Ready. Set. Pray.

1 Kings 18:^36-37 “…Elijah …prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me! …so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God…”

Elijah’s first prayer was not recorded, it was only the second prayer that was recorded. But James 5 tells us how he prayed the first prayer and 1Kings 18 showed us how he prayed the second prayer. So, if you combine the two, we can see how he prayed both prayers. James 5: ¹⁸ “It did not rain until Elijah prayed again for God to open the skies when the rain came down and the earth produced a great crop” (The Voice, emphasis added). In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, because the heavens are going to be open over you, and are open over you, the rain will fall upon your land. Your land will produce a great harvest in the Mighty Name of Jesus. I can declare the things that God has laid upon my heart, but you have to receive them. Your land will produce a great harvest in the Name of Jesus.

There are a lot of things to learn from Elijah, but we are going to look at three things. Even though he was a man subject to the same passion as we are, how was he able to do the things he did? The first thing we see is, Elijah had the willingness to do what was required, irrespective of the excuses not to. If you are going to make a difference in your life and your destiny, you must be willing to do what is required irrespective of how you feel. If someone does not overcome his or her excuses, the heavens over such a life will remain shut. You have to overcome the excuses to pray, overcome the excuses to fast, and overcome the excuses to pay the price that is required. Elijah was a man just like you and I, he had the same weaknesses, the same excuses. The willingness to do what is required irrespective of the excuses not to is actually what separates great people from ordinary people. The ordinary person will give you enough reason not to do anything.

Why would you not read a book a month? Do you want to remain where you are or are you going to make a change? Stop making excuses; evaluate what needs to be done, roll up your sleeves, and give it what it takes. If you do not, you cannot blame anybody else. Elijah, the Bible tells us clearly, was a man just like us. If a man just like us can pray with great intensity, it means that you and I can pray with great intensity. If a man just like me can stay in the place of prayer and pray until the heavens are open, that means I can also pray until the heavens are open. If a man just like me can place a demand on God and establish His will over a whole nation. That means I can also do that. It starts with having the willingness to do what is required, irrespective of the excuses not to.

Our second lesson from Elijah is Elijah’s power came from God in response to Elijah’s prayer. Yes, you need to pray earnestly and do what is required. Irrespective of the excuses, you need to pay the price, but power comes from God in response to prayer.

Prayer: Father, empower me to rise above excuses and see Your face, in Jesus Name. Amen!