Integrity- People of God

An earnest prayer is praying and declaring what God has already spoken to us through His word and our fellowship and communion with God.   Elijah prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain for three and a half years.  The Bible says Elijah was a man that stood before God and earnest prayer was simply praying what God had said about the rain.

1Kings 18:15 Then Elijah said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today.” KJV

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours his personality and temperament were like those of people today. He had to face challenges, problems and concerns but, Elijah stood before God, that is he had been in the presence of God and he knew God’s word. When a person has been in the presence of God, they can present themselves before kings and leaders because they know the Lord God Almighty is faithful.

Elijah stood in the presence of God and that he spent time with God to know His word and His will.   We too can pray earnestly when we have been in the presence of God and learning His heart and what God says on the matter and believe He is faithful to perform it.

James 5: 17-18  Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. NKJV

Prayer is a conversation it is communication of praises and requests addressed to God, who is the focus and recipient of our worship, love and adoration.  Our earnest prayer merely declares what God has already spoken and we speak it from a heart of love and faith. It is not the regurgitation of words without meaning or without a relationship; it is decreeing a truth out of love for God and His creation.

Prayer is not just us telling God all about our troubles and it is not a one-way conversation.  Some people believe prayer is just us telling God what they want, need and what they want Him to do for them but that is not so. Prayer is communion and interaction between God and us and it grows into a close and intimate relationship.  Earnest prayer is a conversation, an instinctive response to a loving and personal relationship with God as we experience His fellowship, friendship and love He becomes part of our daily lives.

Earnest prayer is saying what God says regarding a matter with confidence and faith that He will do what He said He will do. Earnest prayer is having such a close relationship with God that we understand His heart and His will on a matter and then proclaiming and declaring the matter as fact and truth. We too can be intimate with God by hearing His word, being in His presence, which increases our faith and trust in Him.

1 Kings17:1   And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”   NKJV

God’s heart is always toward the people and the souls of men. Though the people had turned away from Him and worshiped false gods, God sent Elijah demonstrated the love and power of God before the people. Elijah instructed the people to turn back to God and he interceded for them asking God asking to forgive them.

1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.

1 Kings 18: 37-39         Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”  Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” NKJV

Elijah asked the people to consider their ways and to choose between God and their false god. He demonstrated the power of God before the unbelieving people and lead them to believe in the true and living God. Even though the people deserved judgement and the wrath of God, Elijah knew God’s heart was for the people.

God is merciful and full of grace toward His creation.  Elijah prepared an offering to God on behalf of the nation and because of the love of God, His wrath and judgement fell upon the sacrifice and spared the people even though their actions deserved judgement.

Every true follower of Christ can choose to stand in the presence of God, to be quick to obey His word and have an intimate relationship with Him and know His will.  We can speak the word of God to declare His truth and His word to unbelieving people by showing them the love of God.  They too may turn their hearts toward God because of the love of God that is shown in us through Jesus Christ.

We are to point people to the love of Jesus as He was the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus received the wrath of God and took all the judgement until it was finished and complete.  Now humanity can stand before a loving God without fear or doubt because Jesus paid it all. As true followers of Christ we are to intercede as kings and priests to God on the behalf of the lost people of the world.

This is the responsibility of every Christ follower to pray earnestly, as Elijah as kings and priest to operate in the authority of God as His children proclaim the word of God to the nations and to intercede for the people to God.