even sub-ordinary, men and women to do some amazing and miraculous things when His people PRAY! When God’s people pray, the world takes notice of God Almighty!
James in chapter 5 not only challenges his readers to pray but outright tells them they must!
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.
Consider Who Elijah was according to this passage in James:
He was a man
He had a nature like ours
He Prayed…
this is what will set him apart from other men with the same nature!
I want us to look back and see what his communication with God accomplished...
Prayer is communication with God!
We will find this time of Elijah communicating with God in
As we look at the scene Elijah comes into, it is a dismal one...
Israel is a divided kingdom… Israel is to the north and Judah (Jerusalem) is to the south
Ahab is the King in Israel, and Jezabel is the Queen
32 So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made the Asherah. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
Baal and Asherah
Baal sun god, over nature, rain, lightning, wind, etc.
Asherah was the mother of Baal and a goddess worshiped
Both required horrific acts of worship and sacrifices even human at times
Israel has turned their backs on God for the pleasures of these pagan gods… what has crept into your life that has replaced God?
Elijah comes on the scene as the man God will use somewhat out of the blue
1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
Never underestimate when and how God will use you.
Elijah comes from a town too small for a map dot
A farm and ranch area
No formal education is ever given
No fancy introductions… God has a message and Elijah gives the message!
Elijah has been communicating with God and God now has a message for the King of Israel.
No rain, no dew, until I pray/talk/communicate so to God.
This is not vindictive… this is a heart in beat with God’s heart.
Elijah stood with God… a very lonely place to stand.
Does your communication with God bring about a boldness in your life for Him?!
Standing for God does not always mean life is easy...
For a long while he is in isolation with only God, fed by Ravens, drinking from a brook (time in prayer)
He then stays with a widow and her son (prays and the flour and oil never run out until it rains)
The widows son gets sick and dies (Elijah prays and his life is restored)
Life was not easy, BUT wow what a God to work through prayers!
3 1/2 years later… that is a long time!
Elijah is communicating with God and He says it’s time…
17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 He said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed the Baals. 19 “Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 He said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed the Baals. 19 “Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
Elijah at Mt Carmel: Where God recieved the victory and glory through a man’s prayer!
Elijah at Mt Carmel: Where God recieved the victory and glory through a man’s prayer!
Notice how when we are in communication with God we do not lack boldness or courage!
Elijah is clear who has brought about the trouble Israel has seen.
17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 He said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed the Baals. 19 “Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
Elijah then challenges the hearts of Israel!
Elijah then challenges the hearts of Israel!
21 Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.
Israel is in a state of double-mindedness!
Israel stays quiet knowing the answer but not wanting to say it because they would then have to act one way or another...
What does your silence say about your faith!?
It is time to take a side, the line is in the sand!!!
Proposition is simple:
build alter
the god who responds with fire wins
by the way Ball goes first (sun god, lightening, storms, and nature)
Elijah has a little fun… scripture is comical some times.
27 It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.”
Our God never sleeps, He is everywhere present, Our God is in tune with your life and mine!!! He even hears a whisper!
NOW… It is God’s Turn!
NOW… It is God’s Turn!
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord which had been torn down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”
Get close watch what God is going to do...
12 tribes of Jacob… remember who you are Israel
Israel= “one who wrestles with God”
Have you been wrestling with God? Is He trying to get your attention?
Preparation:
God’s alter
Preparing the people’s hearts
Soak the sacrifice, wood, stones, and trench around the alter
Pray…
35 The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water. 36 At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. 37 “Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”
Elijah is not done yet...
Baal prophets are killed (what needs cut out of your life)
Cancer is never a partial removal… you want all of it gone!
42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43 He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times. 44 It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’ ” 45 In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. 46 Then the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel.
God answered, God worked, God recieved the glory the victory...
Now how do we relate Elijah with ?
Now how do we relate Elijah with ?
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.
Pray for one another… all of you! God will listen to His people when we pray in faith!!!
Illustrate with Girl at TeePee Camp… God heard her prayer of faith.
The prayer of a righteous man...
What needs to be removed from your life?
Elijah spent time with with God, communicated with Him, he was not perfect… but he had a relationship with a Perfect and Powerful God.
17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 He said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have followed the Baals. 19 “Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”