The prayer of a righteous man is that it would not rain ... … · "The prayer of a righteous...

"Theprayerofarighteousmanispowerfulandeffec8ve,Elijahwasamanjustlikeus.Heprayedearnestlythatitwouldnotrain,anditdidnotrainonthelandforthreeandahalf

years.”

James5:16-17

"AhabdidmoreevilintheeyesoftheLORDthananyofthosebeforehim."

1Kings16:30

"TherewasneveramanlikeAhabwhosoldhimselftodoevilintheeyesofthe

LordurgedonbyJezebelhiswife."1Kings21:25

“'Howlongwillyouwaverbetweentwoopinions?IftheLORDisGod,

followhim;butifBaalisGod,followhim.'Butthepeoplesaidnothing.”

1Kings18:21

NowAhabtoldJezebeleverythingElijahhaddoneandhowhehadkilledalltheprophetswiththesword.(actuallythepeoplehad)SoJezebelsentamessengertoElijahtosay,“Maythegodsdealwithme,beiteversoseverely,ifbythis8metomorrowIdonotmakeyourlifelikethatofoneofthem.”Elijahwasafraidandranforhislife.WhenhecametoBeershebainJudah,heleahisservantthere,whilehehimselfwentaday’sjourneyintothedesert.Hecametoabroomtree,satdownunderitandprayedthathemightdie.“Ihavehadenough,LORD,”hesaid.“Takemylife;Iamnobecerthanmyancestors.”Thenhelaydownunderthetreeandfellasleep.Allatonceanangeltouchedhimandsaid,“Getupandeat.”Helookedaround,andtherebyhisheadwasacakeofbreadbakedoverhotcoals,andajarofwater.Heateanddrankandthenlaydownagain.

1Kings19:1-6

TheangeloftheLORDcamebackasecond8meandtouchedhimandsaid,“Getupandeat,forthejourneyistoomuchforyou.”Sohegotupandateanddrank.Strengthenedbythatfood,hetraveledfortydaysandfortynightsun8lhereachedHoreb,themountainofGod.Therehewentintoacaveandspentthenight.AndthewordoftheLORDcametohim:“Whatareyoudoinghere,Elijah?”Hereplied,“IhavebeenveryzealousfortheLORDGodAlmighty.TheIsraeliteshaverejectedyourcovenant,brokendownyouraltars,andputyourprophetstodeathwiththesword.Iamtheonlyonelea,andnowtheyaretryingtokillmetoo.”TheLORDsaid,“GooutandstandonthemountaininthepresenceoftheLORD,fortheLORDisabouttopassby.”Thenagreatandpowerfulwindtorethemountains

apartandshaceredtherocksbeforetheLORD,buttheLORDwasnotinthewind.Aaerthewindtherewasanearthquake,buttheLORDwasnotintheearthquake.Aaertheearthquakecameafire,buttheLORDwasnotinthefire.Andaaerthefirecameagentlewhisper.WhenElijahheardit,hepulledhiscloakoverhisfaceandwentoutandstoodatthemouthofthecave.Thenavoicesaidtohim,“Whatareyoudoinghere,Elijah?”Hereplied,“IhavebeenveryzealousfortheLORDGodAlmighty.TheIsraeliteshaverejectedyourcovenant,brokendownyour

altars,andputyourprophetstodeathwiththesword.Iamtheonlyonelea,andnowtheyaretryingtokillmetoo.”

1Kings19:7-14

1.Payacen8ontothephysical"you."

Invainyouriseearlyandstayuplate,toilingforfoodtoeat—forhe

grantssleeptothoseheloves.

Psalm127:2

Aman’sownfollyruinshislife,yethisheartragesagainsttheLORD.

Proverbs19:3

2.Honestemo8onsareimportant...butgoodthinkingis

essen8al.

“Whatareyoudoinghere,Elijah?”Hereplied,“IhavebeenveryzealousfortheLORDGodAlmighty.TheIsraeliteshave

rejectedyourcovenant,brokendownyouraltars,andputyourprophetstodeathwiththesword.Iamtheonlyonelea,andnow

theyaretryingtokillmetoo.”

1Kings19:13-14

TheLORDsaidtohim,“Gobackthewayyoucame,andgototheDesertofDamascus.Whenyougetthere,anointHazaelkingoverAram.Also,anointJehukingoverIsrael,andanointElishatosucceedyouasprophet.JehuwillputtodeathanywhoescapetheswordofHazael,andElishawillputtodeathanywhoescapetheswordofJehu.YetI

reserveseventhousandinIsrael—allwhosekneeshavenotboweddowntoBaalandallwhose

mouthshavenotkissedhim.”

1Kings19:15-18

1.Behonestwithwhatyoufeel,butpreparetohaveyourthinkingcorrected.

2.Whenyourthinkingiscorrected...be

preparedforyourfeelingstochangeaswell.

3.IfyouonlywantGodtotellyouwhatyouwanttohear...thenitisunlikelyyouwillhear

fromGod.

3.Wemustmake"space"inourlivesifwewanttohearfromGod.

TheLORDsaid,“GooutandstandonthemountaininthepresenceoftheLORD,fortheLORDisabouttopassby.”ThenagreatandpowerfulwindtorethemountainsapartandshaceredtherocksbeforetheLORD,buttheLORD

wasnotinthewind.Aaerthewindtherewasanearthquake,buttheLORDwasnotintheearthquake.Aaertheearthquakecameafire,buttheLORDwasnotinthefire.Andaaerthefirecameagentlewhisper.WhenElijahheardit,hepulledhiscloakoverhisfaceandwentoutandstoodatthemouthofthecave.Thenavoicesaidtohim,

“Whatareyoudoinghere,Elijah?”

1Kings19:11-13

Weallhave8meforwhatwemostvalue...howvaluableistoyoutohearfromGodspeakingtoyouaboutyour

life?

“Bes8ll,andknowthatIamGod;Iwillbeexaltedamongthena8ons,I

willbeexaltedintheearth.”

Psa.46:10

Whatwecall"guilt"

1.Therealityofhavingsinned

2.Theemo8onalresponsetoafalsesenseofhavingdonewrong

3.Thefeelingofbeingchallengedandnotwan8ngtorespondac8velytothe

challenge.

4."Righteousness"opensuppowerful,effec8vepraying.

"Theprayerofarighteousmanis

powerfulandeffec8ve,Elijahwasamanjustlikeus.Heprayedearnestlythatitwouldnotrain,anditdidnotrainonthe

landforthreeandahalfyears."

James5:16,17

Wedonotearnrighteousnessthroughobediencebutwedolivein

itthroughobedience.

Ifanyofyoulackswisdom,heshouldaskGod,whogivesgenerouslytoallwithout

findingfault,anditwillbegiventohim.Butwhenheasks,hemustbelieveandnotdoubt,becausehewhodoubtsislikeawaveofthesea,blownandtossedbythewind.Thatmanshouldnotthinkhewillreceiveanythingfrom

theLord;heisadouble-mindedman,unstableinallhedoes.

James1:5-6

Thedouble-mindedmanisundecidedastowhetherGodistobetrustedor

not.

“Howlongwillyouwaverbetweentwoopinions?IftheLORDisGod,

followhim;butifBaalisGod,followhim.Butthepeoplesaidnothing.”

1Kings18:21

Thefactsoffaith,notyourownfeelingsoffaith,mustsetthecourse

ofyourlife...andyourpraying.