RHAPSODY OF REALITIES WEDNESDAY, 23RD NOVEMBER.
SETTLE IT WITH THE LORD FIRST BY PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME
…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16).
A dear brother learnt about exercising spiritual authority and decided to act his faith. It had been cloudy and a downpour was imminent. Stepping out of his home, he commanded the rain to hold its peace. But soon enough, the rain started pouring down. He commanded the rain to cease, but the more he issued those commands, the heavier the downpour, and the more he got drenched.
He had read that Elijah stopped the rains from falling for three and half years (1 Kings 17), and so he thought, “If Elijah could do that, why couldn’t I?” But there’s something the young man didn’t understand.
If you only studied 1 Kings 17, you might run off with the view that Elijah merely proclaimed that there would be no rain, stormed out of Ahab’s palace, and the clouds were shut. James 5:17 shows us there was something more: “…he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.” Before Elijah declared that there’d be no rain, he had already settled the matter with God. He had prevailed with God in prayer in his closet; it was an argumentative prayer, because it isn’t man’s jurisdiction to stop or cause rain to fall.
Jesus made it clear in Matthew 5:45 that sending down rain is solely God’s domain: “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” What Elijah did was to bring his strong reasons before the Lord in prayer, and the Lord granted his request.
This is what you do when dealing with cases, situations or issues outside your personal territory or jurisdiction. You must first prevail in prayer. There must first be moments of intense, heartfelt, earnest prayer, supplication, intercession, and giving of thanks. Such prayer, the Bible says, makes tremendous power available, dynamic in its working (James 5:16 AMP).
CONFESSION
Blessed heavenly Father, it gladdens my heart to know I can set forth and plead my case with you, in earnest, heartfelt, continued prayer, and prevail against unfavourable circumstances. Thank you, Lord, for this awesome privilege, and the right to be heard each time I make decrees and entreaties in the Name of Jesus. Glory to your Name forever!
Further Study:
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Isaiah 43:26 Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
Isaiah 38:1-2 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
1 Peter 1:22-2:1-25 Ezekiel 29-30
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Jude 1:1-11 Daniel 11-12