Christine Caine: Go Again, Pray Again Sermon
We must pray with expectation. Praying with expectation means praying with faith, and faith has the power to transform circumstances. We shape our world through the words we speak, so it is essential to speak words of life, hope, purpose, and destiny. By speaking words of faith, we create an environment for miracles to occur. When we have faith and expectation, we open the door to God’s miraculous intervention.
Let’s turn to 1 Kings 18:41, where Elijah says to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink.” I love how practical God is, and how He even values the simple act of eating and drinking. (As a Greek, I can relate to that!) In fact, I believe the translators may have made an error when translating the Greek word for “fasting.” Maybe they meant “feasting” instead! Of course, I’m joking, but you get the point.
Elijah continues, “For there is the sound of a rainstorm.” Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went to the summit of Mount Carmel. He bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. Then he told his servant to look toward the sea. The servant went, looked, and said, “There is nothing.” Elijah sent him back seven times, and on the seventh time, the servant reported, “There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.” Elijah said to his servant, “Go tell Ahab to get his chariot ready and go, or the rain will stop you.” Shortly after, the sky grew dark with clouds, wind, and a downpour. Ahab got into his chariot and headed toward Jezreel. The power of the Lord came upon Elijah, and he ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
Notice what Elijah did on the mountain. The Bible says he bent down and put his face between his knees. This unusual posture for prayer was a position of earnest intercession. And in James 5:17-18, we learn that Elijah was a human like us. He prayed earnestly that it wouldn’t rain, and for three and a half years, it didn’t. Then he prayed again, and the rain came, bringing forth fruit to the land. This shows that prayer works, and prayer precedes miracles.
