There is another aspect to prayer that is often misunderstood. It is described for us in the book of James, but the story behind it is in I Kings 17 and 18.
In I Kings 17, Elijah prayed that is would not rain for three years; God answered and it didn’t rain. Then, he prayed that it would rain, and it rained. When Elijah was on Mt. Carmel with the prophets of Baal, extraordinary miracles were worked. He called down fire from heaven after the altar had been drenched with water; not only was the sacrifice consumed along with the wood, but the rocks were also consumed by the fire that came down in answer to Elijah’s prayer. Elijah clearly knew how to pray.
James tells us that Elijah was an ordinary person, just like us. This story is in the Bible for a reason, but not many of us think of Elijah as a man like us. I want to believe I’m like Elijah, but Elijah really knew how to pray with confidence, and his prayers were answered dramatically.
God’s people are supposed to pray like Elijah. According to Jesus, it isn’t the size of our faith; it’s what or WHOM our faith is in. If we have a tiny little mustard seed of faith placed in God’s word, God’s word will come true. It’s not magic; it’s just that God always does what He says He will do. So, if we believe that God is going to do what He says He’ll do, our faith is well placed and we will see a harvest.
However, we must not confuse biblical faith with positive thinking. Basketball legend Michael Jordan was in a movie that helped popularize the song lyric, “I believe I can fly. I believe I can touch the sky.” It’s a pleasant song that makes us want to believe that if we dream it, we can achieve it. But, it’s not just secular music that promotes such nonsense. There’s a whole load of phony spirituality filling our culture and lapping over into a lot of churches. It is a poor substitute for well-founded biblical faith.
In I Kings 17, “Elijah said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve…’” The literal translation of the Hebrew is “before whom I stand.” Again, in I Kings 18:15, Elijah said, “As the Lord almighty lives, whom I serve…” This means literally, “before whom I stand…” In verse 36, Elijah is on Mt. Carmel in a showdown with the prophets of Baal: “At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: ‘O Lord, 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.’” Elijah’s prayers were so powerful because he stood before the Lord as the servant of the Lord and did what God told him to do. Elijah’s prayers weren’t about getting God to do what he wanted God to do. It was about Elijah doing what God told him to do.
The effective prayer of faith is not about talking to God in a certain way; it’s about having an attitude of servanthood before God as we approach His throne. Our ultimate prayer and desire must be, “Your kingdom come.” Does this sound familiar? It’s what Jesus used as a model for prayer. We are supposed to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We must honestly approach the Lord with this kind of spirit and attitude, not manipulating or pretending.
Jesus was honest in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed, “Father, if there is any other way, let this cup pass from me. Yet, not my will but yours be done.” This is honest faith. He didn’t say, “I have no preference. Whatever you want, Father. It doesn’t matter to me. I don’t really care.” Jesus made it clear that He didn’t want to go to the cross. He didn’t want to have to endure the agony of such a death. In fact, He said, “If there’s any other way, please let this cup pass from me.” But, He didn’t stop there. He said, “Yet, nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.”
We are supposed to emulate Jesus. If we want to experience the kind of results that Elijah (an ordinary man like us) had when he prayed, it begins by taking the posture of a servant as we come to the Lord. It involves honestly humbling ourselves before Him saying, “Lord, I want whatever you want.”
This doesn’t mean we don’t have any other desires, motives, or feelings. But we must learn to put our desires, motives and feelings on the altar. Above all else, we must desire God’s will. Are you ready to die to competing desires and choose the will of God above your own? Are you ready to ask God to change your heart and make you willing to do His will? When we embrace God’s will, we discover that He knows better than we do what will bring us joy. Do you honestly want God’s will?
