Elijah said something.

It was not something he chose for himself, but a verbal response to what God had spoken. Many faith preachers make “faith declarations” and whilst this “sounds OK” it may only apply to them in particular and not necessarily “work” for everyone.
Allow God to speak to YOU and make THAT Your faith confession. See verses 40 to 44.

Elijah separated the real from the pretenders.

We can and should separate ourselves unto God and sometimes this requires drastic steps. In verse 40, he slew the false prophets. What he had said in  preceding verses was to say in essence, “Let the REAL God stand up” and the fire came down and consumed all falsehood.
It destroyed the outward manifestations of false worship, but the instigators of such worship then had to be removed as well.
It took radical surgery, getting rid of falsehood and idolatry.

Elijah bowed down in worship.

In verse 42, he cast himself down to the earth and put his face between his knees.
That’s humility.He knelt before God and God alone—but did so after sacrifice.

When that fire came down, it was at the appointed time! It was the time of the evening sacrifice.

We can do the “right thing”but not at the right time. When it was the “right time” that fire consumed everything .
It consumed (i) the sacrifice, (ii) the wood that burned the sacrifice, (iii) the stones that made up the altar on  which the sacrifice was made, (iv) the dust that represented any residue after all that and, (v) the water.
Nothing whatsoever remained of that altar and its offering. This signified that it was never to happen again and that nothing was left that could in itself become the object of false worship (i.e. an idol).
What worked once may never work again and the risk is making that an idol.

Elijah sent his servant to look.

The account does not tell us who that servant was, but I believe it was Elisha and he is named later in chapter nineteen when God told him to anoint Elisha to replace him. Perhaps it was because Elijah failed. This may be conjecture on my part, so I recommend that  you read what happened next carefully.
I wonder why he did not look himself.
Did he have doubts? Perhaps. James 5:17 reveals that he was a man just like us with the same passions as we have.

Was he concentrating on the actual praying itself and did not want to look up? Perhaps.

There is something about this that mystifies me, because he knew what God had spoken about and had already made his declaration based on that word.
He knew the rain was coming, so why did he pray like that?
Is it recorded this way so that we can learn something? He was teaching his disciples, so I think so and this brings me to our next point.

Unbelief and opposition.

We all face such issues. They may emanate from within ourselves and we must deal with that ourselves.
James speaks of being double minded and of exercising patience. We do not want to “undo” or “nullify” our prayer with any fear, doubt or negativity. We all need to exercise patience, because it does have its reward.
Our problem is that we “want it yesterday”. If we have not prayed amiss and if God heard our very first word, the answer is there. Somewhere between our “amen” and “there it is” is our battle, but we shall reap in due season, if we do not faint.

If we depend on someone else, as we do of course, that other person also needs to be faithful and trustworthy and believe with us. Habakkuk says to “write the vision” in simple and plain terms so that the herald or the assistant or even a casual observer can see it and get on  side with it.

I wonder if this servant was the bottleneck.

Elijah prayed and told the servant to look and he said, “I don’t see it. I see nothing”. Perhaps he had not yet “seen the vision”. How often do we rely on  someone else for help, but they do not see the vision?

Perseverance:

After the first prayer, “nothing worked”. We can wonder if we have heard God, or made a mistake and this happens.
The devil would like nothing better that for you to give up. Press in and keep chasing that dream.

Elijah prayed again, sent the servant to look and he said, “It’s not working”.

That happened six times and on the seventh time, the evidence started to be seen.
 

The number seven speaks of spiritual perception.

The prophet told Naaman the leper to bathe in the River Jordan 7 times, not 6 or 8.
God has ordained specific ways, times and seasons for things to happen and they shall.
Our part is to ascertain such things and get on side with Him. It may require us to last the distance.
Elijah could have given up as he got up again the 6th time, but he bowed to God once more and then the evidence was seen.
It was not the rain—but the sign of rain.
Trusting is being confident of what we hope for, convinced about things we do not see. It was for this that Scripture attested the merit of the people of old. By trusting, we understand... Hebrews 11:1-3

By trusting, we understand... By trusting, we understand... By trusting, we understand...

Evidence:

The elements of hearing from God, believing what God said and the acting on it, saying what God had said and obeying His words started to come together at last and a small puffy white cloud, not dark and heavy rain clouds came up from the distant horizon.

That was what the servant saw.

He told Elijah who said, “There it is”. That was the evidence—but the rain had not yet arrived.

Elijah did not tell the king—he told his servant to go to the king and tell him the news and whilst the servant was going there, the sky started to grow dark with clouds and a great wind arose and the great rain came.
Ahab then got in his chariot and went to Jerusalem.     

Supernatural signs and wonders:

Everything associated with Elijah in these few chapters reveals that supernatural signs and wonders accompanied his ministry. Elijah ran faster than Ahab in his chariot for a distance of 37 kilometers.

They occurred in the ministry of Elisha.
They  accompanied Jesus, His disciples, Paul, Philip and others.

A pattern does exist and, despite the naysayers and the extremes, are a part of our ministries today. If they are not, all we have is a form of religion. See 1 Timothy 4 and 2 Timothy 3:15

A recent report by the Barna group and others reveals that more than half of the churches in America are in decline; that a similar group of young people who are to be our future leaders if the Lord tarries are disillusioned with “the church” and that it is failing them.

The report headline is Christians Want to Help the Church Realign to ‘Be What Jesus Intended’

When asked the reason, they say that the church they know is nothing like the church they believe should exist because it is nothing like  they read about in the bible.

They are calling out for the reality of God, not for religion.They are asking for these supernatural signs and wonders that set God’s people apart in the bible and in history to return.
I am very pleased to say that this is starting to happen again and in many instances it is not only in churches. It is happening in unusual places, and on most occasions, nowhere near churches.

God is the same God today as he was back then approximately 910 years B.C. He is again revealing Himself to those who are open and hungry.

Elijah said something.

It was not something he chose for himself, but a verbal response to what God had spoken. Many faith preachers make “faith declarations” and whilst this “sounds OK” it may only apply to them in particular and not necessarily “work” for everyone.
Allow God to speak to YOU and make THAT Your faith confession. See verses 40 to 44.

Elijah separated the real from the pretenders.

We can and should separate ourselves unto God and sometimes this requires drastic steps. In verse 40, he slew the false prophets. What he had said in  preceding verses was to say in essence, “Let the REAL God stand up” and the fire came down and consumed all falsehood.
It destroyed the outward manifestations of false worship, but the instigators of such worship then had to be removed as well.
It took radical surgery, getting rid of falsehood and idolatry.

Elijah bowed down in worship.

In verse 42, he cast himself down to the earth and put his face between his knees.
That’s humility.He knelt before God and God alone—but did so after sacrifice.

When that fire came down, it was at the appointed time! It was the time of the evening sacrifice.

We can do the “right thing”but not at the right time. When it was the “right time” that fire consumed everything .
It consumed (i) the sacrifice, (ii) the wood that burned the sacrifice, (iii) the stones that made up the altar on  which the sacrifice was made, (iv) the dust that represented any residue after all that and, (v) the water.
Nothing whatsoever remained of that altar and its offering. This signified that it was never to happen again and that nothing was left that could in itself become the object of false worship (i.e. an idol).
What worked once may never work again and the risk is making that an idol.

Elijah sent his servant to look.

The account does not tell us who that servant was, but I believe it was Elisha and he is named later in chapter nineteen when God told him to anoint Elisha to replace him. Perhaps it was because Elijah failed. This may be conjecture on my part, so I recommend that  you read what happened next carefully.
I wonder why he did not look himself.
Did he have doubts? Perhaps. James 5:17 reveals that he was a man just like us with the same passions as we have.

Was he concentrating on the actual praying itself and did not want to look up? Perhaps.

There is something about this that mystifies me, because he knew what God had spoken about and had already made his declaration based on that word.
He knew the rain was coming, so why did he pray like that?
Is it recorded this way so that we can learn something? He was teaching his disciples, so I think so and this brings me to our next point.

Unbelief and opposition.

We all face such issues. They may emanate from within ourselves and we must deal with that ourselves.
James speaks of being double minded and of exercising patience. We do not want to “undo” or “nullify” our prayer with any fear, doubt or negativity. We all need to exercise patience, because it does have its reward.
Our problem is that we “want it yesterday”. If we have not prayed amiss and if God heard our very first word, the answer is there. Somewhere between our “amen” and “there it is” is our battle, but we shall reap in due season, if we do not faint.

If we depend on someone else, as we do of course, that other person also needs to be faithful and trustworthy and believe with us. Habakkuk says to “write the vision” in simple and plain terms so that the herald or the assistant or even a casual observer can see it and get on  side with it.

I wonder if this servant was the bottleneck.

Elijah prayed and told the servant to look and he said, “I don’t see it. I see nothing”. Perhaps he had not yet “seen the vision”. How often do we rely on  someone else for help, but they do not see the vision?

Perseverance:

After the first prayer, “nothing worked”. We can wonder if we have heard God, or made a mistake and this happens.
The devil would like nothing better that for you to give up. Press in and keep chasing that dream.

Elijah prayed again, sent the servant to look and he said, “It’s not working”.

That happened six times and on the seventh time, the evidence started to be seen.
 

The number seven speaks of spiritual perception.

The prophet told Naaman the leper to bathe in the River Jordan 7 times, not 6 or 8.
God has ordained specific ways, times and seasons for things to happen and they shall.
Our part is to ascertain such things and get on side with Him. It may require us to last the distance.
Elijah could have given up as he got up again the 6th time, but he bowed to God once more and then the evidence was seen.
It was not the rain—but the sign of rain.
Trusting is being confident of what we hope for, convinced about things we do not see. It was for this that Scripture attested the merit of the people of old. By trusting, we understand... Hebrews 11:1-3

By trusting, we understand... By trusting, we understand... By trusting, we understand...

Evidence:

The elements of hearing from God, believing what God said and the acting on it, saying what God had said and obeying His words started to come together at last and a small puffy white cloud, not dark and heavy rain clouds came up from the distant horizon.

That was what the servant saw.

He told Elijah who said, “There it is”. That was the evidence—but the rain had not yet arrived.

Elijah did not tell the king—he told his servant to go to the king and tell him the news and whilst the servant was going there, the sky started to grow dark with clouds and a great wind arose and the great rain came.
Ahab then got in his chariot and went to Jerusalem.     

Supernatural signs and wonders:

Everything associated with Elijah in these few chapters reveals that supernatural signs and wonders accompanied his ministry. Elijah ran faster than Ahab in his chariot for a distance of 37 kilometers.

They occurred in the ministry of Elisha.
They  accompanied Jesus, His disciples, Paul, Philip and others.

A pattern does exist and, despite the naysayers and the extremes, are a part of our ministries today. If they are not, all we have is a form of religion. See 1 Timothy 4 and 2 Timothy 3:15

A recent report by the Barna group and others reveals that more than half of the churches in America are in decline; that a similar group of young people who are to be our future leaders if the Lord tarries are disillusioned with “the church” and that it is failing them.

The report headline is Christians Want to Help the Church Realign to ‘Be What Jesus Intended’

When asked the reason, they say that the church they know is nothing like the church they believe should exist because it is nothing like  they read about in the bible.

They are calling out for the reality of God, not for religion.They are asking for these supernatural signs and wonders that set God’s people apart in the bible and in history to return.
I am very pleased to say that this is starting to happen again and in many instances it is not only in churches. It is happening in unusual places, and on most occasions, nowhere near churches.

God is the same God today as he was back then approximately 910 years B.C. He is again revealing Himself to those who are open and hungry.