Praying Boldly and Powerfully

1 KINGS 18:17-22, 26-30, 36–40 

                                                                                                                       

Regularly engaging in Prayer with the Lord becomes more inviting when we view our God-given privileges, authority, and power in the light of our Lord’s Cross and Priesthood. Beloved, in doing so we begin to appreciate the power we have with God, and we explore, with confidence, a satisfying relationship with Him.

Many believers experience some difficulty developing intimacy with God because they really aren’t sure they belong in His presence. They are uncomfortable talking with and approaching God, they wonder and even doubt if He really accepts them. Not realizing that we are privileged to access God as priests can greatly hinder any hope of true openness and boldness in approaching the throne of grace.  We must understand that we are not merely tolerated in His presence, but we are ushered in by Jesus Christ and have a right to be there because of His cross and blood sacrifice. Therefore, without any reservations we should freely come to our heavenly Father with complete confidence in the finish work of Christ. It’s not our merits that afford us access to God, but Christ’s cross! Now consider the following thoughts and example of Elijah who knew the secret to praying boldly and powerfully for God's glory and our good. 

Choose to Pray With Incredible Boldness and Awesome Power....

Hebrews 10:19, Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

James 5:16, Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

  

These verses present our incredible privileges predicated on the Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus. Approaching God Almighty confidently and forthrighly because of faith in the "Blood of Jesus!" This is Authority in prayer! The grand privilege of access into the very throne room of Jehovah--as astonishing as this is, it is every true believers opportunity to draw nearer to God. Then the promise that prayer that is effectual and fervent will yield fascinating results is laid before us to claim. These truths tell us that God cherishes relationship and communication with us! He invites us into His throne room.... The truth of bold praying with great power and results is wonderfully illustrated in the events on Mt. Carmel during the lifetime of the prophet Elijah.  Certainly Elijah was accomplishing much through prayer!

The prophet Elijah and King Ahab had been in conflict for some time over idolatry and false worship in Israel before Elijah declared a showdown. Elijah commanded the king to call the Israelites to Mount Carmel, as well as the prophets of Baal and Asherah who were supported strongly by Queen Jezebel. When all parties were assembled, Elijah said to the people, “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” (1 Kings 18:21). The people didn't respond, so Elijah challenged the prophets to a duel of sorts.

Consider an Example of Praying with Confidence and Power....

Meanwhile, Elijah took twelve stones to make an altar to the Lord, surrounded the altar with a trench, and then cut wood and soaked both it and the sacrificial bull with water until the trench was also filled with water—in fact, he soaked the wood and sacrifice with water three times. At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah prayed according to 1 Kings 18:36-37.

Elijah’s Preparation For Prayer.   1 Kings 18:29-35

POWERFUL or effective prayer is not an accident; it is the result of proper preparation and attitudes.

      A.  The Preparation Involved A Time of Realization.

The time had come! The prophets of Baal had failed miserably. This was the moment Elijah had been waiting for. All eyes were on him. You see, God's plan was right on schedule.

           1.  Powerless Prayer is Worthless.

The prophets of Baal did not accomplish anything through their prayer antic and gymnastics.  Had Elijah gone first, the battle would have been over before it was started. There would have been no backdrop against which to demonstrate God's mighty power---a backdrop of  total and utter failure on the part of these pagan prophets. But now, the stage was finally set! What a teachable moment!

           2.  Powerful Prayer is Worship.  1 Kings 18:30

Elijah saw this as a great opportunity. He took his time and asked the people to gather around and watch what he was doing. First, "he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.  (v. 30). Later, we discover why. Israel no longer worshiped God.  They had destroyed the altars that were once used to praise and honor the God of heaven (1Kings 19:10,14). 

We sincerely need to reestablish prayer as a means of worship, submission, and honor for God and His excellent will.  Matthew 6:13,  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine [God’s] is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.  It has degenerated to be something that primarily focuses on human benefit instead of divine pleasure and goals.  MUCH of our emphasis in modern Christianity is people oriented and it fails to be God centered.  Truly it is a Christian brand of idolatry in which we worship ourselves, seek our wills, and glorify ourselves!  Therefore, when we don’t see our desires being fulfilled our way we tend to abandon the Lord’s altar for something else!  If God doesn’t satisfy our desires we look for a modern day Baal, like a “Lucky Rabbit’s Foot,” “Palm Readers,” “Horoscopes,” and “Wicca.”  May we realize once more that prayer is focused on God’s glory, His will, His pleasure, and His timing primarily and not ours! Keep in mind the so-called "Lord's Prayer" of Matt. 6:9-13 is given to help us grasp this very truth.  It puts God's name, God's kingdom, and God's will before the earthly needs of people. It cautions us against selfish praying.  If we are going to pray with real power and influence with God then we must get back to this central concept of prayer!

      B.  The Preparation Involved A Time of Reflection.   

1 Kings 18:30,  And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.

1 Kings 18:31,   And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:

         1.  Reflections on the History of the Nation.   1 Kings 18:31

Elijah rebuilt the altar with "twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob," (18:31). He was reminding the watching multitudes of their sacred history. Reflecting on what God had done in the past!

         2.  Reflections on the Word of the Lord.   1 Kings 18:31, “unto whom the word of the Lord came, ”

We're not told that Elijah said anything while he was rebuilding the altar, but it's difficult to imagine that he worked in silence. As he put each stone in place, he must have recounted God's marvelous grace in calling Israel out of Egypt and giving them an inheritance in Canaan.  Certainly his mind was dwelling on God’s great plan for the nation as revealed in the Scriptures and promises.

         3.  Reflections on the Prayer Life of Jacob.   1 Kings 18:31, “unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:  ”

And it is also clear that he reflected on Israel’s triumphant battle all night in prayer according to Gen. 32:24-32.  God clearly stated that Jacob had power with God and changed his name that night to Israel. 

Genesis 32:28,  And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

Taking note of what God has promised and accomplished in the past is worthy of our sincerest reflection in preparation for prayer.  Maybe the review of a few verses on prayer or reflection on answers to prayer from your personal records.  Perhaps a study on the grace of God illustrated throughout the Scriptures will place some spark in your prayer life.  Certainly the goodness of God down through the years will encourage us to come to Him frequently, boldly, and confidently.   Even reading books or biographies about the outstanding prayer lives of Biblical, historical and contemporary personalities will encourage you in your own. This is a wonderful insight to enjoying power in our prayer lives.

      C.  The Preparation Involved A Time of Reinforcement. 1 Kings 18:32-35

Elijah next move was very dramatic! He used water, the opposite if fire, to drench his altar and sacrifice. 

           1.  Reinforce the Fact That Prayer is Supernatural by Your Bold Attitude and Actions.

To make sure that Israel knew what was about to happen was no trick.  Elijah sprung into action to demonstrate the power of God.

                 A. 12 Barrels Filled With Water.

 Elijah "made a trench" around the altar (1 Kings 18:32). He then prepared the sacrifice, but he asked the people themselves to pour water on the altar. He had them fill "four barrels with water" three times and then pour the water all over the offering and on the wood (see vs. 33). In fact, they poured so much water on the sacrifice that it actually filled the trench at the base of the altar (see vs. 35).  His bold attitude and actions clearly demonstrated his strong conviction that prayer was a supernatural appeal to the one true almighty God! (Getz)

                 B.  Real Faith Motivates to Action!  (Js. 2:14-20).

This entire scene on Mt. Carmel, this showdown with 450 prophets in the view of the entire nation of Israel is a vivid illustration of how much confidence Elijah had in His God!  Either he was filled with faith or foolishness, I believe it was pure faith!  He could not sit idly by and watch his people walk blindly into deeper idolatry.  He didn’t excuse himself from taking action because he had prayed!  No, his prayers promoted bold action.  This sounds a bit like the disciples in the Book of Acts (Acts. 4:18-33).

Does your prayer life promote bold activity or does it encourage you to do nothing at all? Remember faith without works is dead being alone.  One of the greatest coup outs that believer use today is that they are praying about a matter, but it never moves them to actions!  We must have misrepresented powerful prayer somewhere along the way!

          2.   Review the Important Elements of the Model Prayer to Reinforce Your Prayer Life.   Matt 6:5-15, encourage us in the right and wrong way to give, pray, and fast, and are dealt with quite pointedly in Matt. 6:1-18 by the Lord Jesus. Doing good deeds by giving (6:1-4), praying (6:5-15), and fasting (6:16-18) are best done in secret, to avoid the kind of pride associated with spiritual activities.

Matt.  6:9-13, commonly called the Lord's Prayer, is really the disciples' prayer, a guide for believers' prayers. It is not to be repeated over and over (Matt. 6:7-8). Instead, it gives principles for communicating with God. Its words demonstrate

*  faith in God (Matt. 6:9)

*  worship of God (Matt. 6:9)

*  expectation from God (Matt. 6:10)

*  submission to God (Matt. 6:10)

*  petition for ourselves (Matt. 6:11)

*  confession of sins (Matt. 6:12)

*  dependence on God's grace (Matt. 6:12)

*  compassion for others (Matt. 6:12)

*  dependence on God's power (Matt. 6:13)

*  acknowledgment of God's sovereignty (Matt. 6:13)

(Willmington's Bible Handbook by Harold Willmington)    

Elijah wanted the people to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that what was about to happen was a miracle-not a trick. There was no way there could have been a "secret" fire burning under the altar. No one could accuse Elijah of using sleight of hand to start the fire himself.  The wood was soaked and so was the meat. There was no way it could suddenly ignite. The people were about to see God's majesty!

Elijah’s Participation in Prayer.  1 Kings 18:36-37

      A.  It’s Simplicity. 1 Kings 18:36-37

Elijah's plan coincided with the "time of the offering of the evening sacrifice," At that moment he "came near, and said,” (prayed).  He didn't shout! He didn't dance! And he didn't cut himself!   And as far as we know, he repeated the prayer only once. All in all, it took only a few seconds to say what he had to say.  What a contrast with the all day long fruitless repetition of the prophets of Baal.

      B.  It’s Superiority.

         1.  The Important Elements of Elijah’s Prayer.

Note four important elements in Elijah's prayer:

             A.  "thou art the Lord God"

Elijah made it crystal clear in his prayer that the purpose behind what was about to happen was to demonstrate that the Lord was God.

             B.  "I Am Thy Servant"

Elijah also wanted everyone to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was merely a human agent serving God.

             C.  'at thy word"

Furthermore, Elijah wanted Israel to know that what he was doing was not of his own making. It was not to demonstrate his power, but God's power. The Lord had spoken to him and the dramatic things that he had said and that they were about to see were a result of God's command.                         

             D.  "turned their heart back again"

Most importantly, Elijah wanted Israel to know that the major reason God was about to demonstrate His power was to turn their hearts back to Him. He was reaching out to them. He was demonstrating mercy as He had done so many times before. He was faithfully keeping  His promises to His faithless people. (Getz)

          2.  Is It Wrong to Practice Public Prayer?   Matt 6:5-6

No!  These verses do not forbid all public prayers, since Jesus and his disciples prayed publicly (Matt. 11:25; Luke 3:21; John 17:1).   

PUBLIC PRAYER

Do Jesus' words question the appropriateness of all public prayer? Can public prayer draw attention to God without drawing attention to the one praying? Did Jesus himself practice "closet praying" exclusively? No, the Gospels record Jesus at prayer both privately (Matt. 14:23) and publicly (Matt. 14:18-19). Later, his disciples carried on a tradition of corporate prayer from the earliest days of the church (Acts 1:14). As he did with giving, Jesus drew attention to the motives behind actions. The point really wasn't a choice between public and private prayer but between heartfelt and hypocritical prayer. We must learn to pray in private so that we might eventually lead others in effective prayer in public. When asked to pray in public, focus on addressing God, not on how you're coming across to others.     (from The Life Application Commentary Series)

     C.  It’s Successfulness.  1 Kings 18:38

Elijah had not been in touch with the Lord, but the Lord answered Him within seconds of his prayer.  This is praying with great power.

          1.  Irrefutable Proof of Its Effectiveness.

There is one thing that is clear in Scripture. When God wants people to know that He is speaking directly from heaven, He is far from subtle. His message is always clear. And so it was on Mount Carmel. He indeed offered irrefutable proof.

                A.  The Human Preparation.

Though the human stage had been set with twelve stones, the wood, a sacrifice-all drenched with water-God was now to add the divine dimension.

                B.  The Divine Demonstration. 

In an instance, the "the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, " But the fire of God burned up not only the water-soaked logs, but "the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench." (v.38). The children of Israel were witnessing the awesome power of God!  Fire is a symbol associated with divinity and awesome power (Deut. 4:36; Lev. 9:24; Ex. 19:18; Gen. 3:24; Heb. 10:31: 12:29).

          2.  Unmistakable Proofs of Its Effectiveness.

1 Kings 18:38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.  

Imagine the horror that must have been reflected in the faces of every observer. Fire that hot would have driven them back and away from the altar that no longer existed. Further-more, there was a powerful message in this display of power-one they could not miss. In destroying the twelve stones, symbolic of the twelve tribes, God was saying that He was capable of destroying all Israel! Once again, God was warning His people of what would eventually happen if they continued to reject His love and mercy. But, more importantly, at this moment His message of judgment was also his message of love. He was giving them another opportunity to turn from their idolatry and sin and once again follow Him. (Getz)

          3.  Duplicable Proofs of Its Effectiveness.    1 Kings 18:39-40

              A.  The Acts of a Fervent Heart for God.   

1 Kings 18:37,  Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

Thank God Elijah was not only a man of Prayer He was also a man of action.  His actions at Carmel certainly influenced the nation to repent and turn back to the Lord!

                     1.  We Must Pray Intimately.   (Matthew 6:5-6).

Elijah prayed with a heart for God and His will and he requested that the Nation of Israel would return to Jehovah wholeheartedly.  His heart's desire was realized in a moment!  Power in prayer is deeply rooted in having a sincere heart for the Lord.  I am reminded of the Words of our Lord Jesus: “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. [6] But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”  (Matthew 6:5-6).

                     2.  We Must Pray Sincerely ((Matthew 6:7-8).

The fact that a request is repeated does not make it a "vain repetition"; for both Jesus and Paul repeated their petitions (Matt 26:36-46; 2 Cor 12:7-8). A request becomes a "vain repetition" if it is only a babbling of words without a sincere heart desire to seek and do God's will. The mere recitation of memorized prayers can be vain repetition. The Gentiles had such prayers in their pagan ceremonies (1 Kings 18:26).

Dr. Robert A. Cook has often said, "All of us have one routine prayer in our system; and once we get rid of it, then we can really start to pray!" I have noticed this, not only in my own praying, but often when I have conducted prayer meetings. With some people, praying is like putting the needle on a phonograph record and then forgetting about it. But God does not answer insincere prayers. 

Always bear in mind that fervency in prayer can still accomplishes great things for God's glory and our good! James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

              B.  The Acts of Fervent Repentance.

1 Kings 18:39-40,  And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God. [40] And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

God's message was loud and clear to Israel. They fell prostrate on the ground and cried, "The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God" (1 Kings 18:39). Those closest probably began the chant and those farther out joined them in the ever-widening circle of people shouting, "The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God" How long they repeated this proclamation, we're not told.

What a sight this must have been! And what a verbal message! It must have reverberated through the valley for miles. (Getz)

The prophets of Baal shouted for hours asking Baal for proof that he was a god. The children of Israel were shouting a proclamation that the Lord was God! They had their proof!

Beloved, when Elijah had finished his prayer, the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the sacrifice, as well as the wood, the stones, the dust, and all the water in the trench. When the people saw what had happened, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, He is the God; The Lord, He is the God!” (v. 39).

What a wonderful example of praying with boldness and authority! Elijah didn't pray in secret, off in some corner where nobody could see or hear him. He prayed openly and publicly. There was nothing tricky or shady about what he did; there was no doubt about what he said.

God has filled the Scriptures with promises. Oh, how few of them we claim as our own! A man once said to me, “I feel that when I come into the throne room of God, I just tiptoe around. I'm afraid of what God may say or do.” I believe his behavior is that of many Christians.

God, however, tells us to come boldly into His presence. He grants us the privilege to come before Him with authority because of our position in Christ Jesus. We are to be bold in believing with our faith that God is going to do what He desires to do and what He says He will do in our lives.

Hebrews 4:16, Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 10:22, Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.