Elijah’s Prayers of Faith
“Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” (1Kings 17:10-11)
Elijah jumped on stage without warning anybody, and he went straight to State House to give King Ahab a stunning bitter prophecy that unfortunately came to pass: a horrible three-year long drought. This persisted no matter how much the Israelites called on the small gods and idols to which they had strayed. The Baals of the First Lady were for that season disabled and could do nothing, even when her father was their priest in Midian. Jezebel therefore suffered with her royal husband, and with all the people of Palestine then – they suffered the punishment God pronounced through Prophet Elijah the Tishbite. James later tells the story to encourage his readers in the matter of prayers of faith: “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.” (James 5:17).
Elijah sent many more prayers: during that drought, he prayed for food, and God sent the ravens with meat and bread at Elijah’s temporary residence where there was a brook with clean drinking water. Thank God, He answers prayers of faith. But when the brook dried up, Elijah still got hungry, and he prayed again; this time God sent him to a suffering and needy widow in Zarephath who was just one meal away from starvation. Things were bad everywhere anyway; but this widow would be an instrument to show God’s power, answering prayers of faith. It turned out that her cooperation with the Man of God became their insurance dividend; they ate and drank from that ‘one meal’ for months and months until the prophesied time of the drought ended, when Elijah prayed again.
When the widow was satisfied and her life revitalized, she must have praised the God of Elijah – Jehovah Jireh! But He gives more than just temporary satisfaction from a meal; and how would she know this? Her only son fell sick and died! This would require one more prayer of faith from the prophet: Elijah interviewed God first, “have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with…?” As if tragedy on others is alright; indeed when tragedy serves to reveal to them the power of God, let them suffer for that moment, as Ahab did. But Elijah’s prayer of faith removed tragedy from the widow and served the same purpose – revealing the power of Almighty God.
Be encouraged in the matters of prayer and faith. When you seek the glory of God, when the power of God should draw men and women, children and adults to their Maker and Redeemer, He will go an extra mile to answer you, to satisfy you, to reveal mysteries to you, to hold and guide through your school time, to clothe you with perfect health – to answer your prayers of faith. As he did for Elijah, He will do it for you – be encouraged.
God bless you.