11.30.2022 | PRAYING DOWN THE RAIN

PRAYING DOWN THE RAIN

1 Kings 18:41

Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”

In 1623, in the midst of drought, the Pilgrim’s governor, William Bradford, called for a Day of Repentance and Prayer.

At 4 PM a small cloud appeared, at 6 PM it began to rain. It rained for two weeks.

How do we pray for the rain of the Spirit upon our nation, our families, the Body of Christ, and our own lives?

1. Hear the Voice of God

1 Kings 18:41b

There is the sound of abundance of rain.

Elijah is hearing in the Spirit.

We want the Holy Spirit to open our spiritual eyes.

Ephesians 1:18a

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened.

We want the Holy Spirit to open our spiritual ears.

Revelation 3:6

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

We want to hear the Word of the Lord.

Matthew 4:4

But He answered and said, “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

Word – Rhema – God’s personal Word through His Word

Ask the Lord for a Faith Vision for your family, work, and ministry.

2. Call Forth in Prayer What You Heard in the Spirit

1 Kings 18:42

So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees.

Elijah is on his knees in prayer, calling forth into the natural what he has heard in the realm of the Spirit.

Job 22:28

You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways.

On our knees is a position of humility before the Lord.

Luke 22:41

And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed.

Ephesians 3:14

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

3. Be Persistent in Calling Forth What the Lord has Purposed

1 Kings 18:43

And said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”

Spiritual warfare is real.

The enemy will try to hold back the answer and cause us to give up.

Daniel 10:12

Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.”

Daniel 10:13

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

Luke 18:1

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.

4. Believe for the Breakthrough

1 Kings 18:44

Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’”

Often there is a breakthrough in the realm of the Spirit before there is a breakthrough in the natural.

“Praying through” is a witness in our spirit that we have prayed through and the answer is on the way, no matter what we see in the physical realm

1 Kings 18:45

Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.

1 Kings 18:46

Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Faith lays hold of the Promises of God and won’t let go!