The Prayer of a Righteous Man Avails Much
Elijah Predicts a Drought
1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
After reading these two sections together there does not need to be much written. The Scripture speaks for itself. Elijah was a prophet God sent to stop the evil King Ahab was brining on Israel. Scripture states that he did more evil than any other king. His wicked wife, Jezebel, was even more sinister and sinful. Together they reeked havoc on the land. Elijah was sent by God to stop that evil. The prayer for no rain was to show the power of God in order to destroy the false prophets, who were aiding and abetting Ahab. Elijah prayed that it might not rain. We are not told why he prayed that. We assume God told him to. But, the key here is the power of the prayer of a righteous man. That is James’ commentary on this event. James is encouraging the early church to bring the sick and those who have sinned before God in prayer for healing of their body and soul. He speaks to them to remind them how the prayer of one righteous person can bring an entire country to its knees. So, to if we pray for physical and spiritual healing today. These are not just verses on a page. They are the reality to the person who puts faith in Christ. We have been declared righteous. Therefore our prayers are as powerful as Elijah’s prayers. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man has great power.
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