13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 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. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.(James 5)
Elijah demonstrated practical prayer. He prayed for his people suffering famine and the effects of sin in the land. He prayed prayers of confession and faith. He prayed publically and boldly. He backed up his prayers with a life of faith. As James tells us, his life of prayer is a challenge and an example. In reality, Elijah had no stronger foundation than we do for praying in this way. If we, through Christ, know the true and living God, and are a part of His people, we have who and what we need to pray this way. We just need to be willing to trust, to be open and accountable, and to be persistent in prayer. Be an Elijah!
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