THURSDAY February 6, 2020
Earnestly Pray
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.
James 5:17-18
James had directed the believers to the great example of Job, who suffered many trials and persevered (James 5:11), but then he also pointed out to them the well-known prophet Elijah. He was a man just like them, but he had great faith and became a powerful man of prayer. Elijah prayed earnestly, and the weather was affected––it did not rain for three-and-a-half-years! Then he prayed once more, and it rained, causing the earth to produce its fruit.
Sin, selfishness, doubting and pride are some of the hindrances to prayer. Listen to the self-righteous prayer of a Pharisee:
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess’ ” (Luke 18:10-12).
The Pharisee was pious by thinking he was so much better than anyone else. In comparison, listen to the humble prayer of the tax collector:
“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ ” (Luke 18:13)
In times of desperation we can call upon God. As we pray, we must come to Him in humility and not pride. Imagine, we are living in a very critical time of history in the world, yet the Church is silent; it has gone to sleep. There should be thousands of people gathered together earnestly praying in our churches. Let us start praying today!
Those prayers that awaken God must awaken us.
~Thomas Goodwin~
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