Alone in the stillness of the early morning in my comfy chair out in our backyard garden looking up in the vastness of the soft blue sky this morning I was consumed with amazement of the immensity and greatness of our GOD. As I spoke to YHWH- the great I AM- Creator of the heavens and the earth I continued to gaze intently at the blueness and noticed bits of mist forming into a tiny cloud. Couldn’t help but think of Elijah and realized that the ALMIGHTY was answering my earlier question in how I was to pray for a situation.
Let me explain. You don’t have to go online and search for a video to get instructions in how to do what GOD wants you to do. The bible is our instruction manual. JESUS said, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of GOD.” Matthew 4:4
The bible tells us (we who received the HOLY SPIRIT when we believed in JESUS John 7:38-39, Ephesians 1:13) to walk after the SPIRIT (follow the leader Romans 8:1, 4) and to be led by the HOLY SPIRIT (Romans 8:14, Galatians 5:18) just as JESUS was.
Luke 4:1 “And JESUS being full of the HOLY SPIRIT returned from Jordan and was led by the SPIRIT”
To follow the leading of the SPIRIT in prayer, 1st let’s check and see how the HOLY SPIRIT prayed.
Romans 8:27 “And HE (GOD the FATHER) that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the SPIRIT, because HE (the HOLY SPIRIT) makes intercession for the saints according to the will of GOD.”
And as JESUS told us we find that will of in GOD’s word the bible.
So how does all this have to do to me seeing bits of mist coming together to form a tiny cloud which made me think of Elijah? GOD told Elijah that as punishment on Israel HE was sending a famine, and it would not rain but he was to pray that it not rain. So, Elijah told King Ahab and then went and prayed that it would not rain.
“…As the LORD GOD of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” (1 Kings 17:1) In other words it will not rain again until I pray that it rain.
Over 3 years later GOD told Elijah to go to King Ahab for HE (GOD) was going to send rain (1 Kings 18:1). You need to do your own homework and read 1 Kings 17 and 18 to gets some exciting stories that I’ll pass by.
After much excitement and the killing of all the hundreds of false prophets of Baal, Elijah went to the top of Mt Carmel and cast himself on the earth and put his face between his knees and told his servant to go look toward the sea and the servant saw nothing. This happened 7 times and it came to pass that the seventh time the servant told Elijah behold, there arises a little cloud out of the sea about the size of a man’s hand. Elijah told his servant to go to Ahab and tell him to get in his chariot and down the mountain before the rain stopped him. (summary of 1 Kings 18:42-44).
In James it says that Elijah’s prayers stopped the rain for 3 ½ years and then caused it to rain (James 5:17-18) but what it doesn’t say is Elijah’s prayed what GOD told him that HE was going to do.
Ezekiel 36:36b-37a paraphrased: GOD says, I will do it for them, but I want them to ask for me for it.
JESUS said, “THY will be done on earth as it is in heaven” Matthew 6:10.
How do we learn GOD’s will in a situation, so we know how to pray effectively and not just into the air? 1st Ask GOD what HE wants (Proverbs 3:5-7). Then do as led. Often when reading the Bible we are impressed to pray verses from the Bible. Sometimes the HOLY SPIRIT will nudge us with a piece of a bible verse and sometimes we have no clue as to what GOD is doing so pray what we know is true and can pray what we want if we add “but not my will but THY will be done” (just as JESUS did Matthew 26:39).
We may not stop the rain for 3 ½ years but as we grow in our knowledge of GOD through HIS word and learn to listen to the HOLY SPIRIT our prayers can and will be effective.
Hugs
Sharon
wakemyear 