Topical Bible: Answers To Prayer: Elijah

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Elijah, a prophet of the Lord during the reign of Ahab in the northern kingdom of Israel, is a prominent biblical figure known for his fervent prayers and the miraculous answers he received from God. His life and ministry are recorded primarily in the books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings. Elijah's prayers demonstrate his deep faith and the power of God to intervene in the natural world and the affairs of men.

Drought and Rain

One of the most notable instances of answered prayer in Elijah's life is the declaration of a drought and its subsequent end. In 1 Kings 17:1, Elijah boldly proclaims to King Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." This pronouncement was a direct result of Elijah's prayerful relationship with God, as he sought to turn Israel back from idolatry to the worship of Yahweh.

After three and a half years of drought, Elijah prayed for rain. In 1 Kings 18:42-45, Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel, bent down to the ground, and put his face between his knees. He instructed his servant to look toward the sea seven times, and on the seventh time, the servant reported a small cloud rising from the sea. Elijah's persistent prayer was answered as the sky grew dark with clouds, and a heavy rain fell, ending the drought.

Mount Carmel and the Prophets of Baal

Another significant event highlighting Elijah's prayer life is the confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. In 1 Kings 18:36-38, Elijah prayed, "LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command. Answer me, LORD, answer me, so that this people will know that You, LORD, are God, and that You are turning their hearts back again." In response to Elijah's prayer, the fire of the LORD fell from heaven, consuming the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and even the water in the trench. This miraculous answer to prayer demonstrated God's power and led the people to acknowledge the LORD as the true God.

Raising the Widow's Son

Elijah's prayerful intercession is also evident in the account of the widow's son in Zarephath. In 1 Kings 17:20-22, Elijah cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?" He stretched himself upon the child three times and prayed, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!" The LORD heard Elijah's prayer, and the boy's life returned to him, showcasing God's compassion and power over life and death.

Strength for the Journey

In 1 Kings 19:4-8, after fleeing from Jezebel, Elijah found himself in the wilderness, overwhelmed and despondent. He prayed that he might die, saying, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers." Instead of granting this request, God sent an angel to provide food and water, strengthening Elijah for a forty-day journey to Mount Horeb. This divine provision in response to Elijah's prayer highlights God's care and purpose for His servants, even in times of despair.

Conclusion

Elijah's life is a testament to the power of prayer and God's faithfulness in answering the prayers of His people. Through Elijah's fervent and effectual prayers, God demonstrated His sovereignty, power, and desire to draw His people back to Himself. Elijah's example encourages believers to approach God with faith and persistence, trusting in His ability to answer prayer according to His will and purpose.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Kings 18:36-38
And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

James 5:17,18
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.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Elijah, the Praying Prophet
... Not in God, but in our praying. The proof of God and of His being is that He answers
prayer. It takes the faith and prayer of Elijah to settle the question. ...
/.../bounds/prayer and praying men/v elijah the praying prophet.htm

Answers to Prayer
... himself repeatedly proved that the Lord hears and answers prayer! ... the interposition
of God, as feeding Elijah by the ... it was in direct answer to prayer for that ...
//christianbookshelf.org/various/the wonders of prayer/answers to prayer.htm

Answered Prayer.
... How often, in what is called prayer, there is ... Listen to Elijah: "Lord, let this child's
soul come ... our faith into petition, and obtain answers, then Infidelity ...
//christianbookshelf.org/champness/broken bread/xxxiii answered prayer.htm

Letter v. Prayer and Fasting.
... to punish the idolatry and rebellion of the Israelites, Elijah prayed earnestly ... the
evidence here presented, who can doubt that God hears and answers prayer? ...
/.../letter v prayer and fasting.htm

Prayer Perfumed with Praise
... and yet the reality and heartiness of prayer will often be ... Elijah, when on the top
of Carmel, did not pray ... of supplication, and for the divine answers to these ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 25 1879/prayer perfumed with praise.htm

The Christian Prayer
... ANSWERS TO PRAYER. ... Notable Instances of Prayer, and the response of God, are shown
in the ... 24-31), Moses (Numbers 11:2), Samuel (1 Samuel 12:18), Elijah (1 Kings ...
/.../sell/studies in the life of the christian/study vii the christian prayer.htm

Power of Prayer.
... And the God, who answers prayer,. Helps them when they seek his face. ... Prayer
prevailed and brought him out; When Elijah prayed, it rained,. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/olney hymns/hymn 61 power of prayer.htm

Prayer --Fills Man's Poverty with God's Riches
... the plain letter and spirit of the Bible when we affirm that God answers prayer,
and answers by giving us ... James says of Elijah that he "prayed with prayer.". ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/ii prayerfills mans poverty with.htm

The Moody Colportage Library
... PW Sinks 104 Answers to Prayer. ... Scofield 147 Problems in the Prayer Life. ... WH Griffith
Thomas 150 Where Is the Lord God of Elijah? Cox 151 The Faith that Wins. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/moodys stories/the moody colportage library.htm

Prayer --The Forerunner of Mercy
... the torrents of rain were the offspring of Elijah's faith and ... Your assurance was
the result of prayer. ... have been obliged to look upon them as answers to your ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/prayerthe forerunner of mercy.htm