“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (James 5:17-18 New King James Version).
Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that the
followers of Christ should pray without ceasing. This doesn’t mean praying
continuously, non-stop, but to have an attitude of prayer and persistence or
consistency in prayer. Jesus and some Bible characters demonstrated this.
Elijah was one of them.
James 5:17-18 says, “Elijah was a man
with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it
did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again,
and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (New King James
Version). Though the Bible does not give us the details of Elijah’s
prayer to stop rain from falling, it gives us some information about how he
prayed and rain fell.
From that account in 1 Kings 18:41-46, we
can see that rain didn’t begin to fall immediately after Elisha started to
pray. No. Seven times he sent his servant to go and look towards the sea, while
he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees praying.
Six times his servants came back to tell him there was
nothing – no sign rain was going to fall. But he kept praying and sending him
back each time. He continued to pray without ceasing, believing there was going
to be an abundance of rain as he had told the king, Ahab.
The seventh time, the servant came back to tell him there
was a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea. Elijah knew that
was the manifestation of the answer to his prayer. The sky became black with
clouds and wind, and there was heavy rain. You must pray without ceasing; never
stop praying. Your answer will finally come if you pray in faith and in
obedience to the Word of God.
8 Reasons you should pray without ceasing
1.So that the will of God may be done on the earth.
Jesus asked His disciples to pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in
heaven (Matthew 6:10b). You need continuous prayer to enforce
the will of God on earth, including His will in your life, home, community,
nation, and the world in general.
2. Because the devil has not ceased from his
work on the earth. He is going about like a roaring lion looking who he may
devour (1 Peter 5:8). He wants to steal, kill, and
destroy (John 10:10a). You must not cease from prayer when the
devil has not ceased from his work.
3. In order to present your specific requests and
those of your loved ones and others to God. There will always be issues you
need God’s help to intervene in. You must ask before you receive (Matthew
7:7). “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6 New
King James Version). James 5:13s says if anyone is
suffering, he should pray.
4. For the deliverance of others from
troubles. Ephesians 5:16b says the days are evil. When people
are in trouble, most times, they can’t pray. They depend on the faithful
prayers of others. Don’t fail such people in ceaseless prayer until they’re
delivered. Paul said, “For I know that this will turn out for my
deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ”
(Philippians 1:19 New King James Version).
5. In order to show love to your enemies. Jesus said
we should love our enemies, not our friends alone (Matthew 5:44; Luke
23:34). One way to demonstrate that love is by praying for them
without ceasing, especially each time you remember how they’ve hurt, harmed, or
wronged you.
6. For peace to reign in your neighbourhood,
city, state, and nation (Jeremiah 29:7). Don’t wait until
there is a threat to peace, violence, or insecurity before you start praying.
Pray for peace and the sustenance of peace. Pray without ceasing for the peace
of your own Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). Pray without ceasing for
those in leadership so that you may live in peace (1Timothy 2:1-2).
7. Because the harvest is plenteous but the
labourers are few. For this reason, Jesus said believers should pray to the
Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest (Matthew
9:38; Luke 10:2). Pray without ceasing for more soul winners into the
Kingdom of God and for the salvation of sinners.
8. Because of the constant need to lift up servants
of God. Paul wrote to believers to pray for him (1 Thessalonians 5:25;
2 Thessalonians 3:1). He told Philemon that through his prayers and
the prayers of other saints he would be released from prison to them (Philemon
22b). Hebrews 13:18 says, “Pray for us; for we are confident
that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably” (New
King James Version).
Jude 20 says you should “continue to
pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit” (New Living Translation). Will
you? Remember: “The effective, earnest prayer of a righteous man is
powerfully effective” (James 5:16b World English Bible). Pray without
ceasing.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to
Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a
sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as
your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with
the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of
seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and
Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the
Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come
unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that
Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the
third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I
surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I
know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart.
Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching
church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in
Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the
cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God
wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, help me to continually labour in prayer and not be discouraged or tired. I receive the grace for my prayer to be powerfully effective. Holy Spirit, help me to be faithful in praying for others and not be selfish.