Topical Bible: Prayer: Answered: Elijah, Asking for Rain

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The account of Elijah praying for rain is a profound example of answered prayer in the Bible, demonstrating the power of faith and the sovereignty of God. This event is recorded in 1 Kings 18, where Elijah, a prophet of the Lord, plays a pivotal role in the spiritual and physical restoration of Israel during a time of severe drought.

Context and Background

The narrative unfolds during the reign of King Ahab, a time marked by rampant idolatry and apostasy in Israel. Ahab, influenced by his wife Jezebel, led the nation in the worship of Baal, provoking the Lord's anger. In response, God sent Elijah to declare a drought upon the land as a divine judgment, as recorded in 1 Kings 17:1: "Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.'"

The Confrontation on Mount Carmel

After three and a half years of drought, God commanded Elijah to present himself to Ahab with the promise of sending rain (1 Kings 18:1). This led to the dramatic confrontation on Mount Carmel, where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest to demonstrate the true God of Israel. The Lord answered Elijah's prayer by sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice, leading the people to acknowledge the LORD as God (1 Kings 18:38-39).

Elijah's Prayer for Rain

Following the victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah turned his attention to the promised rain. In 1 Kings 18:41-46, Elijah instructed Ahab to eat and drink, for there was the sound of a heavy rain. Elijah then ascended to the top of Mount Carmel, where he bowed down to the ground and put his face between his knees, a posture of earnest prayer and humility before God.

Elijah's servant was sent seven times to look toward the sea for any sign of rain. On the seventh occasion, the servant reported a small cloud rising from the sea, "as small as a man's hand" (1 Kings 18:44). Elijah, confident in God's promise, instructed Ahab to prepare his chariot to avoid being stopped by the rain. Soon, the sky grew dark with clouds, the wind rose, and a heavy rain began to fall, ending the drought.

Significance and Lessons

Elijah's prayer for rain is a testament to the power of persistent and faith-filled prayer. His unwavering trust in God's word and his perseverance in prayer, even when there was no immediate evidence of change, serve as an enduring example for believers. James 5:17-18 highlights this event, stating, "Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops."

This account underscores the importance of aligning one's prayers with God's will, as Elijah did, and the assurance that God hears and answers the prayers of the righteous. It also illustrates God's mercy and readiness to restore and bless His people when they turn back to Him in repentance and faith.

Nave's Topical Index

1 Kings 17:1
And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
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1 Kings 18:1,42-45
And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.
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James 5:17
Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
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Library

God's Sovereignty and Prayer
... Elijah knew that God was about to give rain, but that did not ... Yet we find Him asking
for this very thing: "O Father, glorify Thou Me ... Was his prayer answered? ...
/.../pink/the sovereignty of god/chapter nine gods sovereignty and.htm

Prayer Perfumed with Praise
... Elijah, when on the top of Carmel, did not pray for all the blessings ... our knees in
prayer, it becomes us to bless God that prayer has been answered so many ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 25 1879/prayer perfumed with praise.htm

Letter v. Prayer and Fasting.
... to punish the idolatry and rebellion of the Israelites, Elijah prayed earnestly ... means
our Lord had sufficiently tried her faith, he answered her prayer. ...
/.../letter v prayer and fasting.htm

Prayer --The Forerunner of Mercy
... to be heard, and if I am not answered I pray ... torrents of rain were the offspring
of Elijah's faith and ... 4. And yet again, prayer before the blessing serves to ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/prayerthe forerunner of mercy.htm

Answers to Prayer
... while this was not miraculous, it was as directly the interposition of God, as feeding
Elijah by the ... Her desire was granted and my prayer was answered.". ...
//christianbookshelf.org/various/the wonders of prayer/answers to prayer.htm

But Some one Will Say, Does He not Know Without a Monitor Both ...
... to refer to the example of Elijah, who being ... we asked, being persuaded that he has
answered our prayers ... therefore, to dissuade men from prayer, by pretending ...
/.../calvin/of prayer--a perpetual exercise of faith/chapter 3 but some one.htm

My California Trip
... We remembered at this time that Elijah was provided for ... After prayer she said, "Mama,
are you better now?" "No ... t you better now?" The mother answered, "Yes, I ...
/.../cole/trials and triumphs of faith/chapter xvii my california trip.htm

Lives of Faith and Trust
... "Elijah prayed for a temporal mercy when he prayed for rain, and it is clear that
God answered him ... and what God gives you in answer to your prayer you will ...
/.../various/the wonders of prayer/lives of faith and trust.htm

Christ Teaching Liberality
... to reward this good widow for the kindness she showed to the prophet Elijah, when
she ... He began to pray to that God who had answered the prayer of those ...
/.../newton/the life of jesus christ for the young/christ teaching liberality.htm

Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits ...
... to refer to the example of Elijah, who being ... we asked, being persuaded that he has
answered our prayers ... therefore, to dissuade men from prayer, by pretending ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 20 of prayera perpetual.htm