Becoming A Prayer Force 1 Kings 18: 41-46
One day a young man was writing a letter to his girl friend who lived just a few miles away in a nearby town. Among other things, he was telling her how much he loved her and how wonderful he thought she was.
The more he wrote, the more poetic he became. Finally, he said that in order to be with her he would suffer the greatest difficulties, he would face the greatest dangers that anyone could imagine. In fact, to spend only one minute with her, he would climb the highest mountain in the world. He would swim across the widest river. He would enter the deepest forest and with his bare hands fight against the fiercest animals.
He finished the letter, signed his name, and then suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to mention something quite important. So he added:
P.S. I will be over to see you Wednesday night as long as it doesn’t rain.
41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!” 42 So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees. 43 Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.” The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.” Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. 44 Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.” Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’” 45 And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. 46 Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.
Frances Fraigpane pastor a large church in Illinois, and their city was found to be the highest crime rate in the USA. The Lord spoke to pastor Frances and told him to call his church into intercessory prayer. After around a year the crime rate went to almost nothing.
James 5:16-18NLT Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
William Carey was once reproached for spending so much time in prayer that he neglected his business. He replied that supplication, thanksgiving, and intercession were much more important in his life than laying up treasures on earth. “Prayer is my real business!” he said. “Cobbling shoes is a sideline; it just helps me pay expenses.”
The Lord honored Carey’s vigorous faith, for he became a renowned missionary and was mightily used by God in India, Burma, and the East Indies.
Listen, Don’t give up on America. Stop cursing the darkness and pray instead.
Here’s a short list of prayer goals. First, Spiritual awakening on college campuses.
Romans 5:20NLT God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.
“Your prayer for someone may or may not change them, but it always changes YOU.” ― Craig Groeschel
“Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” ― Corrie Ten Boom
Secondly, Transformation of our inner citie`s. (Many urban cities in America resemble bombed cities in a third country.)
Thirdly, a supernatural visitation among Native Americans. They were the first residents of this land. God longs to reveal His love unto them!
Fourth, a wave of repentance among Christian men. Bound by: Regret, sexual sin, addiction, and shame of divorce.
Malachi 4:6 His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
Finally, several more to remember in closing- a release of courage and compassion among Christian women. A renewal of denominations. A Holy Spirit visitation in the military. Another Pentecostal outpouring among Roman Catholics.
Benediction.
