Prayer Summary for August 14

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The following excerpt is taken from E.M. Bounds on Prayer by E.M. Bounds:

Prayer: The Prophet’s Link to God

Elijah learned the lesson of prayer, and he graduated from that divine school before Scripture mentions him. Somewhere in the secret places, on a mountain or a plain, he had been alone with God as an intercessor against the debasing idolatry of Ahab. His prayers prevailed mightily with God. He was certain that his prayers were answered.

After these things, the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. And she said to Elijah, What have you against me, O man of God? Have you come to me to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my son? He said to her, Give me your son. And he took him from her bosom and carried him up into the chamber where he stayed and laid him upon his own bed. And Elijah cried to the Lord and said, O Lord my God, have You brought further calamity upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? And he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord and said, O Lord my God, I pray You, let this child’s soul come back into him. And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the [lower part of the] house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, See, your son is alive! And the woman said to Elijah, By this I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth. (1 Kings 17:17–24 Amp.)

Elijah’s prayer entered a region where prayer had never gone before. The awful, mysterious, and powerful regions of the dead were invaded by the presence and demands of prayer. God’s answers to Elijah’s praying kept the woman from starving and brought her son back from death. Surely no sorrow is like the bitterness of the loss of an only son.

Elijah faced these conditions full of confidence. There was no hesitancy in his actions, and there was no pause in his faith. He took the dead son to his own room, and alone with God he prayed. In that room, God met him. The encounter was too intense and too sacred for a third party to share.

God answered Elijah’s prayer. The answer was proof of Elijah’s mission and the truth of God’s Word. The dead child brought to life was a sure conviction of this truth: “Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth” (V. 24). Answers to prayer are evidences of God and the truth of His Word.

The unforgettable test of Elijah—made in the presence of an apostate king, in the face of a backslidden nation that was ruled by an idolatrous priesthood—is a sublime exhibition of faith and prayer. The prophets of Baal lost the contest. No fire from heaven fell in answer to their frantic cries.

Elijah, in great quietness of spirit and with confident assurance, called Israel to himself. He repaired the wasted altar of God, the altar of sacrifice and of prayer, and put the pieces of bullock in order on the altar. He then took action to prevent any charge of deception. He flooded the altar with water. Then Elijah prayed a model prayer, remarkable for its clarity, simplicity, and candor. It is also noted for its brevity and faith. Read the account given in Scripture:

“And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.” (1 Kings 18:36—39)

Elijah was dealing directly with God, true prayer always deals directly with God. Elijah’s prayer was to determine the existence of the true God. The answer, direct from God, settled the question. The answer is also the proof of Elijah’s divine mission and the evidence that God deals with men. If we had more of Elijah’s praying, marvels would be greater than those things we call marvels today. God would not seem so strange, so far away, and so feeble in action. Everything is tame and feeble to us because our praying is so tame and feeble.

True prayer that wins an answer must be backed up by a scriptural, vital, personal religion. This is essential to real Christian service in this life. It is most important that in serving, we serve. So, in praying, we must talk with God. Truth and reality of the heart—these are the core, the substance, the sum, the heart of prayer. Prayer has no potential unless we pray with simplicity, sincerity, and truth. Prayerless praying—how popular, yet what a useless delusion!

The following excerpt is taken from The Complete Work of E.M. Bounds on Prayer by E.M. Bounds:

Praying Men Are at a Premium

The dispensation of the Holy Spirit is a dispensation of prayer, in a preeminent sense. Here prayer has an essential and vital relation. Without depreciating the possibilities and necessities of prayer in all the preceding dispensations of God in the world, it must be declared that it is in this latter dispensation that the engagements and demands of prayer are given their greatest authority, their possibilities rendered unlimited, and their necessity insuperable.

If you would like to purchase either of these books, please contact LW Store online or call (763) 315-7015.

Prayed…

Father, in reading about Elijah, we notice that he didn’t do anything for his glory, but for Yours only
In the same way, let our prayers and lives glorify You
We recognize that Jesus will be on the seen again
Jesus, we lift up Your name today!
We join together as one and give You glory
There is NOTHING that is above the name of Jesus!
Thank You that You hear us when we pray
Lord, we thank You for stability in the Church
Declaring an awakening
Every key, door, step, and plan has been prepared by You
All of our individual plans connect together
Praying for positions of authority all over the earth
We start with the political arena
Sending a supply of Your Spirit to them!
Conditions, decisions, and hearts are changing
Standing on Your Word and seeing it come forth
Lifting up those who aid and assist the leaders
We pray over their mouths
Binding lies and false strategies
Calling for right informational channels to reach the ears of the leaders
Taking authority over conspiracies that would lead the leaders in a wrong way
Applying the blood over decisions that will affect in which way the nations will to go
Calling for wisdom to know how to operate—the full implication of decisions to be made
Holding the blood over diplomatic endeavors
Lifting up the biblical borders of Israel!
Those things will no longer be hidden—they will be revealed
The truth of Your Word, Father, shall set people free
Decisions will be made based upon the truth
Enter into the right way and take your dominion!
There is a clearing of that path in preparation for the coming of our God!
Arising to righteousness and holiness
Run all the way with the vision and plan
Vessels of honor appointed for this time are rising up now
There have been too many questions and not enough answers
Change will come forth as the Word of God is lifted up and brought back to where it should be
Limitations, be gone in Jesus’ name!
Calling for freedom in every nation, ministry, and five-fold ministry gift!
Go and operate in what You have been given to operate in!
Astounding signs and God-ordained change are being loosed upon the earth
Seeing the Church as a giant, rising up and shaking off all the debris
The wind of the Spirit will begin to bow again
Entering into a new phase and chapter
Be stable!
It is time to draw a line in waiting for some things to come to pass
Listen to the still small voice and go that way
Thank You for the touch, increase, and infilling of Your Holy Spirit

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