Insist on Prayer

Prayer is a weapon of immeasurable strength, connecting us to the omnipotence of God and unleashing His power. It was through prayer that Elijah controlled the time and seasons of the earth. As the Bible says in James 5:16-17 (KJV):

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. [17] Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months."

Through effectual, fervent prayer, Elijah controlled the climate for three years and six months. If we, as believers, fully grasped the lessons from our spiritual ancestors, many of the world's problems could have been eradicated. One issue I've noticed among believers today is that we often give up too soon in prayer. Elijah persisted in praying for rain seven times before seeing results. This kind of prayer, known as effectual fervent prayer, can also be called persistent, Word-based prayer. It’s a prayer that insists on seeing what God has promised in His Word manifest in our lives.

Many times, when there is a delay in the manifestation of our faith, we become discouraged and abandon prayer. However, we must learn to encourage ourselves in the Lord, knowing that God cannot deny His Word.

As Titus 1:2 (KJV) says:  

"In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began."

Let your prayers be grounded in His Word, and insist on His promises. Encourage yourself, and stand firm, insisting that the only thing you want in your life is what God has said in His Word.