October 26

Understanding of Prayer: 1 Kings 18:41-46

1. Last week, I had the privilege of leading two sessions of membership training as we prepare for our Membership Covenant Ceremony next Sunday. When we commit to the Christian faith, we quickly learn that the church is full of vital practices like worship, service, praise, and fellowship. Among these, prayer is an essential, daily Christian discipline because it touches on every part of our personal lives. In this point, I can ask you a question: Have you ever wondered why we pray if God already knows everything? Is prayer about changing God's mind—or is it about changing us? 

1-1 The most common misunderstanding about prayer is the belief that our words somehow persuade God to act or change His mind. While it's true that God listens to our voices, it's a dangerous mistake to think He alters His divine plan simply because of our requests. If God's plan or will were to shift just to accommodate our prayers, it would suggest that our salvation could also be earned through our own effort. If that were true, salvation would essentially become a reward for our work, which fundamentally contradicts the Christian doctrine of salvation by grace alone. This is a profound misunderstanding, yet it is sometimes preached this way. So, how should we correctly understand the role of fervent and consistent prayer? We find a clear example in the prophet Elijah, whose persistent prayer certainly brought the rain. The key, I believe, is recognizing that God chooses to use our passionate prayers and accepts them as our faithful response to His will. Let’s deep dive into the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 18:41-46. 

1 Kings 18:41–43 ESV

And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. And he 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.

1 Kings 18:44–46 ESV

And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’ ” And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

2. The book of 1 Kings, chapter 18, is commonly divided into three main sections.

Verse 1-19: After three and a half years of punishing drought, God finally spoke to Elijah, instructing him, "Go, present yourself to King Ahab." The message was clear: God was about to send rain. On his journey, Elijah met Obadiah, the administrator of Ahab’s royal household. Obadiah was a genuinely devout man, who had faithfully and secretly protected a hundred of the Lord's prophets by hiding them in caves and supplying them with food and water during the worst of the persecution. When Elijah told Obadiah to go and inform Ahab of his arrival, the servant was terrified. He feared that as soon as he left, the Spirit of the Lord would whisk Elijah away again, leaving him to face Ahab's wrath—and certain death. Elijah reassured him, promising, "As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today." Obadiah went as commanded, found the king, and delivered the message. When Ahab finally came face-to-face with the prophet he had been hunting, the king immediately lashed out, calling him the "troubler of Israel." But Elijah was entirely unafraid. He immediately threw the accusation back at the king, stating, "I have not made trouble for Israel, but you have! It is because you and your father’s family have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals."

3. Verses 20-40: Elijah next brought the spectacular drama to Mount Carmel, gathering all the people of Israel along with the 450 prophets of Baal. Standing before the wavering crowd, he delivered a powerful challenge, forcing them to confront their spiritual indecision. "How long will you waver between two opinions?" he demanded. "If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him!" To settle the matter once and for all, Elijah proposed a contest of divine power. Each side would prepare a bull for sacrifice but would not light a fire. The true God would be the one who answered with fire from heaven. The prophets of Baal went first. They prepared their sacrifice and spent hours frantically calling on their god, shouting, leaping, and even cutting themselves with swords and lances, hoping to provoke a response. They cried out from morning until noon, but there was no voice, no answer, and no sign of fire, demonstrating their god's utter powerlessness. Elijah then stepped forward. He repaired the LORD's altar, arranged his sacrifice, and, to make the test humanly impossible for any natural fire, he instructed servants to pour twelve large jars of water over the offering until the trench around the altar was completely filled. Then, Elijah prayed a simple, humble prayer. Immediately, the fire of the LORD fell. It consumed not only the bull and the wood, but also the stones of the altar, the soil, and even the water in the trench. It was a dramatic, undeniable display—a definitive proof of the LORD's supremacy. Witnessing this astonishing miracle, the people were completely convinced. They fell face down on the ground, proclaiming in unison, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" Following this divine triumph, Elijah commanded the people to seize and execute all the prophets of Baal.

4. These two parts of the story clearly teach us not only who Elijah was but also how God chooses to use His servants for His work. The most concise and best explanation of the prophet is actually found in the New Testament, in James 5:17–18. 

James 5:17–18 NLT

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! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

The profound power of Elijah's story lies in its simplicity: he was not a mythical superhero, but "a human being, even as we are" . He experienced human nature, weaknesses, and feelings, just like us . Yet, God powerfully used his earnest and passionate prayers to both withhold the rain and bring it back again. The key to these extraordinary events was not Elijah's own greatness, but his faithful and obedient response to God's will through prayer. Now, as we delve into 1 Kings 18:41-46, we can discern three crucial aspects that illuminate God's interaction with humanity. 

4-1 God’s ultimate Sovereignty: Even before Elijah went to pray, he confidently told King Ahab: "Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of abundance of rain" (v. 41). Notice this timing: Elijah declared the rain before he saw the cloud and before he prayed the prayer. Why? Because the outcome—the rain—was rooted entirely in God’s sovereign purpose, not Elijah's effort. God had promised the rain (v. 1), and His timing had come. Elijah was simply proclaiming a certainty that God had already decreed. That is profoundly true. God’s plan and sovereignty must always come first before we make any decision. When I say that our attendance at Sunday worship—which seems like a choice we make by our own will—is actually God's invitation, it's because He calls us first; then we are able to decide to join the service. As Balthasar Hubmaier and Jonathan Edwards asserted, we can only respond to God’s call because His Spirit first moves in us.

Ephesians 1:11 NASB 2020

In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will,

Jeremiah 1:15 NIV

I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord. “Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding walls and against all the towns of Judah.

4-2 God’s Grace Over Human Efforts: Elijah then went to the top of Mount Carmel, bowed down to the ground, and put his face between his knees. He sent his servant seven times to look toward the sea. After the seventh time, the servant reported a cloud "as small as a man's hand" (v. 44). If the rain was a certainty (as Elijah proclaimed), why the intense, repeated action? Why seven trips for the servant? This persistent effort wasn't about earning the rain; it was a physical demonstration of faithful perseverance. It shows us that God, in His grace, uses our earnest, repeated our response to usher in the blessings He has already promised (His purpose). Our work doesn't earn grace; it simply aligns with it. 

Matthew 7:7–8 NKJV

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

At first glance, this passage might suggest that persistent prayer is a reward for our consistent effort. But that is not its message. Instead, it clearly shows us that God's promise comes first. Because God promises that He will respond to our persistent requests, we can and should ask Him continually. This means God’s response to our prayer is not a merit we earn, but a great blessing granted by Him. Elijah knew this blessing and had experienced it, which is why he could pray so persistently. Therefore, it is simply incorrect for anyone to claim that their prayer brought the great work. God merely invites us to His workplace through prayer. It is crucial for us to understand that because God has made us His children through faith, we can join God's great work through prayer. Elijah was not the source of power; he became God's partner, and through that partnership, he witnessed God's great work. We can never boast about the result of prayer, but we can—and must—praise the response of God to our prayer.

4-3 Prayer as Partnership for God’s Work: The key, therefore, is found in the final scene: the drought ends, and a heavy rain begins. Elijah's prayer was not a desperate plea to change God's mind, but an active participation in God’s plan.

The powerful sequence is this:

1. God’s Will is Declared: God promises rain (v. 1).

2. Man Responds in Prayer: Elijah prays earnestly (v. 42).

3. God’s Work is Accomplished: The rain comes (v. 45).

Elijah didn't dictate the timing or the outcome; he partnered with God by faithfully praying the promise into reality. This is the true power of prayer: it is God choosing to include us—human beings, even as we are—in the fulfillment of His great, sovereign will.

1 Corinthians 3:9 ESV

For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

5. Think of prayer like a child helping their parent bake a cake. The parent could do it alone, but they invite the child to participate—not because they need help, but because they want to share the joy of creating something together. We are not worthy to be called God’s partners, yet in His grace, God has made us His fellow workers, just as Paul stated. How, then, do we join and become a co-worker of God? It is not accomplished through our effort or our own works. We can only join God's work as co-workers through persistent prayer. Therefore, prayer is not merely about requesting our own needs, but about seeking God's will and plan.

First, prayer is a time to see who God is and what He has done for us.

Next, prayer is an opportunity to understand His sovereignty, providence, and plan for salvation and for His people.

Finally, prayer becomes the act of doing God’s work as a co-worker and following the way of Jesus.

That is why prayer is essentially God’s invitation for us to see, to understand, and to do and follow. The example of Elijah teaches us how we can take this next step. I invite you now to commit to a place and time of prayer. You can set aside personal time to pray for God’s work and timing, or you can come to the church on Wednesday to pray together. It is one of possible applications: this week, you can set aside 10 minutes each day to pray—not just for your needs, but to ask God how you can join His work. Let’s see how God moves when we partner with Him in prayer. Either way, let us respond to God’s gracious invitation. When we see and understand God’s will through prayer, we are finally enabled to do and follow the way of Jesus, because we are God's co-workers by His calling. Praise the Lord!

Podcast: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/68f47bcf-5e5c-4cf8-85bf-2a107b7f7b88?artifactId=81199171-dcfc-465c-b68f-7d1f42e267ff

Video Overview: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/68f47bcf-5e5c-4cf8-85bf-2a107b7f7b88?artifactId=6977de0d-195a-4ce5-abc1-fc2e3095099f

Short-Answer Quiz

Instructions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 complete sentences, drawing your information directly from the provided text.

1. What is the most common misunderstanding about prayer, and why is this view considered dangerous according to the text?

2. How does the New Testament book of James (5:17-18) describe the prophet Elijah, and what is the significance of this description?

3. Who was Obadiah, and what specific act of faithfulness did he perform during the drought?

4. Describe the contest on Mount Carmel proposed by Elijah and its definitive outcome.

5. According to the principle of "God's ultimate Sovereignty," why was Elijah able to confidently declare the coming of rain before he prayed?

6. What is the significance of Elijah sending his servant seven times to look for a cloud? Does this persistent action "earn" the rain?

7. How does the text interpret Matthew 7:7-8 ("Ask, and it will be given to you") in the context of prayer?

8. Explain the three-step sequence that illustrates how prayer functions as a partnership with God.

9. What is the purpose of the analogy comparing prayer to a child helping a parent bake a cake?

10. The text concludes by stating that prayer is God's invitation for believers to do three things. What are they?

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Answer Key

1. The most common misunderstanding is the belief that our words persuade God to change His mind or divine plan. This is considered a dangerous mistake because if God's will could be altered by our requests, it would imply salvation could be earned by our own effort, contradicting the doctrine of salvation by grace alone.

2. James 5:17-18 describes Elijah as a human being just like us, who experienced the same weaknesses and feelings. The significance is that God powerfully used his earnest prayers to control the rain, demonstrating that prayer's effectiveness comes from a faithful response to God's will, not from a person's superhuman status.

3. Obadiah was the administrator of King Ahab's royal household and was described as a devout man. During the persecution, he secretly protected one hundred of the Lord's prophets by hiding them in caves and supplying them with food and water.

4. Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Baal to a contest where each side would prepare a sacrifice, and the true God would be the one who answered with fire from heaven. The prophets of Baal failed, but when Elijah prayed, the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the sacrifice, the altar, the soil, and the water, proving the LORD's supremacy.

5. Elijah was able to declare the rain before he prayed because the outcome was rooted entirely in God's sovereign purpose, not his own effort. God had already promised the rain in verse 1, so Elijah was simply proclaiming a certainty that God had already decreed.

6. The persistent action of sending the servant seven times was a physical demonstration of faithful perseverance. This effort did not earn the rain; rather, it showed that God uses our earnest, repeated response to usher in the blessings He has already promised.

7. The text clarifies that Matthew 7:7-8 does not mean persistent prayer is a reward for effort. Instead, it shows that because God has already promised He will respond to our requests, we can and should ask Him continually. The response is a great blessing granted by God, not a merit we earn.

8. The sequence is: 1. God's Will is Declared (God promises rain). 2. Man Responds in Prayer (Elijah prays earnestly). 3. God's Work is Accomplished (The rain comes).

9. The analogy illustrates that God invites us to participate in His work not because He needs our help, but because He wants to share the joy of creation with us. It highlights that we become God's "fellow workers" through His grace, not our own worthiness.

10. Prayer is God's invitation for us to see who He is and what He has done, to understand His sovereignty and plan, and finally to do and follow His will as a co-worker.