Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
— JAMES 5:17-18 (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. 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.
— 1 KINGS 18:41-45 (ESV)
THE PRAYER
Lord, Your Scriptures are filled with astonishing accounts of men and women who changed their world through prayer. Elijah is among these heroes and heroines of the faith. He was human, just like us. Your Scriptures record he was greatly overwhelmed with fear and anxiety at one point in his life. Yet, even in the weakness of his humanity, You made him strong. Through Your power and his prayers, the course of history changed. Today, knowing You are the God whose strength is made perfect in our weakness, we humbly come united before Your throne, crying out in prayer.
Lord, make us strong in our weakness today. Fill us with the faith we need to patiently persist in prayer until COVID-19 is eradicated and our world is flooded with a fresh outpouring of Your Spirit.
Heavenly Father, Elijah had just experienced the greatest encounter of His life. Fire literally fell from heaven. His enemies were seemingly defeated. Yet, there was no rain, and a drought was destroying his world. Today, like Elijah, we will not just settle for great church services. Our cities and nations are being ravaged by a relentless pandemic, and the hearts of the world’s people are parched and desperate for the rains of heaven. Like Elijah, we can hear the sound of divine breakthrough. Yet, it is no time to merely settle and play. Like Elijah, it is time for us to pray.
Lord, we will not settle for great church services and simply being blessed by the manifestation of Your presence and power. No, we boldly come before You in unity, crying out: Eradicate COVID-19 and bring a fresh move of Your Spirit to the earth.
Heavenly Father, prayer is often hard work. Today, we rise out of the mire of discouragement and patiently climb the mountain of prayer. Like Elijah, who did not settle for rain clouds and winds, we too, will persevere, until the spiritual drought destroying our planet is broken by the fresh rains of heaven.
Lord, we boldly come before Your throne from 179 nations around the world. You have transformed our desperation into the discipline we need to change the course of our world through united prayer. We now cry out, saying: Heal our lands from the ravages of this pandemic, revive and unite Your church, and save millions through Your glorious Gospel. In Jesus’ name we pray.