Life on Fireনমুনা

The first mention of Elijah in the bible is an epic one. His first recorded words were a declaration that there would be a drought in Israel until he said otherwise. Now that is an entrance!

Before this, there was no mention of Elijah, where he was, and where he had been. But the book of James gives us insight into the power behind Elijah's words. Elijah was described to be a normal man who prayed 'earnestly that it would not rain'.

He was a man of prayer!

Elijah was a man who frequented the place of prayer, and as a result, knew the plans and desires of God. This allowed him to partner powerfully with God at the right time in turning the nation of Israel back to Him.

It is easy to get captivated by the giftings and anointings of great individuals but it is important to remember where that power comes from. We cannot be a powerful counter-cultural resistance to the darkness of this age if we do not know the One whom that power comes from.

Elijah's confidence to declare a drought, and then later rain, did not come from the passion of his heart or the conviction of his declaration, it came from his access to the one true God. Prayer is our access to God, through Christ Jesus. It is the vehicle in which God shares His plans with His people, where He transforms us from timid to courageous, and where He empowers us with what we need to carry out the work He has for us.

In the times when you feel hidden and unseen, where it seems that God has forgotten what He has spoken to you, don't forget that the most powerful place we can be is in the place of prayer. This is where God trains and raises up His people of intensity.