Today's reading is one of the most remembered passages in the Bible. This was a challenge undertaken in the full view of a nation and its pagan culture. Divinely motivated, Elijah challenged King Ahab, then defeated the pagan priests on Mount Carmel and bows down to pray for rain. What a great work in a single day’s time! Great victories won in God’s way clearly shows how glorious and mighty our God is!

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God works in miraculous ways on behalf of His servants, who are daring to take up His assignments without any hesitation. The risk involved in this matter is large; but faith overcomes this and finds a way to victory. He is still looking out for His miracle working servants like Elijah. The real qualification for people like Elijah in God's word will astonish us. “Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.” (James 5:17-18). Much ground is lost to the enemy just because of lack of earnest prayer. If we are ready to go down on our knees, He will surely show forth His mighty miracles.

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THE CHALLENGE

 The first part was for Elijah to take up the challenge and then go to challenge King Ahab. “Later on, in the third year of the drought, the LORD said to Elijah, "Go and present yourself to King Ahab. Tell him that I will soon send rain!" (1 Kings 18:1 NLT). Unless this happens, the rest of the work will never come to light. This is the inner prompting between us and God. Many a time God has asked us to take the lead to talk to some person or family or group of people about the saving grace of God, but we were hesitant. How less we dare to stand for our Lord. If we dare to do the Lord’s command, then the rest is His part to fulfill His word. We need to trust God to do it for us.

 

CONFRONTATION

Here is a real confrontation that is happening with the dark world, in public view. Elijah had gone the full extent to challenge, defeat and then completely destroy the works of the devil by killing all the servants of Baal. This confrontation with the kingdom of darkness is inevitable in our case also when we stand up for the Lord. We need to battle our way through the thick unseen barriers donning the full armor of God  (Eph. 6:11-18).

 

CONSISTENT IN PRAYER

Often, we do the first two parts and then think God will do His miracle. But in order for the miracle to happen our consistent prayers are needed. Sometimes we need to be like a baby while we pray. Elijah had assumed a posture like a newborn baby in a mother’s womb while praying. God will hear our child-like prayers and answers with a mighty rainstorm.  Are we ready for this mighty rainstorm?

 

Today as you face your challenges, may you bend your knee and pray in faith like Elijah did and watch God work in your situation!

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Thought for the Day:

“God does nothing except in response to believing prayer”
John Wesley (The famous evangelist who spent 2 hours daily in prayer)