HEAVEN WAITS FOR MAN’S INTERCESSION

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 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.”  (James 5:16-17) Elijah was no wimp when it came to praying. He had to fight against the passions we all face, but he knew that prayers made to God with effective fervency, coupled with a righteous life are able to move the hand of God.

The man that knows how to move God’s hand is no wimp. To the contrary, he is a man to be feared. We have no record of the actual event of Elijah praying for the drought to come other than James 5:16.  We do have a record of how he prayed that the drought would end. “Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees.” (1 Kings 18:42) Elijah is desperate. He is not sitting on a padded chair or comfortable sofa. He has not gathered other prayer partners around him to observe his oratory in prayer. Not even his servant was invited to join his intercession. He is no wimp.

He stands alone in the gap between God, Israel and the drought. He alone has made bold statements of faith to King Ahab, declaring that he hears a sound of abundance of rain when there is not a cloud in the sky. This man really believes that God answers effectual, earnest prayer. He cannot quit now. His mission is not accomplished until the drought is broken. He did not say, “Well folks, we have seen some amazing miracles today. We have seen God answer by fire and 450 prophets of Baal are killed. I say we leave the rain part of this scenario in the hands of God. We have had enough victory for one day.” This was not the way Elijah felt. He knew that heaven has an abundant answer, but waits for man’s intercession. (Read Matthew 16:19).

Upon the seventh intercession for rain the watching servant declares that he sees a small cloud like a man’s hand rising up from the sea. That little cloud was a clear sign to Elijah that God’s hand was indeed at work and that his prayer was answered.