Elijah’s Prayer: An Expectant Prayer
“…and he cast himself down upon earth, and put his face between his knees and said to his servant, Go up now and look toward the sea.”
“Go up now and look toward the sea.” That was expectation in prayer. Elijah prayed with the heart to receive. He was not just praying to fulfill all righteousness. No, he was actually asking to receive. He knew the purpose for which he was praying; he had a goal, a focus and an expectation in prayer. Elijah wanted rain and therefore looked toward the sky where he expected rain to fall from. His prayer was not vague and void, he knew what to expect in prayer. He was specific in his request.
David also prayed in like manner:
“My voice shall thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up” (Psalm 5:3KJV).
“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice. In the morning I lay my request before you and wait in expectation (NIV).
David knew that God would hear him when he called and would answer him. Are you also expectant in your prayer? Do you ask to receive or to keep yourself busy? God expect you to have expectation in prayer. It’s funny to know that a lot of Christians pray without expectation. It’s why they prayed and forgot what they asked in prayer. It’s also lack of expectation that makes us not to have prayer list or records of what we pray for; where we pray and when we pray.
Expectation is the feeling waiting to something happening, especially looking forward with excitement. It is the anticipation that something is going to happen. And consequently, expectation produces preparation. For instance, if you are praying for the fruit of the womb, you’ll start making preparation for the arrival of the baby. If you are trusting and praying to God for the gift of marriage, you don’t just sit down idly somewhere. You get yourself prepared and equipped for the married life. If you are praying for a job and you have expectation, you will go out, submit application and be expectant to receive calls for interview. You don’t pray and then sit down; you pray and prayerfully look out in the direction of your expectation.
We need to pray with expectation, or else there is no point praying at all. There are many people who pray without having expectation of receiving. So they receive exactly what they expect-nothing! Praying without expectation emanates from a heart of unbelief. The prayer of faith is a prayer of expectation, single-minded and focused on God. Believing God that what He has promised in His Word, He is equally able to do. It is based on the promise of God and therefore looks fir that promise to be fulfilled. Jesus says, “Whatsoever thing you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them (Mark 11:24).
When next you pray, expect to receive, and you shall have your expectation. Remain blessed.
