Keep Praying Part 6

  The prophet Elijah bursts upon the scene in the latter part of the reign of Asa in Judah (during the 38th year of his 41 years of godly rule), and early on in Ahab’s 22-year reign of wickedness and idolatry (1 Kings 17:1).

   Elijah came to pronounce judgment upon the land because of the trouble Ahab and his father, Omri, were responsible for bringing upon themselves with a full out rebellion against the one true God! There would be no rain! Not one drop, nor any dew for years! This was the alarming message that the prophet would boldly and confidently sound out based upon the clear warnings written in the law of the Lord. For instance, it says the following in Deuteronomy 11:16-18:
  Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; And then the Lord’s wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you. Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.

  Not only should Elijah have known the consequences of pursuing outright and blatant disobedience, but the King Ahab was held accountable to read, understand and follow the law.
  And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. Deuteronomy 17:18–20

  In addition, it is evident from the Scriptures that Elijah was a man that by prayer, in faith, moved the hand of God against the evil of his day by pleading with God to act in line with His perfect will provided in His Word. There was an anticipation, even an expectation, that God would answer the prayers of the prophet. God’s punishment of Israel was a just and loving response to their abject godlessness. So, the Lord acted upon the faithful, fervent and confident prayers of Elijah, who then resolutely declared God’s truth to Ahab, face to face!
. . . the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  Eliajah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not . . . James 5:16–17

Know God’s Word – Pray Expectantly – Speak Truth Unashamedly