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1 Kings 18:30-45 (KJ21) – “³⁰ And Elijah said unto all the people, “Come near unto me.” And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. ³¹ And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be thy name.” ³² And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he made a trench about the altar as great as would contain two measures of seed. ³³ And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood and said, “Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” ³⁴ And he said, “Do it the second time.” And they did it the second time. And he said, “Do it the third time.” And they did it the third time. ³⁵ And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. ³⁶ And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word. ³⁷ Hear me, O Lord! Hear me, that this people may know that Thou art the Lord God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back again.” ³⁸ Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹ And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said, “The Lord, He is the God! The Lord, He is the God!” ⁴⁰ And Elijah said unto them, “Take the prophets of Baal. Let not one of them escape!” And they took them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and slew them there. ⁴¹ And Elijah said unto Ahab, “Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.” ⁴² So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees, ⁴³ and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. ⁴⁴ 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.’” ⁴⁵ And it came to pass in the meantime, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.”

Are you struggling with your prayers being answered? Are you praying the right way? Is there a right way of praying? There are many people who complain that God is not answering their prayers. At the same time, there are many people whom God has answered their prayers and granted them their requests. Some are still among us, while some lived before us like the prayer heroes in the Bible. In this devotional article we focus on Elijah’s prayer on Mount Carmel, which resulted in one of the greatest miracles in the Old Testament. 

Elijah exercised Faith when he prayed

The definition of faith according to the Bible: Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) – “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Let’s examine this further:

Dictionary’s meaning of substance – the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists and which has a tangible, solid presence.

Dictionary’s meaning of evidence – the available body of facts or information showing whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.

We have seen from the above definitions that substance means ‘real physical matter’ and evidence means ‘the available body of facts and information.’ Therefore, let’s substitute the words ‘substance and evidence’ with the definitions and instill them in that verse to get a clearer meaning.

Faith is the real physical matter of things hoped for, the available body of facts and information of things not seen. 

Elijah had not accomplished this miracle before, but he was doubtless that the Lord God whom he serves would make it happen. 

In James 2:26 (KJV) – “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” This verse says we should accompany faith with actions. 

In James 2:21 (KJV) – “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?”

Blind faith only did not justify Abraham. Faith that was joined with actions justified him. 

Let’s study other people also whose faith was justified by their righteous actions:

James 2:25 (KJV) – “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?”

Hebrews 11:4 (KJV) – “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”

Hebrews 11:7 (KJV) – “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

Hebrews 11:8 (KJV) – “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”

Elijah was not different from all the ones specified above. He also exercised his faith with actions. Let’s learn how he did it: 

1. Elijah took 12 stones corresponding to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob (1 Kings 18:31).
2. Elijah built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he made a trench about the altar (1 Kings 18:32).
3. Elijah kept the wood in order, cut the bullock into pieces, laid him on the wood, and said, “Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.” (1 Kings 18:33).
4. Elijah instructed the people to fill the trench with water three times. (1 Kings 18:34)

Let’s analyze this situation. Elijah carrying out this entire process before he prayed meant that he was sure that God would perform a miracle and bring fire to the altar. He even instructed the people to fill the trench with water to make it impossible for anything else to ignite the fire. He wanted to show that God can ignite the fire because God is a God of the impossible. 

In this, we can be able to learn that it is not just important but also compulsory to have faith before we pray for anything and also exercise our faith in actions:

Are you praying to perform well in your studies? While you pray, remember to do your best in your studies. God will fill up the remaining part for you, where you can’t by yourself like the way He did for Daniel in Daniel 8. 

Are you praying for your business to flourish? While you pray, remember to practice Godly business practices. The underlying mission of your business should be to glorify God and bless His people. 

Are you praying to advance in your career? While you pray, work wholeheartedly (Ecclesiastes 9:10), do not repay evil for evil (1 Peter 3:9), and honor your superiors and your juniors at work (Ephesians 6:5-9). Do not work seven days in a week. Work six as the Bible tells you to (Exodus 20:8-11) and keep the Sabbath day holy. In short, carry out Godly practices at work and in all other places.

Whatever you are praying for, have faith and, with faith, accompany it with actions. 

Elijah practiced reverence in his prayer

Elijah was very serious and organized while he offered this prayer to God. He showed his seriousness by performing certain actions before he started praying (1 Kings 18:31-35). He had tremendous respect and reverence for God; by that, he pleased God. 

Let’s see how important reverence is to God:

Isaiah 6:2-3 (KJV) – “² Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. ³ And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.”

In the above verses, we can see unfallen righteous Angels cover their faces in the presence of God. If unfallen angels cover their faces in the presence of God, what about us sinful men?

In Leviticus 10:1-2, Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, by being drunk, got into God’s holy place and started offering strange fire to God (which He commanded them not, Leviticus 10:1). They disrespected God and angered him, and God killed them. 

Therefore, you should be careful about conducting yourself before God’s presence. Things that you cannot do in the presence of an earthly judge or king do not do before God. 

In church, always switch your mobile phones off or put them away. Do not chew gum in church or walk in and out of the church. Be careful how you dress in God’s presence (1 Timothy 2:9). 

Luke 12:5 (KJV) – “But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him.”

Elijah humbled himself before God 

1 Kings 18:36 (KJV) – ”Let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant.”

Elijah humbled himself before God before making his requests. As you can see in the above statement in verse 36, he acknowledged God as the master and himself as a servant. That is an act of humility. 

Let us see other examples in the Bible of people who humbled themselves before God, and God delighted in their actions. 

2 Chronicles 20:18 – “And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.”

King Jehoshaphat humbled himself before God while uttering his prayer after being told that the children of Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir were coming to battle against them.

Let’s look at the results of the prayer

After praying, King Jehoshaphat appointed singers to sing God’s praises as God had told him (2 Chronicles 21). And while the three armies attacked them (Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir), they got confused because of the singing of the choir, and instead of attacking Judah, they started killing themselves. 

Let’s look at another example:

Sennacherib, the King of Assyria, wanted to attack Judah (2 Kings 18:13-37) when King Hezekiah was the King of Judah. The Assyrians had a more powerful army than Judah. When King Hezekiah learned this, he prayed to God, but before praying, he humbled himself before God as portrayed in 2 Kings chapter 19.

2 Kings 19:1 (KJV) – “And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the house of the Lord.”

Imagine a King wearing sackcloth. By doing that, he exhibited a tremendous act of humility. If you want to understand this more clearly, how many rulers and heads of states can do such an action at this time? Most times, when nations hold special prayer occasions, you see the leaders being given royal pillows to kneel on while praying so that they don’t get dirty. 

Let’s see the results of Hezekiah’s prayer

2 Kings 19:35-37 (KJV) – “35 And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. 37 Now it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.”

Sennacherib’s army was powerful, but God sent an angel who killed 185,000 of them. God also made Sennacherib’s sons kill him. 

Let’s look at more examples:

Daniel

King Darius signed a decree that if they found anyone worshipping any other god besides the King, they would cast the person in the lions’ den (Daniel 6:7-9). This happened after the enemies of Daniel failed to find fault in him and had a stern determination to bring him down (Daniel 6:4). Therefore, they tricked the king into signing that decree. Knowing that they had tricked him and could not reverse the decree, King Darius felt remorse for Daniel (Daniel 6:14) because Daniel was his most faithful servant. He served more excellently than the men who had tricked the king into signing that decree 

Daniel 6:10 (KJV) – “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”

Daniel humbled himself before God and knelt three times a day to pray. 

Peter

In Acts 9:36-41, a disciple named Tabitha (In Greek, her name was Dorcas) did many good works and helped the poor. Tabitha became sick and died. The people called Peter to Tabitha’s house. Since Peter was around that area, they came in, and they directed him upstairs to a room where Tabitha was lying. Widows were there, weeping. Upon seeing that, Peter knelt and prayed and raised her from the dead (Acts 9:40). Peter’s prayer, accompanied with humility, raised a dead person. 

Innumerable times, men and women of God have presented themselves before God in a humble way, and as a result, God answered their prayers. 

Elijah prayed to the one and only true God

1 Kings 18:36 (KJV) – “And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel.”

As you can see, Elijah started by being very specific to the God he addressed. There is only one true God. However, people have made for themselves many gods to whom they worship. Elijah did this because he believed God could make all things possible, as He is omnipotent. Also, Elijah wanted to clear out any confusion that may arise after God had answered his prayers, lest the people think it was one of their minor gods who made the miracle possible.

It is very important to be specific to the God you address while you are praying because even the devil and his fallen angels are also gods to some people. Our Father which art in heaven (Matthew 6:9); this is the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples. By saying ‘Our Father which art in heaven,” he was very specific to the god, he addressed because there are earthly fathers, but only one father is in heaven, and He is the God of heaven and earth. 

Let’s look at other examples:

Nehemiah 

Nehemiah 2:4 (KJV) – “So I prayed to the God of heaven.”

Jacob

Genesis 32:9 (KJV) – “And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac”

King Jehoshaphat

2 Chronicles 20:6 (KJV) – “And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? And rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? And in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none can withstand thee?”

King Jehoshaphat was precise in the God he addressed. He further acknowledged God’s power and authority. 

Ask yourself, are you specific to the God you are addressing while you are praying? You may not receive answers to your prayers because you are not specific about the god you are addressing. Always pray to God the Father, in the name of Jesus and through the Holy Spirit.

Elijah believed in God’s Word

1 Kings 18:36 (KJV) – “And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word.”

The key phrase in the above verse is, “I have done all these things at Thy word.” In the New King James Version, it’s written: “and have done all these things at Your command.” Elijah obeyed God’s command and sought to uplift God’s Word, not his personal wishes. Elijah believed in God’s Word. That’s why he submitted to it.

Jeremiah 32:17 (KJV) – “Ah Lord God! Behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee:”

Genesis 18:14 (KJV) – “Is anything too hard for the LORD? Jeremiah quoted God’s Word while praying to Him because he believed in it (Jeremiah 32:17).” 

It is important to obey God’s Word because “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” – James 5:16 (KJV). It is important to submit to God’s Word because God’s Word represents His Will, and God will answer you according to His Will. 1 John 14 (KJV) – “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us,” John 15:7 (KJV) – “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

Most people misinterpret this verse as saying God will do anything they ask for. This verse means that if you embrace God in your life and put God’s Word in your heart, God’s Word will guide you on what to ask for and because you have asked according to His Word, He will give you what you have asked for. This verse also means that if God’s Word abides in you, it may reach a point where your Will and God’s Will are one, and therefore, He will grant you what you have asked for. Let’s try to understand this, the Bible urges us to love our enemies and bless those who curse us (Matthew 5:44). If we pray to God to kill our enemies, He will not answer us because it is not according to His Word. 

Elijah Pleaded with God

1 Kings 18:37 (KJV) – “Hear me, O Lord, hear me” Elijah pleaded with God to hear him. 

When you go to God, you must acknowledge that God owes you nothing. Therefore, you need to request Him not to command Him. You need to know that you can do nothing by your power, but through God’s power, everything is possible (Philippians 4:13). 

Philippians 4:6 (KJV) – “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

The keyword in the above verse is ‘requests.’ You ought to request, not to demand. 

Jonah 4:3 (KJV) – “Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee” – Jonah pleaded with God. 

Judges 13:8 (KJV) – “Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said,”

Manoah pleaded with God, and upon pleading with God, this happened:

Judges 13:9 (KJV) – “And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her.”

God answered Manoah after Manoah had pleaded with him. 

Nehemiah also pleaded with God,

Nehemiah 1:4-5 (KJV) – “⁴ And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, ⁵ And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven”

How is your approach to God when praying? Are you pleading with him when praying, or are you just demanding? Remember, God owes you nothing but wants to give you everything. 

Elijah sought the glory of God and the blessing of His people

1 Kings 18:37 (KJV) – “Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that these people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.”

Elijah did not seek his glory and his blessings, but he sought the glory of God and to bless God’s people. Most of us, while we pray, we are always about ourselves. We are selfish in our requests, only wanting God to bless us. Sometimes we have secret selfish interests in our hearts. For instance, we may want God to bless us with a lot of money so that people can hold us in high esteem and our enemies can feel jealous. 

Is it necessary to seek the glory of God?

1 Corinthians 10:31 (KJV) – “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

The word ‘whatsoever’ means whatever we do, including praying. This means that not all prayers are Godly because not all prayers seek the glory of God.

Praying for yourself only and not praying for others is selfishness, and God hates selfishness. 

Let’s look at verses in the Bible that urge us to pray for others:

Ephesians 6:18 (KJV) – “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints”

Romans 10:1 (KJV) – “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.”

James 5:16 (KJV) – “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.”

Matthew 5:44 (KJV) – “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”

1 Timothy 2:1 (KJV) – “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men”

Romans 8:34 (KJV) – “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” – Jesus prays for us daily. Therefore, we should follow His example and pray for other people. 

How effective is it when you pray for other people? 

Acts 12:5 (KJV) – “Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.”

While the authorities kept Peter in prison, the church prayed for him, and God sent His angel to free him (Acts 12:6-12)

Can you get a blessing while praying for others? 

Job 42:10 (KJV) – “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”

Job was in a tough situation, a situation that was more severe than any of us has ever faced. Imagine all your wealth being taken, your children being taken, and your health deteriorating. Despite facing all that affliction, he still endured praying for his friends. The Lord saw his unselfishness and freed him from his captivity. 

Might you be blocking your blessings because you are not praying for your friends and enemies? 

LASTLY…………………………………….

The power of prayer is not in the prayer’s length but to God, to whom we address the prayer. The worshippers of Baal were many, and they prayed for long hours. Elijah prayed for less than 30 seconds, but God answered his prayers, but Baal did not answer the prayers of the rest of the people. Why is it so? This is because Elijah prayed to the one and only true living God. 

“God’s messengers must tarry long with Him, if they would have success in their work. The story is told of an old Lancashire woman who was listening to the reasons that her neighbors gave for their minister’s success. They spoke of his gifts, of his style of address, of his manners. “Nay,” said the old woman, “I will tell you what it is. Your man is very thick with the Almighty.” – Prayer, Page 136.1, Ellen G. White.

“When men are as devoted as Elijah was and possess the faith that he had, God will reveal Himself as He did then. When men plead with the Lord as did Jacob, the results that were seen then will again be seen. Power will come from God in answer to the prayer of faith.” — Gospel Workers, Page 255, Ellen G. White.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are the God who answers prayers, the One who hears and acts according to Your perfect will. Just as You responded to Elijah’s prayer, reveal Yourself in my life. Strengthen my faith so that I may trust in You fully and act in obedience to Your Word. Teach me to pray with reverence, confidence, and faithful anticipation, knowing that You are able to do the impossible. May my life be a testimony of Your power and faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activity

1. Take a piece of paper and write down a specific prayer request.
2. Below it, list actions you will take to demonstrate your trust in God (e.g., studying diligently if praying for success, practicing generosity if praying for financial breakthrough).
3. Pray over your list, surrendering it to God with the confidence that He hears and answers.
4. Keep the paper as a reminder to act in faith while waiting for God’s response.
5. Share this message with someone

Author: Mark Alex   

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