This week we've been exploring James chapter 5 verses 16 to 18, where we're told that the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective. God illustrates this with the prayer life of Elijah: he prayed, and it didn't rain for three and a half years; he prayed again, and the rains came. Elijah was just like you and me—God answered him not because he was special, but because of how he prayed. We've seen the first characteristic: he prayed according to the will of God. Today we look at the second: Elijah prayed for the glory of God.

After three and a half years of drought in response to Elijah's prayers, the people and even King Ahab were desperate. God proposed a test in 1 Kings chapter 18: a contest on Mount Carmel between Himself and Baal. The prophets of Baal went first—they prayed and cried out from morning to afternoon, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no response, no voice, no answer.

Then Elijah stepped forward at the time of the evening sacrifice. He prayed a simple prayer in 1 Kings 18:37:

Immediately fire fell from heaven, consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the soil, and even licked up the water in the trench. The people fell on their faces and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

That is the purpose of prayer: so that God can make Himself known as the living God who hears and answers. When the righteous person prays for God's glory, not just for personal relief, God moves in powerful ways. When we see God answer our prayers, it draws us closer to Jesus and those around us have a greater desire to experience Jesus in their lives as well.
 
Could the circumstances and needs in your life right now—those things you're praying about—have been allowed by God for this very reason? If you will pray for His glory, “Oh Lord, answer me so that I might know and those around me might know that you are the living God who hears and answers prayer” then your prayers will be much more powerful.

Pray for Jesus to be glorified as He reveals Himself through His answers.
 
Pray something like this...

 “Lord Jesus, you taught us in John 14:13 that you answer prayer in order that the Father might be glorified in the Son. I want to learn to pray in a way that enables you to reveal yourself to me and those around me so that all might fall down before you and confess that you are the living God who hears and answers prayer.”