Our Weekly Devotionals

Elijah's dangerous prayer habit

This message is extracted from the book "how to pray dangerous prayers." You can get the book for free when you subscribe to the Prayer army here.

Most people know Elijah as the fiery prophet of God who challenged the prophets of Baal and caused fire to come down from heaven. They also know him as a man who never died but was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. What you might not know is that this man was also a man of persistent prayer. The Bible shows that his power in praying effective (dangerous) prayers was due to persistence for the Scriptures say this about him:

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. 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 (NIV).

The dangerous prayer of Elijah is described here: Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!" So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees. Then he said to his servant, "Go and look out toward the sea." The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, "I didn't see anything." Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, "I saw a little cloud about the size of a man's hand rising from the sea." Then Elijah shouted, "Hurry to Ahab and tell him, 'Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don't hurry, the rain will stop you!'" 1 Kings 18: 41- 46 (NIV).

Why was this prayer so dangerous?

This prayer was dangerous because Elijah persevered.  Why was he able to persevere? He knew what God had told him.   Isn't it interesting to note that even before Elijah went to pray, he told King Ahab: "Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!" This tells us that in dangerous prayers, we know the answer even before we pray. We know that we have received it and no wonder Jesus said: "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11: 24 (NIV).  

Prayer tip from this example: Do not give up so easily  - but in perseverance, make sure you know God's promises for once you know what he has told you, you can pray UNTIL you see what you believe manifest in the physical, that is what perseverance means.

To be continued…

Your brother in the Lord and a slave of the Lord Jesus.

D E Wasake