Elijah’s Prayer: Prayer of Faith
“And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, go up, say unto Ahab, prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not”
Don’t forget prior to this time, there had not been rain or any resemblance of it for the past three and a half years! The sky had become whitish and clear with no hope of any drop of water much less shower of rain! This was the situation when a little cloud as a small as a man’s hand was rising from the sea… Instantly, Elijah believed the cloud as the evidence of rain! What a great faith that was! “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen.”To an ordinary natural man, the appearance of such a very little cloud would not produce a justifiable reason to announce the coming of the rain. But that was all Elijah needed to see in order for him to believe there would be rain. To him the little cloud was as real as the rain. That was faith- the evidence of things not seen.
Now as believers in the Lord, God also expects us to exercise same faith- believing the evidence of unseen realities of the promises of God. It is like when a man goes to buy a car at a company. He pays for the car and in turn received the receipt without taking the car home with him. And on getting home he announces “I got my own car!” when people would query “Where is the car?” he says, “Here is the receipt!” Likewise as believer, the word of God is the evidence of the unseen realities of God’s inexhaustible blessings.
Elijah only saw a little cloud but not rain, yet he confessed to Ahab, “Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.” Do you believe God is real? Then you must also believe His word with the same faith. God and His word are two inseparable Entities. The Word is God, God is the Word! “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.”
As God is true so His word is true. As God is unchanging so his words are unchanging. God created the universe by His word and sustains it by the same. When ye pray, believe! Believe what? – The never-failing word of God.
Believers must not allow the voice of contrary external circumstances to speak louder than the voice of the word of God. Doctor’s report, human opinions, demonic appearances, natural feelings, worldly perspectives must not in any way becloud our inner eyes from seen the reality of the word of God. The word of God is over and above them all! All that God has said concerning you will surely come to pass. But only believe when you pray.
When Mary received the incredible news about the birth of Christ, she believed and was blessed! Elizabeth under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost declared unto her, “And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord” (Luke 1:45). Do you also believe the promise of the word of God over and above the needs and situations of your life? Blessed also is YOU that believes, for there shall be performance and fulfillment of the promises of God in your life!
Perhaps the situation of your life is as dead and stinking as the case of Lazarus the brother of Mary and Martha, I tell you, if you can believe the promise of Him Who is the Resurrection and the Life, you will definitely see the glory of God! You will live again! “Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for the hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” (John 11: 39:40). “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord” (James 1:6-7).
The Prayer of Elijah continues in the next episode…
