In the Gap
Love for Prayer
Today we pray about praying. Prayer is direct communication with the Father. What a joy and an honor to have the privilege. It is a dialogue where we talk to God and He speaks back to us. James 5:16b: The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Fervency speaks of our level of intensity, passion, and persistence. It is fervent prayer that is always the precursor to revival. Many times, we can lose our passion in prayer or stop praying for certain things altogether because we lose heart or give up. But God invites us to keep them before Him and trust Him for an answer in His time. (Matthew 7:7-11)
The Old Testament prophet, Elijah, practiced a lifestyle of fervent, intense prayer and he witnessed incredible miracles in his lifetime as a result. In 1 Kings 17:17-24, we read of a woman whose only son became ill and died. When Elijah heard the news he quickly took action and did what he knew best – he fervently cried out to God. Elijah fully believed that God could bring the boy back to life, and he didn’t pray just once. It is recorded that he prayed three times for the boy’s soul to return to him. He prayed fervently, repeatedly and he wasn’t going to give up. Verse 22 reads, “then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.” God honored Elijah’s obedience and fervent prayers and brought the boy to life. God hears your prayers as well and will bring an answer in His perfect timing. But don’t be discouraged or disheartened if the answer is not exactly what you expected. Commit to talking to God just because He is God and He is beyond wonderful. Trust your answer will come in His perfect way and in His perfect timing.
