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. Answer me, O LORD,
answer
me, so these people will know that you, O
LORD, are God, and that
you are turning their hearts
back
again.” Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned
up
the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and
also
licked up the water in the trench. When all the
people
saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The
LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!”
I Kings 18:36-39
Have you known a powerful pray-er—someone
who opens the gates of heaven in prayer? Do you long to hear them pray in
church prayer time or Bible study? Do you desire to open your eyes and peek
heavenward as prayer rises because you know you will be able to see heaven’s
splendor?
What makes a powerful pray-er? Like you, I
have seen them in varied shapes and sizes. I have listened as grannies, who
could barely walk, shook the rafters of the church with powerful praying. I
have heard an elderly gentleman, whom I did not know, pray in a soft unassuming
voice that escorted me directly into the presence of God. I have heard pastors
pray with a burning fervor over the condition of their flock.
What makes a powerful pray-er? Is it the
words we use? I do not believe it is. Is it our tone of voice? No! Is it the
posture we take when we pray? I think not. After reading and re-reading the
Scriptures relating to Elijah, I consider the following to be the basics of a
powerful prayer life. Keep in mind that I am not a theologian; I have not
studied Hebrew and Greek and admit that I do not understand all the nuances of
every word. However, like many of you, I have spent some time with my God, and
I believe I can make the case for a powerful prayer life, from Scripture, for
the following:
1. Know God – I must
spend time with Him
2. Believe God – I must
know and believe what He says (read His Word)
3. Trust God – I must
trust that His plan is best for my life
4. Obey God – I must,
without reservation, obey
I submit to you that there is something
better than knowing a powerful pray-er. Be a powerful pray-er. You may already
be that person who opens the gates of heaven when you pray. If you are, please
pray for me and others as we continue our journey and spend time with Jehovah
God Almighty, the Great I Am.
©JP2013
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