Who’s in Charge?

 March 26, 2023

“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 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. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” —James 5:13-18 

Have you ever felt that your prayers are doing little more than bouncing off the ceiling? You’ve been praying for your loved one who has been diagnosed with cancer, for your marriage that feels like it’s going down the drain, or for the job that looks like it’s going to be cut. Your prayers are desperate, but seem to be accomplishing nothing. 

You read about Elijah and wonder what it would take to be able to pray like that and have the heavens dry up for three years. Well, you don’t have to wonder any longer. The Bible tells us exactly what made Elijah’s prayers so effective. In 1 Kings 17 and 18, we read these words:

And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”

“Then Elijah said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today.”” —I Kings 17:1 & 18:15

Did you see it? Twice we read that Elijah says he stood before the Lord. He says this as a way of describing himself; this wasn’t an occasional practice, but a regular habit. What does that mean? 

If you’ve ever been to court, you know that everyone is sitting down waiting for the judge when the bailiff opens the door to the judge’s chambers. As the judge enters the courtroom, the bailiff intones, “Everyone rise!” Everyone stands till the judge is seated. The judge is in the place of authority and power. He or she can be diminutive and physically weak, but when seated behind the bench, there is no question who is in charge. Standing means you are in a subordinate position. You aren’t calling the shots.

When we go to a restaurant, we don’t expect the waiter to sit down and eat with you. He stands throughout your meal, attending upon your needs and desires. Instead of standing around twiddling her thumbs, she busily waits upon you. That’s the picture painted for us in Isaiah 40:31.

“Those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”

Elijah stood before the Lord, busily waiting upon him, listening carefully for the slightest hint of a command. He didn’t quit, but neither did he spend his time trying to convince God to do his bidding. Instead, he stood before the Lord, expectantly looking for the opportunity to listen and obey. Too often, we get the roles reversed, acting as if we were the master and judge, and God the servant. No wonder there is so little power in our prayers. Trying to get God to bend to our will isn’t the way it works. We have it backward.

Elijah stood before the Lord. He knew who was boss and who wasn’t. Like little Samuel, his attitude was, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” This approach to prayer is what brings power. Instead of telling God what do do, standing before him, listening and ready to do whatever he asks places us in a position of power like Elijah. We listen, and then do whatever God commands. THAT’s the source of power!