Dutch Sheets tells us in his book, Intercessory Prayer, “When the prophet Elijah came to the widow’s son who had died, he spread himself out on the corpse face-to-face and prayed three times" (see 1 Kings 17:21).
"Why did it take
three times?
Because the man of God wasn’t where he needed to be spiritually?
Because he didn’t have enough faith?
Because he didn’t do it right the first two times?
Because the man of God wasn’t where he needed to be spiritually?
Because he didn’t have enough faith?
Because he didn’t do it right the first two times?
We are not told the reason, nor is it insinuated that any of those
things are true. I believe the reason was that he was releasing a little more
life out of his spiritual womb or spirit each time.
It takes a good bit of life
to raise the dead!
In 1 Kings 18:1 the Lord said to Elijah, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the
earth.” God didn’t say, ‘I might’. He didn’t say, ‘If you pray hard enough.’
He didn’t say, ‘I’m thinking about it.’ He just said, ‘I’m going to do it.’
It
was God’s timing, God’s idea, God’s will.
Yet, we are told at the end of this chapter that Elijah labored in
prayer diligently seven times in the posture of a woman in travail before
clouds appeared and the rain came.
He didn’t casually walk to the top of the
mountain and say, ‘Lord send the rain,’ and immediately it was done.
That’s not the "effectual, fervent prayer’"James 5:16-18 tells us Elijah did to first stop and then bring the rain.
That’s not the "effectual, fervent prayer’"James 5:16-18 tells us Elijah did to first stop and then bring the rain.
The question we must ask ourselves is: If it was God’s will, timing and
idea, then why did Elijah have to pray seven different times until the rain
came?
The most reasonable explanation to me is that it was necessary to
persevere until he had completed enough prayer—until
enough power had been released through his intercession to go up into the
heavens and get the job done.
What
must be factored in is God’s decision to work on the earth through man.”
Today’s Prayer Note #94 was taken from Dutch Sheets’ book, Intercessory Prayer (pgs. 204, 205 )
[Father, help us to be willing to keep praying for a person or situation, when You keep it on our hearts to do so. We need to know when we've interceded, that there will be the affects You're aiming for.]
"Be thankful God's answers are wiser than our prayer." —submitted by GUIDEPOSTS reader Judy Sherman of Greensboro, NC in [2012 December issue.
The next Prayer Note will be on 12/4 Releasing the River of
Power: Prayer Note #95 Dutch Sheets
Today’s treasure truth #10: If you are “born again”, you are delivered from the powers of darkness. Col. 1:13
Our thought for today: Joyce Meyers said: "The more time you spend with God, the more afraid Satan will be of you."
Tomorrow’s post: We Should Not Make it Difficult Pocket Devotions
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