It Happens After Payer

Pastor H.B. Charles, Jr. is the pastor of the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida.  He is also the author of a book on prayer called, "It Happens After Prayer."  The back of the book contains this synopsis, "Life's inevitable difficulties and disappointments can discourage us from praying but our response should be to pray anyway and keep praying.  Whatever our want or need, God invites us to come to Him with confidence, believing that He is able to answer - and He will answer."

Elijah never had a book listed on amazon.com but this sure sounds like a subject he would have written about.  Elijah was a man of prayer.  In fact, in James 5 when the writer is teaching on prayer, he draws from the account in 1 Kings as an example.

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 earth for three years and six months.  Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit. (James 5:17-18)

It wasn't the declaration that brought down the fire of God.

It wasn't the confrontation that brought down the fire of God.

It wasn't the separation that brought down the fire of God.

It was the supplication.  It was the prayer.

In 1 Kings 18 Elijah confronts the issue of sin and idolatry.  He issues a prophetic challenge, standing as boldly and flat-footed as a preacher could ever be asked to do.  He mocked the impotent idols of the Baal worshipers.  He built an altar.  He made a sacrifice.  Blood was shed.  And yet no fire fell.

It wasn't until after the prayer was offered in verses 36-37 that verse 38 begins, "Then the fire of the Lord fell..."

Most of us have heard the old saying, "Prayer changes things."  Perhaps you even have a bumper sticker or coffee mug with that saying on it.  It's not a bad statement so don't throw out the mug and don't scrape off the bumper sticker.  But, ultimately, prayer by itself doesn't change things.  If prayer changed things, then your situation would have automatically changed when you prayed.

God changes things.  And He does it as a response to obedient faith-filled prayer.

God also changes us.  And He does that when we pray.

Questions / Assignments of the Day:

Does your family pray together?  If not, it can be awkward.  Satan loves to promote awkwardness in prayer.  Start simple.  Ask your family members, "What one thing can I pray with you about today?"  Take a moment and pray for the request of your other family members.  You may find it easier to incorporate your prayer into the meal-time blessing.  Many children have never had their parents pray for them.  Why not start today?

Voice a prayer for your church.  Pray for your Sunday School teacher and the members of your class.  Ask God to send a spirit of revival and renewal to EBC.