A Praying Man “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”―James 5:16 “Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth by the space of three and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”―James 5:17-18 Two things are here plainly set before us: first, that Elijah was but a man, of like nature with other men and subject to all human frailties and infirmities; and, secondly, that this man was such a power because he was a man of prayer: he prayed earnestly; literally “he prayed with prayer”; prayed habitually and importunately. No man can read Elijah’s short history as given in the word of God, without seeing that he possessed the same human nature as we. Under the juniper-tree of doubt and despondency, he complained of his state and wished he might die. In the cave of a morbid despair, he had to be met and subdued by the vision of God and by the still, small voice. He was just like other men. It was not, therefore, because he was above human follies and frailties, but because he was subject to them, that he is an encouraging example of power that prevails in prayer. He laid hold of the Almighty Arm because he was weak, and he kept hold because to lose hold was to let weakness prevail. Nevertheless, this man, by prayer alone, shut up heaven’s floodgates for three and one-half years, and then by the same key unlocked them. Yes, this man tested the meaning of those wonderful words: “concerning the work of My hands command ye Me.” (Isaiah 45:11). God put the forces of nature for the time under the sway of this one man’s prayer―one frail, feeble, foolish mortal locked and unlocked the springs of waters, because he held God’s key.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Jul 2013 04:05:26 +0000
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