We've been examining James 5:16-18, where God declares that the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective. He points to Elijah as proof: a man just like us whose prayers stopped and started the rain. We've seen two characteristics of Elijah's prayers so far: he prayed according to God's will and for God's glory. Today we look at a third characteristic of powerful and effective prayer. Elijah prayed persistently and didn’t give up.

After the fire fell on Mount Carmel and the people turned back to God, Elijah told King Ahab in 1 Kings 18:41, Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.  It had not rained in 3.5 years, but by faith Elijah knew it was going to rain before there was even a cloud in the sky. But God had told him that He was going to send the rain. Then he went up to the top of Carmel, bowed down to the ground with his face between his knees, and prayed.

He sent his servant to look toward the sea seven times. The first six times the servant reported nothing—no cloud, no sign of rain. But Elijah didn't quit. He kept praying. On the seventh time the servant said, A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea. Elijah immediately told Ahab to hitch up his chariot and hurry home before the heavy rain stopped him. Soon the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain poured down.

Elijah prayed persistently—he kept on asking until the answer came. He didn't stop praying when there were no immediate visible results. It is important to realize that just because it was God’s will to send rain, the answer didn’t come immediately. Six times nothing happened, but he prayed again. The seventh time the breakthrough came.

Many of us give up too soon. We pray once or twice, see no change, and conclude God isn't going to answer. But God often tests our faith through delay, building perseverance and deeper dependence. Elijah shows us to keep praying according to God's will, for His glory, and don't stop until the answer arrives. This should encourage us that just because something is God’s will does not mean that the answer will happen the first time we ask for it.

There is a mystery about prayer. Sometimes the answers come immediately like when Elijah asked God to send the fire and consume the offering. But then just a few minutes later Elijah asks God to send the rain He had promised and he had to pray seven times before God did it. Stop trying to figure out God and just keep asking Him for what He wants done. If what you're praying for aligns with God's Word and purposes, then don’t give up if the answer doesn’t come immediately. Keep going back to God with the same request, believing He hears and will act in His perfect timing. Your persistent prayers are powerful and effective—just like Elijah's.

Align your prayers with God’s will and keep praying persistently until the answer comes.
 
Pray something like this...

“Father, I acknowledge that I don’t understand why sometimes you answer prayer quickly and sometimes you require us to persevere in prayer. But you have taught us in your Word that this is how you work. So help me to not be discouraged in my prayer life when I don’t understand why you aren’t answering. Enable me to better align my requests with your will and then to have the perseverance to keep asking until your answers come.”