The Force Of Faith.
Part Two Continued.  The Operation Of Faith.
Installment Twelve.
By Phil Scovell.


B.  Pray It Continued.

     I concluded my last installment by pointing out Philippians
4:6, prayer supplication, and thanksgiving, is not a formula.  It
is also not like playing baseball.  By that I mean, three strikes
and your out, and secondly, it isn't a matter of getting a hit
and then running all three bases before you can score by running
across home plate.  Let's find out what it is by example.

      James   5"17-18
Elijah 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.

     Here is a man, we are told who knew how to pray.  Elijah,
according to this passage, was just like anybody else.  That is,
he was no one special but he learned to pray.

     For most of my life, I thought that Elijah was told by God to
go speak to King Ahab and inform him that God said it would not
rain for three and a half years.  Yet, the Bible clearly says
nothing of the sort.  Let me quote what it does say.

      1 Kings  17:1
And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead,
said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I
stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according
to my word.

     It was Elijah who said "according to my word" it wasn't going
to rain.  How could Elijah say such a thing?  How could he even
know what he said was true?  He said, it was because he stood
before the Lord.  Furthermore, it was by Elijah's prayer, once
again, which brought the rain.  Thus, Elijah had control of the
weather for over three and a half years.  How is that possible?

PRAYED EARNESTLY.

     In the James passage, the words, "prayed earnestly," are used
in description of how Elijah prayed.  They both are actually
translated as prayer.  "Earnestly," however, also carries with it
the idea of a place one prays.  Where was that?  I mean, where
did Elijah pray?  According to his own testimony in First Kings
Chapter 17, he prayed before the Lord.  Does that sound like any
other passage of Scripture we know?

      Ephesians   6:10-18
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power
of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may
be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to
stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and
having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of
peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be
able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for
all saints.

STAND.

     Most of us have the idea that prayer is warfare.
petitionary prayer, making request of God, is not spiritual
warfare but spiritual warfare may be necessary somewhere along the
way.

     As we read "Put on the whole armor of God," one would get the
idea that we are in a battle but Paul said we do not wrestle
against flesh and blood.  Yes, he does continue by saying it is a
spiritual battle.  May I remind you that this battle has already
been won?  Then why does it always seem like we are in a perpetual
battle?  Because our faith is being tested.  The devil, not God,
wants to see how much we believe is true according to God's Word.
The question is, therefore, where do you stand?

     Since Elijah said, "As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before
whom I stand," I want you to red the Hebrew interpretation of the
word "stand."

DEFINITION.

1) to stand, remain, endure, take one's stand.
1a)
1a1) to stand, take one's stand, be in a standing attitude, stand
     forth, take a stand, present oneself, attend upon, be or
     become servant of.
1a2) to stand still, stop (moving or doing), cease.
1a3) to tarry, delay, remain, continue, abide, endure, persist, be
     steadfast.
1a4) to make a stand, hold one's ground.
1a5) to stand upright, remain standing, stand up, rise, be erect,
     be upright.
1a6) to arise, appear, come on the scene, stand forth, appear,
     rise up or against.
1a7) to stand with, take one's stand, be appointed, grow flat,
     grow insipid.
1b)
1b1) to station, set.
1b2) to cause to stand firm, maintain.
1b3) to cause to stand up, cause to set up, erect.
1b4) to present (one) before (king).
1b5) to appoint, ordain, establish.
1c) to be presented, be caused to stand, be stood before.

     Overkill perhaps?  Maybe.  At least we get a very good
picture of what Elijah was talking about when he said, "As the
LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I STAND."

     Now, as you read the Ephesians Chapter 6 passage and run
across all of those same words, "stand," doesn't it make you stop
and think?  I thought battles were won by pressing forward into
the enemy and taking ground.  In our case, since the battle has
already been won, we are told to stand, that is, stand fast; hold
your ground.  Not attack, not charge, not perpetrate an all out
assault, and not to strike out at the enemy.  Stand.  Stand.
Stand.  Stand where?  Before your God.  Why?  Because, as with
Elijah, we are bringing our petitions, requests, before him.  We
stand until we get our answer.

     How do I know this is how it works?

      1 Kings  18:41-42
41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for
there is a sound of abundance of rain.
42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the
top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put
his face between his knees,
43  And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And
he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said,
Go again seven times.
44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold,
there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand.
And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get
thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
45  And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was
black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab
rode, and went to Jezreel.
46  And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his
      loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

COMMENTS.

     Several things should be noted about this story.  First, we
are told what happened in the book of James which I have already
quoted.  Elijah prayed that it would not rain for three and a half
years.

     Secondly.  Elijah said to King Ahab that he heard a sound of
abundance of rain.  True or false?  He said it all right but there
was no rain anywhere so what did Elijah hear?  Nothing.  He stood
on his own faith and confess he heard the sound of an approaching
storm even though there was not a cloud in the sky.

     Thirdly.  Elijah goes up to the top of Mount Carmel which
overlooks the Mediterranean sea from northern Israel and takes one
of his servants with him.  From this vantage point, the servant is
instructed by the prophet to go and look out over the
Mediterranean for any sign of rain.

     Fourthly.  His first report yielded nothing.  As Elijah
continues to pray, he instructs the man to keep going back to
look.  Why?  Because Elijah knew it was going to rain and he knew
this by faith.

     fifthly.  The servant of the prophet was instructed to go
seven times and on the seventh time, he reports a small cloud has
appeared far out over the ocean.

Note.  The number seven is symbolic.  Most believe it is the
number of perfection or finality as in the six days of creation
and on the seventh day, God rested.  I personally believe the
number seven means even more in some situations.  I believe what
Elijah told his servant was to go and keep going, until he came
back with the answer for which he was praying.  The servant, we
are told, on the seventh trip out over the cliffs, saw a small
cloud forming and reported such to Elijah.  As I said, my opinion
is, Elijah meant for his servant to continue going until it was
perfect, that is, his prayer was answered.  I also believe this
based upon the record of James who said Elijah prayed earnestly
that it might not rain for three and a half years.  Then, we are
told, Elijah prayed again and it rained.  Elijah wasn't going to
give up.  Why?  Because he stood before the Lord in prayer and
prayed and spoke with total confidence that God would honor His
Word.

end Of Installment Twelve.