"Elias 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 years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." ~ James 5:17-18 

To teach us about prayer, James points us to the Old Testament prophet, Elijah. We are reminded that he was a man, with the same struggles and limitations that we have, and yet his prayer life brought forth marvelous results! In 1 Kings 17 he prayed that God would stop the windows of heaven and cause rain and dew to cease. God answered that prayer right away and for the next 3 ½ years the land of Israel was as dry as a bone. 

At the end of that time, the Bible says, “And he prayed again…” Yet according to 1 Kings 18:43 the prayer was not answered after the first request. He prayed seven times before the smallest of clouds appeared. Did Elijah quit praying because nothing happened? Of course not! He prayed until God moved and send the abundance of rain! 

Sometimes the Lord responds to our prayers immediately, as he did for Elijah’s first prayer. And yet at other times, He waits before He answers. Perhaps God is testing our faith to see if we truly believe and trust in Him. Perhaps he has a timetable that we know nothing about. 

 Elijah had the faith to persist in his praying until the Lord answered. May we learn from his example that if nothing happens when we pray, “pray again”! 

Pastor Bish