Notice that God says he is going to have the people ask for Israel to be increased like a flock. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 36:37–38 ESV) Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. “Thus says the Lord GOD: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock. Let’s start with an Old Testament passage and then we will look at a New Testament passage. ![]() The scriptures show this idea in many places. You know God’s will and you are praying for its arrival and fulfillment. This is what it means to pray according to God’s will. ![]() Why pray for something when I know it is going to happen? But that is exactly what God wants us to do. Now I hope you are asking in your mind, “Why is Elijah praying when God already told him it is going to rain?” We can sometimes get stuck on this idea. So Ahab goes off to eat but Elijah climbs to the top of the mount and bows his face to the Lord. So Elijah warns Ahab that you should eat now because a great rain is coming and it will take some time to get back to Israel. So it is going to take quite a bit of time to return to Israel from Sidon. It is helpful to note that it is 17 miles from Carmel to Jezreel. Now Elijah tells Ahab that he better eat now because he hears the sound of a mighty rainstorm (18:41). Back in 1 Kings 18:1 the Lord told Elijah to go meet Ahab because he is going to send rain on the land. Now it is important to remember how we got to Mount Carmel in the first place. While we ended our study in the last lesson at this point, there is more that happens. God has answered Elijah by fire and the prophets of Baal have been executed, according to the word of the Lord. In 1 Kings 18 we saw Elijah bringing Israel to Mount Carmel to show them that the Lord is God alone. But we want to go back to where this scene occurs to make sure that we are understanding correctly what James is writing to Christians about prayer. This is a text that you might know very well that is the basis for many sermons about the power of prayer. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. 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. ![]() The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
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