New Season Church
Elijah 3 : Keys To Effective Prayer
Elijah knew how to pray. Drought, supernatural oil and flour not ending, dead boy being raised back to life. The amazing thing is he was just as human as you and I. In this message we look at 4 keys to effective prayer
Locations & Times
Platform 98, Blanco Center (7de Laan), Eersterust, Pretoria
Spitfire Ave, Eersterust, Pretoria, 0022, South Africa
Sunday 9:00 AM
Elijah understood prayer. He understood it. He came before God with boldness and with confidence, and man, I have learned so much from just studying this.
James 5:17
17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!
And the verse starts out. It says, “Elijah was a man just like us,” which is comforting. He didn’t have like this cool super hero Bible cape man type deal on. He’s just a regular guy, just like you and just like me. And it says, “He prayed earnestly.” I want you guys to repeat that with me. He prayed earnestly.
He prays. He prays with confidence. He prays with boldness that God is going to move, and that God is going to work.
So, here’s his prayer.
1 Kings 18:41-42
41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!”
42 So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.
The reality is, so many of us struggle with our prayer lives. Consistency is tough. Authenticity can be hard at times.
We do feel like God doesn’t answer at times, but if you guys will engage, if you will listen today, if you will dive into God’s word, you are going to walk away some truth that you can implement into your life, and it will change, and it will transform your prayer life forever.
Four different things of an effective prayer:
1: Effective prayers are humble prayers.
He needed to get God’s attention. He didn’t feel that just as you go through life, prayer was adequate in this situation. They needed some rain, and so he set time aside, and he climbed to the very top, and if you guys will look, it will tell you what happens there in I Kings. It says that that point in time, when Elijah got there, that Elijah bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.” He humbled, he physically humbled himself. It’s just a picture of what was going on spiritually inside of him. He was spiritually humbled at that moment. He realized that he couldn’t bring the rain. He realized that he was small, that he was a nobody, that he was incapable.
He knew he needed rain, but he knew that he couldn’t do it, and this humbling of himself was him spiritually saying, “God, I’m small and I’m tiny and I’m inadequate, and I can’t do this. But God, You are big, and God, You are holy, and You are the sustainer, and You are the creator, and You are the healer, and You are the provided.” He humbled himself before God, because he knew that he could not bring the rain. But, he knew who could bring the rain.
1 Pet 5:5-6
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”[
6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor
Important distinction: Humility is NOT meekness
Humility is confidence in God
How do you know if your walking in pride. Examine how you accept gifts and blessings. Examine your ability to ask for/receive help
He will lift you up. Will you look at that promise? Our God, who is the creator, He. It is Him. He is the One that will lift us up. But what we have to understand is that humbling and humility precedes the miraculous in our lives. You want to get God’s attention? You want Him to move? You want Him to listen to the prayer that You’re bringing to Him? Humble yourself. Humble yourself before Him.
No 2: effective prayers are specific prayers.
How many of you have prayed prayers like this: God thank you for breakthrough, that you meet our needs today?
What does Elijah pray for? A specific need. How do we know this? By hat he told his servant to do
1 Kings 18:43
43 Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.”
He told his servant to go and check the see. To check for signs of rain.
Elijah prayed for a specific thing. For rain. That was was needed. He didn’t pray, Lord let your will be done in this situation. Lord we trust you for breakthrough in our crops. Not he prayer specifically for what was needed in order to have breakthrough in that situation.
Example: If you have a business, don’t pray for breakthrough. What does breakthrough look like to you. How many clients do you need? How many people do you need to speak this week and how any are you trusting to turn into clients?
If you are working on a project at work. Don’t pray, Lord be with me on this project. He is with you. Lord help me with this project, He is your ever present help in time of need. What do you need specifically to happen in order for that thing to produce fruit.
Saying if you aim for nothing you’ll hit it every time. If you prayer for nothing, you’ll get every single time.
No 3 effective prayers are persistent prayers.
1 Kings 18:43
The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.”
How many of you, be honest, have prayed for something. Waited a day and then nothing happened and stopped praying about it. Nothing happened. I want to show you a principle in the word of God when it comes to consistency regarding our petitions to God. What does Elijah do?
1 Kings 18:43
Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. 44 Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”
So here. Elijah is, he know what he needs in order to bring breakthrough to the nation: rain. He humbles himself, prays specifically for rain and sends His servant to check for rain.
The servant comes back and says I don’t see anything. So what does Elijah do? Does he go and say ah well. That’s it I guess. I prayed. That’s it. I must have been wrong in the first place. I knew it this prayer stuff doesn’t happen. All that stuff with the prophets and the sacrifice it was all just a fluke.
No he tells his servant to back and check again. Servant comes back and says there’s nothing. He tells his check again. He comes and back and nothing, niks,lefela. I’m sure there we would have been well we gave it our bet shot. No!
He tells him to do 7 times. 7 Times! The things you are trusting God for, how many times have you prayed for it?
There is more to this than just number of times. This is a principle in the kingdom of God.
Matt 7:7
7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you
In Jewish culture, when the child would go to the father to ask for something, the Father would never give it to the child the first time. He would tell them , no. Then he would wait for the child to come back and for it again. Agains he would say no. He would would wait again until the child would back a third time on after then would he grant the thing the child. Why? The father wants to know if the child really wants the things he is asking for. He wants to know if the child has the character in order to sustain the blessing he is being given. Or does he kind of want it.
Persistent prayers reveal our inward assurance.
Don’t allow the outward circumstances of what’s going on to affect your inward assurance
He doesn’t allow it, when it seems like God’s maybe not moving, and maybe it’s a timing issue. When it seems like God’s not answering, when it seems like God’s not moving, he doesn’t get frustrated. He doesn’t throw in the towel. He doesn’t say, “I’m done.” He doesn’t say, “This doesn’t work.” What does he do? He prays, and he prays, and he prays, and he prays. It doesn’t seem like God’s working. He prays, and he prays, and he prays, and he prays, and he prays, and he prays, and he prays, and he prays. He’s persistent. He’s persistent.
James 5:16
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results
So, here’s my question for you. What have you quit praying for that you need to start praying for again? Maybe it’s your marriage. You haven’t seen much movement, so you’ve kind of quit praying. Maybe it’s for a job. You’ve grown tired and weary. Maybe it’s your finances, a broken relationship. Maybe it’s for someone in your family that doesn’t have a relationship with Christ, and it’s been years, and you’ve just kind of given up on it. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man prevails.
No4 Effective prayers are expectant prayers.
This is really a key to affect prayer, really experiencing God. Expectancy.
What are you expecting of God? Here is the crazy about expectancy. When you expect nothing, you’ll never be disappointed because you will receive it everything single time.
Expectancy is like a vessel we bring to God. The measure we bring to God, He will fill.
Elijah was expectant God answer, that’s why he sent his servant back 7 times.
After 7 times, the servant comes back and says: “There is something. I see a cloud the size of a man’s hand”
Elijah jumps up and goes Yes! That’s it. God is moving. All he needed was a little sign. A small victory. It was what he needed.
1 King 18:44-45
Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’”
45 And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel.
Effective prayers are backed by action.
The most effective prayers are those that are backed by action. Our expectancy is revealed by our action. If you believing God to help you with an extra income, then at some point you will need to decide what that will be. The you’ll actually need to take some action. Prayer is not, I’m going to pray and then sit down and have a sandwich and then I have it because I said I receive it.
That’s why its called a relationship. Jesus said I only do what I see my father do. Prayer is not about twisting God’s arm but about asking God where He is and do what He instructs you to do.
James 5:17
17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!
And the verse starts out. It says, “Elijah was a man just like us,” which is comforting. He didn’t have like this cool super hero Bible cape man type deal on. He’s just a regular guy, just like you and just like me. And it says, “He prayed earnestly.” I want you guys to repeat that with me. He prayed earnestly.
He prays. He prays with confidence. He prays with boldness that God is going to move, and that God is going to work.
So, here’s his prayer.
1 Kings 18:41-42
41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!”
42 So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.
The reality is, so many of us struggle with our prayer lives. Consistency is tough. Authenticity can be hard at times.
We do feel like God doesn’t answer at times, but if you guys will engage, if you will listen today, if you will dive into God’s word, you are going to walk away some truth that you can implement into your life, and it will change, and it will transform your prayer life forever.
Four different things of an effective prayer:
1: Effective prayers are humble prayers.
He needed to get God’s attention. He didn’t feel that just as you go through life, prayer was adequate in this situation. They needed some rain, and so he set time aside, and he climbed to the very top, and if you guys will look, it will tell you what happens there in I Kings. It says that that point in time, when Elijah got there, that Elijah bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.” He humbled, he physically humbled himself. It’s just a picture of what was going on spiritually inside of him. He was spiritually humbled at that moment. He realized that he couldn’t bring the rain. He realized that he was small, that he was a nobody, that he was incapable.
He knew he needed rain, but he knew that he couldn’t do it, and this humbling of himself was him spiritually saying, “God, I’m small and I’m tiny and I’m inadequate, and I can’t do this. But God, You are big, and God, You are holy, and You are the sustainer, and You are the creator, and You are the healer, and You are the provided.” He humbled himself before God, because he knew that he could not bring the rain. But, he knew who could bring the rain.
1 Pet 5:5-6
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”[
6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor
Important distinction: Humility is NOT meekness
Humility is confidence in God
How do you know if your walking in pride. Examine how you accept gifts and blessings. Examine your ability to ask for/receive help
He will lift you up. Will you look at that promise? Our God, who is the creator, He. It is Him. He is the One that will lift us up. But what we have to understand is that humbling and humility precedes the miraculous in our lives. You want to get God’s attention? You want Him to move? You want Him to listen to the prayer that You’re bringing to Him? Humble yourself. Humble yourself before Him.
No 2: effective prayers are specific prayers.
How many of you have prayed prayers like this: God thank you for breakthrough, that you meet our needs today?
What does Elijah pray for? A specific need. How do we know this? By hat he told his servant to do
1 Kings 18:43
43 Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.”
He told his servant to go and check the see. To check for signs of rain.
Elijah prayed for a specific thing. For rain. That was was needed. He didn’t pray, Lord let your will be done in this situation. Lord we trust you for breakthrough in our crops. Not he prayer specifically for what was needed in order to have breakthrough in that situation.
Example: If you have a business, don’t pray for breakthrough. What does breakthrough look like to you. How many clients do you need? How many people do you need to speak this week and how any are you trusting to turn into clients?
If you are working on a project at work. Don’t pray, Lord be with me on this project. He is with you. Lord help me with this project, He is your ever present help in time of need. What do you need specifically to happen in order for that thing to produce fruit.
Saying if you aim for nothing you’ll hit it every time. If you prayer for nothing, you’ll get every single time.
No 3 effective prayers are persistent prayers.
1 Kings 18:43
The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.”
How many of you, be honest, have prayed for something. Waited a day and then nothing happened and stopped praying about it. Nothing happened. I want to show you a principle in the word of God when it comes to consistency regarding our petitions to God. What does Elijah do?
1 Kings 18:43
Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. 44 Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”
So here. Elijah is, he know what he needs in order to bring breakthrough to the nation: rain. He humbles himself, prays specifically for rain and sends His servant to check for rain.
The servant comes back and says I don’t see anything. So what does Elijah do? Does he go and say ah well. That’s it I guess. I prayed. That’s it. I must have been wrong in the first place. I knew it this prayer stuff doesn’t happen. All that stuff with the prophets and the sacrifice it was all just a fluke.
No he tells his servant to back and check again. Servant comes back and says there’s nothing. He tells his check again. He comes and back and nothing, niks,lefela. I’m sure there we would have been well we gave it our bet shot. No!
He tells him to do 7 times. 7 Times! The things you are trusting God for, how many times have you prayed for it?
There is more to this than just number of times. This is a principle in the kingdom of God.
Matt 7:7
7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you
In Jewish culture, when the child would go to the father to ask for something, the Father would never give it to the child the first time. He would tell them , no. Then he would wait for the child to come back and for it again. Agains he would say no. He would would wait again until the child would back a third time on after then would he grant the thing the child. Why? The father wants to know if the child really wants the things he is asking for. He wants to know if the child has the character in order to sustain the blessing he is being given. Or does he kind of want it.
Persistent prayers reveal our inward assurance.
Don’t allow the outward circumstances of what’s going on to affect your inward assurance
He doesn’t allow it, when it seems like God’s maybe not moving, and maybe it’s a timing issue. When it seems like God’s not answering, when it seems like God’s not moving, he doesn’t get frustrated. He doesn’t throw in the towel. He doesn’t say, “I’m done.” He doesn’t say, “This doesn’t work.” What does he do? He prays, and he prays, and he prays, and he prays. It doesn’t seem like God’s working. He prays, and he prays, and he prays, and he prays, and he prays, and he prays, and he prays, and he prays. He’s persistent. He’s persistent.
James 5:16
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results
So, here’s my question for you. What have you quit praying for that you need to start praying for again? Maybe it’s your marriage. You haven’t seen much movement, so you’ve kind of quit praying. Maybe it’s for a job. You’ve grown tired and weary. Maybe it’s your finances, a broken relationship. Maybe it’s for someone in your family that doesn’t have a relationship with Christ, and it’s been years, and you’ve just kind of given up on it. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man prevails.
No4 Effective prayers are expectant prayers.
This is really a key to affect prayer, really experiencing God. Expectancy.
What are you expecting of God? Here is the crazy about expectancy. When you expect nothing, you’ll never be disappointed because you will receive it everything single time.
Expectancy is like a vessel we bring to God. The measure we bring to God, He will fill.
Elijah was expectant God answer, that’s why he sent his servant back 7 times.
After 7 times, the servant comes back and says: “There is something. I see a cloud the size of a man’s hand”
Elijah jumps up and goes Yes! That’s it. God is moving. All he needed was a little sign. A small victory. It was what he needed.
1 King 18:44-45
Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’”
45 And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel.
Effective prayers are backed by action.
The most effective prayers are those that are backed by action. Our expectancy is revealed by our action. If you believing God to help you with an extra income, then at some point you will need to decide what that will be. The you’ll actually need to take some action. Prayer is not, I’m going to pray and then sit down and have a sandwich and then I have it because I said I receive it.
That’s why its called a relationship. Jesus said I only do what I see my father do. Prayer is not about twisting God’s arm but about asking God where He is and do what He instructs you to do.