Camp Meeting Devotions - Day Twenty-one

 James 5:17-18 (NASB)

¹⁷  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.
¹⁸  Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit. 

The prophet Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. He was an ordinary man with an extraordinary faith. He was made of flesh, bones, sinews, and blood just like we are. He had no supernatural superhuman powers. His constitution was of a man. 

We read that he prayed earnestly. Therein lies the secret to Elijah. He prayed. Not only did he pray, but he prayed earnestly. He entreated God zealously. He petitioned the Almighty passionately. He prayed diligently. He also prayed with authority that defied natural laws. He prayed that it would not rain, and it did not rain for three and a half years. Not a drop. Elijah prayed with so much faith and in the will of God that supernatural events followed his requests. 

As I write this, wildfires are burning all over the state of Texas because of drought conditions. The fires have burned through whole towns, destroying churches, homes, and businesses. Twice yesterday I sat in prayer meetings pleading with God to send rain to put out the fires. It is early on Monday morning and the rain still has not come. I know there are farmers and ranchers as well as other Christians pleading with God to send rain. The rain is still withheld. The need is great. The hour is critical. 

I recall living in another community years ago praying for rain. One lady showed up to church one Sunday evening with rain boots on and carrying an umbrella. She left that umbrella on the stage where it remained until the day God sent rain. That was her sign of faith for what she trusted God to do. She wore those rain boats around town for days. She got some strange looks, but you could not say that she did not believe God to answer her. 

Prayer is such a complex subject. So many factors can play into whether we receive the answers we ask for. Do we pray in the will of God? I John 5:14-15. Do we pray in faith? Hebrews 11:1, 6. Do we pray long enough? Luke 18:1. Do we pray without doubt? Mark 11:23-24. Each of these is a factor. 

When we read that Elijah prayed, and then what happened afterward, I am not sure we can fully grasp the depth and breadth of his prayer life. Who knows how many hours he spent shut up to God alone to receive prophetic words? He often forsook the company of people to keep company with God. We do not find recorded the times he spent in the secret place offering secret prayers. 

Elijah was a common person just like the rest of us. What set him apart is the fact that he had an uncommon prayer life. Does that describe us? Do we have an uncommon prayer life? Are we at home in the secret place shut up alone to God day in and day out? Elijah also had an uncommon faith. People who pray uncommonly will see uncommon results that glorify God. 

After three and a half years of no rain, Elijah prayed again. The rains fell soaking the land. God broke the drought in dramatic fashion. We need to pray with faith like that. This old land needs a drink from God. If Elijah could pray and believe God to defy the laws of nature, I am inclined to think so can we. May we devote ourselves to praying for rain to come soak the land again. May we also pray for God to send the rain of revival on this sin saturated soil of a nation. 

• Identify anything about your ordinary life that you use as an excuse for not praying with greater effectiveness. 
• Write down one uncommon prayer you believe God will grant you. 
• Plead with God to build in you an uncommon faith to match the mountains you face. 
• Ask God to teach you to pray with authority that gets results.