Praying in Faith

"Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are" (James 5:17).

Thank God for that! He got under a juniper tree, as you and I have often done; he complained and murmured, as we have often done; was unbelieving, as we have often been. But that was not the case when he really got into touch with God. Though "a man subject to like passions as we are," "he prayed praying."  It is sublime in the original--not "earnestly," but "he prayed in prayer." He kept on praying. What is the lesson here? You must keep praying.

Come up on the top of Carmel, and see that remarkable parable of Faith and Sight. It was not the descent of the fire that now was necessary, but the descent of the flood; and the man that can command the fire can command the flood by the same means and methods. We are told that he bowed himself to the ground with his face between his knees; that is, shutting out all sights and sounds. He was putting himself in a position where, beneath his mantle, he could neither see nor hear what was going forward.

He said to his servant, "Go and take an observation." He went and came back, and said--how sublimely brief! one  word--"Nothing!"
What do we do under such circumstances?

We say, "It is just as I expected!" and we give up praying. Did Elijah? No, he said, "Go again." His servant again came back and said, "Nothing!" "Go again." "Nothing!"

By and by he came back, and said, "There is a little cloud like a man's hand." A man's hand had been raised in supplication, and presently down came the rain; and Ahab had not time to get back to the gate of Samaria with all his fast steeds. This is a parable of Faith and Sight--faith shutting itself up with God; sight taking observations and seeing nothing; faith going right on, and "praying in prayer," with utterly hopeless reports from sight.

Do you know how to pray that way, how to pray prevailingly? Let sight give as discouraging reports as it may, but pay no attention to these. The living God is still in the heavens and even to delay is part of His goodness.  --Arthur T. Pierson

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What was James' reasoning for pointing out the fact that Elijah was a man just as we are, with the same passions and proclivities? It was simple, faith has no partiality in its power and desire to perform. James was telling his readers that the only thing that separated Elijah from those that accomplish little in the way of prayer and faith was his perseverance in prayer, which was a testimony to the depth of his faith. Elijah was not deterred by delay.

Elijah was not daunted by the circumstances of the moment. He was not inclined to give up at the negative report of sight. Sight said nothing, but Elijah persisted in prayer. Sight gave no confirmation of anticipation being fulfilled, but Elijah kept believing. Sight could only perform within its human limitations, but faith was powerful enough to bend the facts of natural limitations and obtain that supernatural expectation. Faith sees beyond the limited perspicacity of human rationale.

Dr. Rick Wallace

In fact, though Elijah built an eternal legacy, he was no different than any of us, except that his faith was settled in God, and he refuse to believe anything other than what God had promised.

I know that it can be easy to rely on your sight. You see the impossible in front of you. The task is daunting and your hope begins to wane, but God is faithful and able to perform all that He has promised; even in the face of what your sight has revealed. God specializes in the impossible. The audacious faith that was expressed on Mount Carmel by Elijah was not exclusive to Him, but is accessible to all willing to execute its power without wavering.

In order to experience the impossible you must be willing to face the impossible, believing that God can transform the impossible into the accomplished. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace