Bible League: Living His Word 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!— James 5:17 NLT Elijah's prayers were powerful and effective. He prayed that it would not rain in the Northern Kingdom of Israel as punishment for the sins of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. He told Ahab, "As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives –the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!" (1 Kings 17:1). After three and one-half years of famine, Elijah prayed again, this time for rain. He told Ahab, "Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!" (1 Kings 18:41). Things happened, it is clear, when Elijah prayed. No doubt, you may be thinking to yourself, Elijah's prayers were powerful and effective because he was a prophet of God. Given his stature, you may be thinking, it only makes sense that his prayers would be heard on high. The rest of us, on the other hand, do not have that special advantage. The rest of us are mere farmers, teachers, mothers, children, businesspeople, and so on. We can't expect our prayers to have the same efficacy as Elijah's prayers. We can't draw any conclusions about our prayers from the example of a powerful man of God like Elijah, can we? In our verse for today, James begs to differ with our way of thinking. Elijah, he tells us, was as human as we are. That is, he was not some sort of demi-god with a special access to God that the rest of us do not have. He was a mere man subject to the same kind of weaknesses and failures that every human being is subject to. Indeed, the Bible tells us that he fled from his prophetic call when Jezebel threatened his life. He even longed to die at that time (1 Kings 19:1-4). Despite these weaknesses and failures, Elijah's prayers were powerful and effective. The lesson, then, is that we should pray. The lesson is that we should pray boldly and not give up. Our prayers can have the same kind of power as Elijah's prayers. Our prayers in Jesus' name can be powerful and effective in God's hands (James 5:16). Bible in a Year Old Testament Reading1 Kings 8, 9 1 Kings 8 -- Ark Brought to the Temple; Solomon's Prayer of Dedication NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 1 Kings 9 -- God's covenant with Solomon; Solomon's works NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 23:39-56 Luke 23 -- Jesus before Pilate and Herod; Jesus' Crucifixion and Burial NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion He will break down every high towerand every fortified wall. He will destroy all the great trading ships and every magnificent vessel. Human pride will be humbled, and human arrogance will be brought down. Only the LORD will be exalted on that day of judgment. Insight Lofty towers were part of a city or nation's defenses. This phrase refers to security based on military fortresses. “Great trading ships” pictures economic prosperity; and “every magnificent vessel” reveals pleasure and enjoyment. Challenge Nothing can compare with or rival the place God must have in our hearts and minds. To place our hope elsewhere is nothing but false pride. Place your confidence in God alone. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible.Peter most earnestly exhorted the scattered saints to love each other "with a pure heart fervently" and he wisely fetched his argument, not from the law, from nature, or from philosophy, but from that high and divine nature which God hath implanted in his people. Just as some judicious tutor of princes might labor to beget and foster in them a kingly spirit and dignified behaviour, finding arguments in their position and descent, so, looking upon God's people as heirs of glory, princes of the blood royal, descendants of the King of kings, earth's truest and oldest aristocracy, Peter saith to them, "See that ye love one another, because of your noble birth, being born of incorruptible seed; because of your pedigree, being descended from God, the Creator of all things; and because of your immortal destiny, for you shall never pass away, though the glory of the flesh shall fade, and even its existence shall cease." It would be well if, in the spirit of humility, we recognized the true dignity of our regenerated nature, and lived up to it. What is a Christian? If you compare him with a king, he adds priestly sanctity to royal dignity. The king's royalty often lieth only in his crown, but with a Christian it is infused into his inmost nature. He is as much above his fellows through his new birth, as a man is above the beast that perisheth. Surely he ought to carry himself, in all his dealings, as one who is not of the multitude, but chosen out of the world, distinguished by sovereign grace, written among "the peculiar people" and who therefore cannot grovel in the dust as others, nor live after the manner of the world's citizens. Let the dignity of your nature, and the brightness of your prospects, O believers in Christ, constrain you to cleave unto holiness, and to avoid the very appearance of evil. Daily Light on the Daily Path John 17:4 "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.John 4:34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. John 9:4 "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. Luke 2:49,50 And He said to them, "Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?" • But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. John 11:4,40 But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it." • Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" Luke 2:52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 3:22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased." Luke 4:22 And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, "Is this not Joseph's son?" Revelation 5:9,10 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. • "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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