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Over the last few Sunday mornings, we have

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seen how Abraham, Moses, and Solomon prayed.

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And this morning, we're going to look at

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how Elijah prayed.

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The idea being that we can learn from

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great men of God how Elijah prayed.

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First of all, Elijah prayed according to God's

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infallible Word.

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The foundation of Elijah's prayer was God's Word.

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Verse 41, if you want to follow this,

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it may help you later to study the

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prayer for yourself.

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I'm taking each verse.

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And Elijah said unto Ahab, get thee up

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and drink, for there is a sound of

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abundance of rain.

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Elijah, in the first verse of that chapter,

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had had a word from the Lord.

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And it came to pass, after many days,

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that the Word of the Lord came to

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Elijah in the third year, saying, go, show

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thyself unto Ahab, and I will send rain

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upon the earth.

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So, Elijah had had the word straight from

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God that it was going to rain after

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three and a half years of famine.

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He knew that.

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God told him.

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God told him, go and tell the king

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Ahab it's going to rain.

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The land had been in famine with no

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rain for about three and a half years.

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It had stopped raining when Elijah had said,

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there'll be no more rain except by my

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word.

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And the reason was, it was the judgment

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of God upon the king and the nation,

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because they'd rebelled against the Lord.

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And it was to teach them that God

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was on the throne.

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They'd turned to idols, and they'd been disobedient

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to God.

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And so, Elijah, the prophet, starting figure, appears

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on the scene.

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And every time Elijah came on the scene,

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Ahab's heart smote him with fear.

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It will not rain except by my word.

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And immediately, it stopped raining.

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Three and a half years afterwards, God says

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to Elijah, now Elijah, I'm going to send

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rain, go and tell Ahab.

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And so, God was vindicating his prophet, his

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spokesman, his representative on earth.

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And he was saying to Elijah, the powerful

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king in the nation, this is my man,

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and he has authority from me.

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So, Elijah knew it was going to rain

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by the word of the Lord.

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What can we learn?

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If we want our prayers to be answered,

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they must be based on what God says.

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They must be based on the sound, infallible

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word of God.

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Not on fancy, or even our own desires

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so much, but on what God says.

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Those are the prayers you can pray with

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confidence, when you know God says it.

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Thus saith the Lord.

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Now, God can still speak today through vision,

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or dream, or circumstance.

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And if you're living close to God, and

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you're dedicated to God, and you know your

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heart is clear before God, and your conscience

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is without offense towards man and God, then

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God can speak.

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And you can pray with what God has

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told you.

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But that is the basis.

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If you want answer to prayer, it must

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be based on God's word as the foundation.

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That's the first thing we can learn.

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The next verse, 42.

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So Ahab went up to eat and to

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drink.

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The rain hadn't come yet.

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And Elijah went up to the top of

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Carmel.

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Elijah went to the top of this great

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mountain, very high.

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I think it's in Amos chapter 9, that

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we read there that people used to go

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to the top of Carmel to escape, to

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hide in the rocks and in the mountain.

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It was so high and so big, not

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easily accessible, right at the top.

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It says that Elijah went to the top

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of Carmel.

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Elijah went apart from the noise and the

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strife and the destructions of the earth and

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the world.

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He went as high as he could away

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from it.

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Elijah went to be alone with God.

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What can we learn?

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We can learn the prayer and the way

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to pray that Jesus taught.

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When you pray, go into your closet, close

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the door, and pray to God in secret,

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and he will reward you openly.

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So the second thing we can learn is

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not only to base our prayer on the

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infallible word of God, on a specific promise

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of God, on a word from the Lord,

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but when we know and we have it,

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then we must get away from the distractions

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of the world, get away from the humdrum

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and the noise and the things that go

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on around, the wireless, the television, everything we

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can as far as we can, and our

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circumstances will permit, and get alone with God.

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That's the second thing we can learn.

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So Elijah went to the top of Carmel

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and he cast himself down upon the earth

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and put his face between his knees.

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That was an unusual thing to do.

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Cast down on the earth, yes, but to

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put his face between his knees.

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Now I tried that and I couldn't do

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it.

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I won't give you the reasons.

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So I asked somebody else who was slim

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and tall, and they could with a little

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effort.

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I tried several ways.

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I tried lying sideways.

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I tried on my knees, and I tried

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sitting down, but I couldn't do it.

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Unusual posture for prayer.

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There was a sense of humility.

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He knew the answer was coming.

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He knew God's word would come to pass.

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He had faith in God's promise.

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He'd already told Ahab to go before it

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had even happened.

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That's how much faith he had, but now

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he was praying it through.

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He gets alone apart from everybody, but that's

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not enough.

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He casts himself on the ground and puts

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his face between his knees.

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Now if you've got your face between your

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knees, you can't see very far.

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Why did he do that?

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I don't really know.

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The Bible doesn't actually tell us.

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It was an attitude of prayer, but I

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try to learn from it, and I hope

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we can learn from it.

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There's one thing I know.

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Elijah was not just a prophet of the

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usual line generally.

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He was extremely dramatic, and I would say

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Elijah was perhaps the most dramatic prophet in

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the Bible with Elisha.

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Not without significance, because the Holy Ghost is

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dramatic, and those two figures, Elijah and Elisha,

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are representatives or shadows or types of the

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coming Holy Ghost.

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The first and the latter rain.

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You remember, Elijah did mighty miracles more than

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any prophet outside of Moses in the Bible,

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and Elisha had a double portion of his

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spirit.

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The first rain and the latter rain.

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We're in the latter rain today.

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We can pray for rain.

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Can you hear the sound of abundance of

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rain?

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God's promised it.

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In the last days saith God, I will

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pour out my spirit on all flesh.

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Should we not go into our carnal and

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get alone with God, and should we not

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try and learn how Elisha prayed?

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Now he prayed dramatically.

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He was a dramatic prophet.

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When a woman who he'd stayed with and

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she'd provided for him had a bereavement of

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her son who was dead, Elijah didn't walk

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in calmly and tell them all to go

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out and touch the lad.

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It says that Elijah, and you have the

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impression it was a dramatic action, stretched himself

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upon the child three times, and the child

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rose from the dead.

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There was this spirit of drama in Elijah.

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It was part of his character to enter

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in.

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It's as if he's stretching himself into the

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very death of the lad, covering him and

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stretching his old body and his being in

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his spirit, and saying in his spirit, rise.

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You can feel it.

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He's a dramatic prophet, and he did.

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When Elijah challenged the 450 prophets or so

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of Baal, he didn't stand there with a

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rod like Moses and points, but he was

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dramatic.

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He says, build your altar, get the bullock,

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put it on.

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He says, now call to your God, then

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I'll build an altar, now call to my

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God, and the God who answers by fire,

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let him be God, and all the people

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said, Amen.

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I don't know what the prophets of Baal

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said, and what happened?

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Well, they started from morning till night.

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They prayed, they cut themselves with stones, they

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pleaded to the gods, they humbled themselves, they

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did everything possible, but there was no answer.

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Now Elijah, this dramatic prophet, he goes up

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to them, and he possibly knew some of

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the stories surrounding the gods of the heathen.

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You know, the gods of the heathen, they

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had sun gods, and rain gods, and sea

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gods, and all kinds of gods, and there

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were stories circulate around these gods.

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If he didn't answer prayer, that one of

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the gods had gone on a hunting trip,

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or another one had been asleep, or perhaps

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he was busy, and so Elijah stood there,

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this dramatic prophet, there was no answer.

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He says, Perchance he's on a long journey,

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call again.

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Can you imagine this scene?

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Fiery prophet, I should imagine he's fairly lean,

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and strong by the way he had his

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posture in prayer.

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He was certainly a dramatic figure, baldish perhaps,

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and air flowing, and beard, and perhaps he's

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gone on a journey, cry again to your

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God.

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Now it wasn't just boastfulness with Elijah, it

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was a spirit of God using his personality

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to impress upon the people the ridiculous and

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hopeless situation of praying to gods that don't

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exist.

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There's a dramatic picture.

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Don't think that Elijah was boasting, or making

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fun so much, as bringing out a tremendous

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message, a prophetic message.

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You're worshipping idols of wood and stone.

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Mine's a living God.

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Nothing happened.

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Call again, perhaps he's having a sleep.

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Israel, Ahab, cry a bit louder, promise to

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God he's perhaps asleep, you've got to wake

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him.

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And all the people were looking on.

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Dramatic prophet, no answer.

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Drama again.

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He says write, build the altar, 12 stones,

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one for each tribe.

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The marvellous prophetic ministry of Elijah, Holy Ghost.

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The Holy Ghost is dramatic.

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You can't fall asleep when the Holy Ghost

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is moving.

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One for each tribe.

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God will show who's God.

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One for every tribe, build the stones, now

272
00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:38,440
put the bullock upon it, now do something

273
00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:38,680
else.

274
00:15:38,860 --> 00:15:40,820
You didn't, you did not do this for

275
00:15:40,820 --> 00:15:42,760
the prophets of Bible, we'll see who's God.

276
00:15:43,100 --> 00:15:45,800
Dig a trench round, he'll take two measures

277
00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:47,400
of steel, go on dig it round.

278
00:15:47,900 --> 00:15:50,400
Now then get four barrels of water, throw

279
00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:51,960
it on the sacrifice, let it go in

280
00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:52,480
the trench.

281
00:15:53,420 --> 00:15:56,020
So all the people looked at Elijah, and

282
00:15:56,020 --> 00:15:57,820
the prophets of Baal looked at Elijah, what

283
00:15:57,820 --> 00:15:58,720
a dramatic action.

284
00:15:59,460 --> 00:16:01,680
He was saying I'll show you, through prophetic

285
00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:07,880
action, since dripping with the water from the

286
00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:10,600
sacrifice, beginning to fill up, soak it into

287
00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:11,120
the ground.

288
00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:14,080
They said are you ready?

289
00:16:14,220 --> 00:16:16,380
No not yet, get another four barrels and

290
00:16:16,380 --> 00:16:16,960
pour it on.

291
00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,380
Well that'll never burn, ah go on get

292
00:16:22,380 --> 00:16:22,860
another one.

293
00:16:25,420 --> 00:16:28,930
And then he says now we'll pray, and

294
00:16:28,930 --> 00:16:29,790
you heard the prayer.

295
00:16:31,590 --> 00:16:34,310
And the fire came down, burnt up the

296
00:16:34,310 --> 00:16:38,190
sacrifice, burnt up the wood, burnt up the

297
00:16:38,190 --> 00:16:41,690
stones, burnt up the water, and burnt up

298
00:16:41,690 --> 00:16:42,850
the dust in the trench.

299
00:16:43,870 --> 00:16:46,790
And the people says, God, he is God?

300
00:16:47,490 --> 00:16:50,950
Of course he is, the dramatic prophet.

301
00:16:53,220 --> 00:16:56,640
When his time had finished, for his great

302
00:16:56,640 --> 00:17:00,040
ministry, and God told him, because he was

303
00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:05,700
in touch with God, Elijah, he's going to

304
00:17:05,700 --> 00:17:06,819
take your place Elijah.

305
00:17:07,339 --> 00:17:08,560
What does Elijah do?

306
00:17:08,660 --> 00:17:09,859
He doesn't go up to him and say

307
00:17:09,859 --> 00:17:12,180
now come along, I'm going to train you

308
00:17:12,180 --> 00:17:14,859
in the Bible college, I'm going to give

309
00:17:14,859 --> 00:17:17,040
you some instruction, I'm going to tell you

310
00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:17,520
what to do.

311
00:17:18,079 --> 00:17:20,300
Elijah didn't say that, he knew that Holy

312
00:17:20,300 --> 00:17:22,339
Ghost stuff needed Holy Ghost revelation.

313
00:17:24,260 --> 00:17:25,200
So what did he do?

314
00:17:25,220 --> 00:17:26,940
He took his mantle off, dramatic, and he

315
00:17:26,940 --> 00:17:27,440
threw it on him.

316
00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:30,200
He says there you are, you've got the

317
00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:30,580
mantle.

318
00:17:31,340 --> 00:17:34,960
Dramatic, a mantle, but what did it speak?

319
00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:35,420
Volume.

320
00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:38,300
There it is, the Holy Ghost.

321
00:17:39,900 --> 00:17:41,880
And Elijah was a man of a kin

322
00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:45,280
spirit, he won a double portion, I'll not

323
00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:45,900
let you go.

324
00:17:48,970 --> 00:17:50,230
Marvelous dramatic prophet.

325
00:17:51,010 --> 00:17:53,710
So when he came to Carmel, God said

326
00:17:53,710 --> 00:17:54,430
it's going to rain.

327
00:17:56,410 --> 00:17:58,430
Elijah couldn't do it like anybody else, sat

328
00:17:58,430 --> 00:17:59,890
in an armchair leaning back.

329
00:18:00,970 --> 00:18:05,770
He flung himself on the ground, buried his

330
00:18:05,770 --> 00:18:07,370
face beneath his knees.

331
00:18:08,790 --> 00:18:12,350
I thought, dramatic, what was he saying to

332
00:18:12,350 --> 00:18:12,710
God?

333
00:18:13,630 --> 00:18:15,050
What was he saying to his servant?

334
00:18:15,850 --> 00:18:17,130
What was he saying to himself?

335
00:18:18,350 --> 00:18:23,130
Well you know, questions come to mind when

336
00:18:23,130 --> 00:18:27,300
you serve God, questions come to mind when

337
00:18:27,300 --> 00:18:32,580
you're a pastor, and the church grows beyond

338
00:18:32,580 --> 00:18:38,060
your physical capabilities to reach each person individually.

339
00:18:40,360 --> 00:18:44,300
As your vision grows for lost souls, so

340
00:18:44,300 --> 00:18:48,640
does your hopelessness become apparent.

341
00:18:52,050 --> 00:18:54,550
When you hear the calls on phone line,

342
00:18:55,810 --> 00:19:01,150
desperate calls every day, you realize that it's

343
00:19:01,150 --> 00:19:02,650
not possible to get involved.

344
00:19:03,930 --> 00:19:06,910
You could spend all your life caring for

345
00:19:06,910 --> 00:19:08,790
one person, not possible.

346
00:19:08,790 --> 00:19:11,890
But the commission is preach the gospel to

347
00:19:11,890 --> 00:19:13,830
every creature, so what you've got to do

348
00:19:13,830 --> 00:19:17,010
is is enter into their sufferings and put

349
00:19:17,010 --> 00:19:19,590
your compassion into your prayers.

350
00:19:19,830 --> 00:19:21,930
But you can't act upon it, God's got

351
00:19:21,930 --> 00:19:22,490
to do that.

352
00:19:22,890 --> 00:19:24,470
There's wisdom in these things you know.

353
00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:33,870
The devil would have us looking after one

354
00:19:33,870 --> 00:19:37,150
person, very worthy, very needy, but what about

355
00:19:37,150 --> 00:19:38,510
the thousands who've never heard?

356
00:19:38,510 --> 00:19:40,590
Our job is to get the message over.

357
00:19:41,450 --> 00:19:43,850
We're a spiritual church, we're not a social

358
00:19:43,850 --> 00:19:46,930
church, and yet we are, we're more social

359
00:19:46,930 --> 00:19:47,390
than anybody.

360
00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:51,740
But we pray, it's God that deals, and

361
00:19:51,740 --> 00:19:53,120
he can deal with a thousand at once,

362
00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:53,620
and a million.

363
00:19:55,340 --> 00:19:57,600
So we spread the gospel, that's our job,

364
00:19:57,820 --> 00:19:58,900
and we ask the Holy Ghost to do

365
00:19:58,900 --> 00:20:00,580
the work, praise the Lord.

366
00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:03,360
And if they're desperate enough, you don't have

367
00:20:03,360 --> 00:20:04,020
to call for them.

368
00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:06,080
If they really mean business, they have faith,

369
00:20:06,100 --> 00:20:07,400
they'll phone the ambulance and say, I'm nearly

370
00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:09,000
dying, I can't walk, but send an ambulance

371
00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:09,860
and take me to Sharon.

372
00:20:11,500 --> 00:20:12,920
That's what they did in the Bible, and

373
00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:13,780
they rose up and walked.

374
00:20:15,970 --> 00:20:17,250
There's wisdom in these things.

375
00:20:17,690 --> 00:20:19,910
Now Elijah, you know you might say, oh

376
00:20:19,910 --> 00:20:23,530
Elijah, what a hard man, he stopped it

377
00:20:23,530 --> 00:20:23,810
raining.

378
00:20:24,070 --> 00:20:25,510
Have you ever thought that for three and

379
00:20:25,510 --> 00:20:27,510
a half years, mothers had no food for

380
00:20:27,510 --> 00:20:27,930
the children?

381
00:20:32,810 --> 00:20:34,770
Innocent people, some of them had lived for

382
00:20:34,770 --> 00:20:38,990
God, had to have meager rations and hardly

383
00:20:38,990 --> 00:20:39,790
have enough to live.

384
00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:43,220
Did Elijah go and do miracles?

385
00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:44,680
He did a miracle for one woman where

386
00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:48,400
the cruise of oil never failed, neither the

387
00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:49,000
meal in the barrel.

388
00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:52,240
But he didn't go around to everyone in

389
00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:52,980
Israel and do it.

390
00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:55,880
In fact, he wasn't even belonging to Israel.

391
00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:00,080
You see, they were suffering for their sins,

392
00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:02,080
and it was God's business.

393
00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:05,740
God was more concerned than Elijah for Israel,

394
00:21:05,900 --> 00:21:06,440
there is people.

395
00:21:08,300 --> 00:21:10,440
God's more concerned for people than we are,

396
00:21:10,500 --> 00:21:11,020
there is people.

397
00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:13,700
What's God said to you and me?

398
00:21:16,430 --> 00:21:21,410
And so Elijah, it seems to me, because

399
00:21:21,410 --> 00:21:22,890
he was a man of God, because he

400
00:21:22,890 --> 00:21:25,050
had a heart of God, he wasn't callous

401
00:21:25,050 --> 00:21:27,970
or hard, just because he wasn't running around

402
00:21:27,970 --> 00:21:30,110
everywhere and trying to find water or do

403
00:21:30,110 --> 00:21:31,350
miracles to feed people.

404
00:21:31,710 --> 00:21:34,270
It wasn't that he was hard, he had

405
00:21:34,270 --> 00:21:35,150
to obey God.

406
00:21:37,100 --> 00:21:39,360
And so when it came to the part

407
00:21:39,360 --> 00:21:42,200
where God says, I'm going to send rain,

408
00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:45,800
go and tell Ahab, Elijah's heart rejoiced for

409
00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:46,400
God's people.

410
00:21:47,360 --> 00:21:49,440
And he says, even before he prayed, he

411
00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:51,600
says, go and tell Ahab, there's a sound

412
00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:52,580
of abundance of rain.

413
00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:55,540
He was glad to announce the good news.

414
00:21:57,060 --> 00:21:59,500
But then when he went in prayer, then

415
00:21:59,500 --> 00:22:01,700
came all his three and a half years

416
00:22:01,700 --> 00:22:04,120
of compassion and sorrow for his own people.

417
00:22:04,860 --> 00:22:08,040
And I believe his attitude was one that

418
00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:11,040
you would have if you were starving and

419
00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:16,100
thirsty and destitute, cast on the ground, head

420
00:22:16,100 --> 00:22:17,600
between the knees.

421
00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,360
What a beautiful picture, dramatic prophet.

422
00:22:23,180 --> 00:22:24,960
God uses our personality.

423
00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:28,040
Don't you pray like everybody else.

424
00:22:28,500 --> 00:22:32,060
If you pray quietly on your knees without

425
00:22:32,060 --> 00:22:34,200
saying a word, you pray that way, it's

426
00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:35,020
your personality.

427
00:22:35,780 --> 00:22:37,120
If you shout the head off and all

428
00:22:37,120 --> 00:22:38,640
the neighbors come on knocking on the door

429
00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:39,780
and want to know what's going on, you

430
00:22:39,780 --> 00:22:40,420
pray that way.

431
00:22:40,980 --> 00:22:42,480
Better to go to Mount Carmel and do

432
00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:42,960
it, mind you.

433
00:22:45,710 --> 00:22:47,670
But whatever you do, you pray as you

434
00:22:47,670 --> 00:22:48,050
are.

435
00:22:48,450 --> 00:22:52,790
Elijah prayed, he wasn't like Moses or Abraham.

436
00:22:53,130 --> 00:22:56,230
Abraham stood before God and looked at Sodom

437
00:22:56,230 --> 00:22:57,190
and Gomorrah.

438
00:22:58,410 --> 00:23:02,810
Moses stood before God and looked towards Egypt.

439
00:23:03,690 --> 00:23:05,930
Solomon knelt on his knees and lifted his

440
00:23:05,930 --> 00:23:07,590
hands up before God in the temple.

441
00:23:08,770 --> 00:23:12,130
Elijah cast himself on the ground and put

442
00:23:12,130 --> 00:23:13,430
his head between his knees.

443
00:23:14,450 --> 00:23:19,270
Jesus also cast himself upon the ground and

444
00:23:19,270 --> 00:23:21,750
sweat as it were, drops of blood.

445
00:23:23,010 --> 00:23:26,970
Pray as you are, be real before God.

446
00:23:27,670 --> 00:23:30,330
Take the attitude that's natural to you and

447
00:23:30,330 --> 00:23:32,370
let the Spirit of God work through your

448
00:23:32,370 --> 00:23:35,050
spirit, I in you and you in me.

449
00:23:35,370 --> 00:23:37,710
We can learn something here of how to

450
00:23:37,710 --> 00:23:37,950
pray.

451
00:23:38,690 --> 00:23:41,090
Don't pray because the book says you must

452
00:23:41,090 --> 00:23:43,550
always kneel or you must be comfortable or

453
00:23:43,550 --> 00:23:45,110
you must shout or you must go in

454
00:23:45,110 --> 00:23:46,990
the mountain or you must go around there.

455
00:23:47,530 --> 00:23:50,870
You find your own way to pray but

456
00:23:50,870 --> 00:23:54,230
there must be that compassion.

457
00:23:56,150 --> 00:23:57,710
He knew it was going to happen but

458
00:23:57,710 --> 00:23:59,010
he did it.

459
00:23:59,390 --> 00:24:03,390
So we can learn from that and then

460
00:24:03,390 --> 00:24:04,170
we read on.

461
00:24:06,930 --> 00:24:09,630
He said to his servant, go now and

462
00:24:09,630 --> 00:24:12,670
look toward the sea and he went and

463
00:24:12,670 --> 00:24:14,330
looked and said there's nothing.

464
00:24:17,220 --> 00:24:18,480
What do you think about that?

465
00:24:18,580 --> 00:24:20,880
Now Carmel had a great view of the

466
00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:24,180
Mediterranean and so when the servant went and

467
00:24:24,180 --> 00:24:25,740
stood at the top of Carmel he could

468
00:24:25,740 --> 00:24:29,780
see right across the vast Mediterranean on the

469
00:24:29,780 --> 00:24:31,820
blue sky above, not a cloud, nothing.

470
00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:35,140
What a sight to send your faith to

471
00:24:35,140 --> 00:24:36,060
the bottom of the ocean.

472
00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:41,000
Thank God Elijah wasn't looking.

473
00:24:42,140 --> 00:24:43,720
His face was between his knees.

474
00:24:45,650 --> 00:24:47,570
We walk by faith and not by sight.

475
00:24:48,530 --> 00:24:50,230
If God says it we believe it.

476
00:24:51,090 --> 00:24:52,570
Better to close your eyes if you see

477
00:24:52,570 --> 00:24:53,830
a dead person and you're praying for them

478
00:24:53,830 --> 00:24:55,050
to be raised from the dead than look

479
00:24:55,050 --> 00:24:55,290
at them.

480
00:24:56,990 --> 00:25:01,150
And so his servant came back, nothing.

481
00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:07,120
So Elijah got up and said well that's

482
00:25:07,120 --> 00:25:07,480
it then.

483
00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:09,640
Didn't he?

484
00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:12,320
Not on your life.

485
00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:16,060
His prayer was based on the word of

486
00:25:16,060 --> 00:25:18,020
God and that would never fail.

487
00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:19,760
So what did he do?

488
00:25:21,340 --> 00:25:26,400
Go again, head between his knees.

489
00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:29,240
Servant goes again, nothing.

490
00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:30,640
Nothing.

491
00:25:32,940 --> 00:25:34,880
Go again, third time.

492
00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:36,660
What is this?

493
00:25:39,370 --> 00:25:40,390
What a sight.

494
00:25:43,370 --> 00:25:43,650
Nothing.

495
00:25:47,830 --> 00:25:48,990
Go a fourth time.

496
00:25:50,630 --> 00:25:54,870
Elijah I've been, you know it's 700 yards

497
00:25:54,870 --> 00:25:55,710
to the edge of there.

498
00:25:55,930 --> 00:25:56,610
I've been there.

499
00:25:56,770 --> 00:25:57,710
I've been to the top.

500
00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:04,740
Righto, nothing.

501
00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:08,060
Surely he won't ask me to go again.

502
00:26:09,580 --> 00:26:16,470
Go again, seventh time.

503
00:26:17,990 --> 00:26:18,910
Go again.

504
00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:21,680
What can we learn?

505
00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:26,000
Elijah was persistent in his prayer.

506
00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:31,100
Jesus said knock and it shall be opened

507
00:26:31,100 --> 00:26:31,640
unto you.

508
00:26:32,380 --> 00:26:33,500
He didn't knock once.

509
00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:37,760
He knocked seven times and he wouldn't take

510
00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:38,560
no for an answer.

511
00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:41,680
Seven times the servant came back and says

512
00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:41,940
no.

513
00:26:42,100 --> 00:26:43,480
Do you think God could not have given

514
00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:44,600
him a sign right away?

515
00:26:45,420 --> 00:26:48,120
God had promised him there'd be rain but

516
00:26:48,120 --> 00:26:49,580
he made him go seven times.

517
00:26:50,700 --> 00:26:51,740
Did Elijah give up?

518
00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:52,640
Not on your life.

519
00:26:53,100 --> 00:26:53,960
He believed God.

520
00:26:54,860 --> 00:26:55,660
He kept asking.

521
00:26:56,700 --> 00:26:59,200
He'd already sent Ahab the king and said

522
00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:00,500
it's all right there's going to be rain

523
00:27:00,500 --> 00:27:02,160
and there was no rain seven times.

524
00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:06,140
Then the prophet came back and he came

525
00:27:06,140 --> 00:27:08,400
back not too excited but a little.

526
00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:12,720
He said well I'm glad to say Elijah

527
00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:14,220
that there's a cloud.

528
00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:17,000
It's just about the smallest you could have.

529
00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:18,820
It's the size of a man's hand.

530
00:27:19,140 --> 00:27:20,220
Now I don't know whether you've thought of

531
00:27:20,220 --> 00:27:20,480
that.

532
00:27:21,540 --> 00:27:24,000
There's the vast ocean or sea and there's

533
00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:25,060
the great blue sky.

534
00:27:25,460 --> 00:27:26,040
Nothing there.

535
00:27:26,660 --> 00:27:26,900
Blue.

536
00:27:29,350 --> 00:27:33,310
And if you had one of the latest

537
00:27:33,310 --> 00:27:36,470
jet planes that holds three or four hundred

538
00:27:36,470 --> 00:27:39,230
people flying through the sky at about a

539
00:27:39,230 --> 00:27:40,550
thousand feet you know you could put your

540
00:27:40,550 --> 00:27:41,530
hand up and blot it out.

541
00:27:43,030 --> 00:27:44,490
It becomes that small.

542
00:27:45,190 --> 00:27:46,650
So how small is a man's hand?

543
00:27:48,330 --> 00:27:51,570
It was just the tiniest little width of

544
00:27:51,570 --> 00:27:54,170
a spiraling little tiny cloud in the sky.

545
00:27:55,170 --> 00:27:56,870
I don't think God could have given him

546
00:27:56,870 --> 00:27:58,510
anything less small.

547
00:28:00,210 --> 00:28:02,370
So God made him wait seven times and

548
00:28:02,370 --> 00:28:05,230
then he gave him the smallest possible encouragement.

549
00:28:06,250 --> 00:28:09,650
Oh but Elijah as soon as he heard

550
00:28:09,650 --> 00:28:12,170
that it was like the ocean to Elijah.

551
00:28:12,370 --> 00:28:14,170
He said right it's there now.

552
00:28:14,510 --> 00:28:15,730
Don't have to wait any longer.

553
00:28:16,350 --> 00:28:18,270
Go and tell him hey get ahead run

554
00:28:18,270 --> 00:28:19,470
off before he gets wet through.

555
00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:23,960
Some of us carry on praying when we

556
00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:24,580
should have stopped.

557
00:28:25,860 --> 00:28:27,440
We can learn that too can't we?

558
00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:30,440
If God promises we don't have to have

559
00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:31,340
the full thing do we?

560
00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:34,820
It was still blazing sunshine and blue in

561
00:28:34,820 --> 00:28:36,980
the sky and a great big blue sea

562
00:28:36,980 --> 00:28:39,020
and no sign of rain except the smallest

563
00:28:39,020 --> 00:28:40,240
cloud you could hardly see.

564
00:28:40,860 --> 00:28:41,940
But that was enough for Elijah.

565
00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:43,480
That's it.

566
00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:44,340
I finished praying now.

567
00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:48,680
Go and tell him and you know what

568
00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:49,540
the account says.

569
00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:53,260
Verse 45.

570
00:28:54,940 --> 00:28:57,200
He says go and tell Ahab prepare thy

571
00:28:57,200 --> 00:28:57,620
chariot.

572
00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:00,520
Get thee down that the rain stop thee

573
00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:00,760
not.

574
00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:04,820
I don't know what his servant thought of

575
00:29:04,820 --> 00:29:05,440
him but he went.

576
00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:08,440
But listen to the answer and it came

577
00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:11,300
to pass in the meanwhile that the heaven

578
00:29:11,300 --> 00:29:13,680
was black with clouds and wind and there

579
00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:16,460
was a great rain and Ahab rode and

580
00:29:16,460 --> 00:29:17,440
went to Jezreel.

581
00:29:17,660 --> 00:29:19,600
In the rain coming down on the wind

582
00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:22,220
pouring down after three and a half years

583
00:29:22,220 --> 00:29:24,380
there was the king riding back to Jezreel.

584
00:29:24,500 --> 00:29:26,340
He never thought about Elijah left alone in

585
00:29:26,340 --> 00:29:28,500
the rain but that's what people do when

586
00:29:28,500 --> 00:29:29,180
God answers prayer.

587
00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:30,400
They forget those who pray.

588
00:29:31,340 --> 00:29:33,460
They forget they forget why the blessing has

589
00:29:33,460 --> 00:29:33,700
come.

590
00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:36,280
They take all a blessing and forget somebody's

591
00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:37,040
worked out for it.

592
00:29:37,500 --> 00:29:38,520
Don't do that will you.

593
00:29:39,780 --> 00:29:43,240
So he prayed and he answered the prayer

594
00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:44,460
God in a marvelous fashion.

595
00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:46,700
What can we learn?

596
00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:50,600
Well let's just look through those points briefly.

597
00:29:51,620 --> 00:29:52,720
We are praying.

598
00:29:54,770 --> 00:29:56,050
Now I want to tell you something.

599
00:29:57,430 --> 00:30:02,080
God spoke to me and God said this

600
00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:02,460
to me.

601
00:30:04,670 --> 00:30:07,990
He said the man who can organize and

602
00:30:07,990 --> 00:30:12,170
involve people in massive prayer everywhere will see

603
00:30:12,170 --> 00:30:14,110
greater things from God than he'd ever imagined.

604
00:30:16,020 --> 00:30:18,900
So personally I'm determined to do my part

605
00:30:18,900 --> 00:30:21,280
to get this church at least by the

606
00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:22,220
grace of God praying.

607
00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:25,180
That's why I'm preaching on praying.

608
00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:28,860
God told me and I believe and I

609
00:30:28,860 --> 00:30:31,780
say it as from the Lord if you

610
00:30:31,780 --> 00:30:34,320
and I will get down to prayer individually

611
00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:37,240
in twos everywhere you meet in the Sunday

612
00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:42,320
school in the campaigners on Friday nights let's

613
00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:44,340
get the church full of the side rooms

614
00:30:44,340 --> 00:30:47,220
if we'll get down to pray I promise

615
00:30:47,220 --> 00:30:50,380
you from the Lord that you will see

616
00:30:50,380 --> 00:30:52,180
greater things than you've ever seen in your

617
00:30:52,180 --> 00:30:52,480
life.

618
00:30:53,500 --> 00:30:56,580
I'm not saying when and I've not seen

619
00:30:56,580 --> 00:30:59,680
a cloud yet but there's a sound of

620
00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:00,840
abundance of rain.

621
00:31:05,530 --> 00:31:07,990
I'm trying to instruct from the best of

622
00:31:07,990 --> 00:31:10,390
my knowledge and ability and experience to tell

623
00:31:10,390 --> 00:31:12,190
you how to pray so that you're not

624
00:31:12,190 --> 00:31:13,810
just doing a lot of off air and

625
00:31:13,810 --> 00:31:15,810
a lot of phrases that don't mean anything.

626
00:31:16,330 --> 00:31:18,490
Here is definite prayers from men of God

627
00:31:18,490 --> 00:31:20,030
in the bible and you how to pray.

628
00:31:20,270 --> 00:31:20,930
Let us learn.

629
00:31:21,170 --> 00:31:21,990
Here's the points.

630
00:31:23,130 --> 00:31:24,790
There are six points.

631
00:31:24,890 --> 00:31:28,930
First prayer is based on the infallible word

632
00:31:28,930 --> 00:31:30,330
of God as your foundation.

633
00:31:31,290 --> 00:31:32,850
Otherwise you're praying for nothing.

634
00:31:33,550 --> 00:31:34,410
It's got to be from God.

635
00:31:35,150 --> 00:31:37,330
Second it was a specific thing.

636
00:31:37,850 --> 00:31:40,790
Second we pray along with God.

637
00:31:40,850 --> 00:31:43,230
We get away with God whether it's in

638
00:31:43,230 --> 00:31:45,030
twos or a group away from the world

639
00:31:45,030 --> 00:31:45,670
or an individual.

640
00:31:45,870 --> 00:31:46,890
We get away from God.

641
00:31:47,290 --> 00:31:49,010
We get away from the distractions of the

642
00:31:49,010 --> 00:31:49,270
world.

643
00:31:49,490 --> 00:31:50,170
We mean business.

644
00:31:50,350 --> 00:31:51,410
We're not going for a blessing.

645
00:31:52,310 --> 00:31:53,870
We're going to work for God.

646
00:31:54,790 --> 00:31:56,190
We're not going on feelings.

647
00:31:56,490 --> 00:31:56,890
Get along.

648
00:31:57,250 --> 00:31:59,930
Thirdly we are humble before God.

649
00:32:00,030 --> 00:32:02,590
We cast ourselves down and we fill our

650
00:32:02,590 --> 00:32:05,410
spirits with the compassion for the need like

651
00:32:05,410 --> 00:32:06,130
Elijah did.

652
00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:10,460
Fourthly we're expectant in prayer.

653
00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:12,420
Keep looking.

654
00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:13,040
Keep looking.

655
00:32:13,140 --> 00:32:14,900
Never mind if nothing happens seven times.

656
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:15,580
Keep believing.

657
00:32:16,660 --> 00:32:19,120
Never mind if the church congregation goes down

658
00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:21,340
or up, sideways or forwards or backwards or

659
00:32:21,340 --> 00:32:21,940
under the ground.

660
00:32:22,180 --> 00:32:26,580
Keep believing till the balcony is full and

661
00:32:26,580 --> 00:32:28,560
the youth centre has the television closed circuit

662
00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:30,580
in it and every room's full and we

663
00:32:30,580 --> 00:32:32,000
have to have five services a day.

664
00:32:32,180 --> 00:32:32,640
Believe it.

665
00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:36,800
Is it impossible to God?

666
00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:40,420
Well if that won't happen we've no chance

667
00:32:40,420 --> 00:32:41,220
for Manchester have we?

668
00:32:41,940 --> 00:32:43,420
And what's Manchester in this universe?

669
00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:45,700
A faith in God.

670
00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:48,720
Never mind how the situation looks.

671
00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:51,040
Get your head between your knees.

672
00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:52,900
Don't look at it and keep praying.

673
00:32:54,220 --> 00:32:55,540
And when the messenger comes back and says

674
00:32:55,540 --> 00:32:56,940
nothing yet say well keep going.

675
00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:01,260
Fifthly we must be persistent.

676
00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:04,160
Seven times means completion.

677
00:33:04,780 --> 00:33:05,240
Carry on.

678
00:33:05,380 --> 00:33:06,300
70 times 7.

679
00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:06,920
Keep praying.

680
00:33:07,220 --> 00:33:07,840
Never stop.

681
00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:10,340
Knock, knock, knock, knock until you get the

682
00:33:10,340 --> 00:33:12,180
answer and you've got the promise of Jesus.

683
00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:14,240
Knock and it shall be opened.

684
00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:17,600
And know when to stop.

685
00:33:18,900 --> 00:33:20,720
You'll know in the spirit as soon as

686
00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:23,520
you see God beginning to move you'll know.

687
00:33:24,780 --> 00:33:25,980
I want to tell you something.

688
00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:28,840
He's already started.

689
00:33:30,420 --> 00:33:32,540
Don't know about you but I've seen the

690
00:33:32,540 --> 00:33:34,420
cloud and I'll tell you something else.

691
00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:36,880
It's a lot bigger than a man's hand

692
00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:37,280
to me.

693
00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:41,790
Oh well two and a half million.

694
00:33:41,930 --> 00:33:45,510
No it is about a cloud but it's

695
00:33:45,510 --> 00:33:46,130
already there.

696
00:33:49,750 --> 00:33:50,230
Conclusion.

697
00:33:50,770 --> 00:33:51,690
What do we get?

698
00:33:52,030 --> 00:33:53,170
Not that we're looking for that.

699
00:33:54,990 --> 00:33:56,150
I like the last verse.

700
00:33:57,270 --> 00:34:00,330
And the hand of the Lord was upon

701
00:34:00,330 --> 00:34:00,870
Elijah.

702
00:34:02,210 --> 00:34:04,630
And he girded up his loins and ran

703
00:34:04,630 --> 00:34:06,610
before Ahab to the entrance of Jesus.

704
00:34:07,010 --> 00:34:08,030
Dramatic prophet.

705
00:34:08,670 --> 00:34:09,889
Oh glorious.

706
00:34:10,310 --> 00:34:13,489
How beautiful consistent is God's word and his

707
00:34:13,489 --> 00:34:13,830
people.

708
00:34:14,750 --> 00:34:16,770
He done all this dramatic action and as

709
00:34:16,770 --> 00:34:18,909
soon as he got the answer he says

710
00:34:18,909 --> 00:34:20,850
to Ahab go on you've got a chariot

711
00:34:20,850 --> 00:34:22,110
you've got a good horse you're a king

712
00:34:22,110 --> 00:34:23,750
probably the fastest horse in the land and

713
00:34:23,750 --> 00:34:25,710
a beautiful chariot with well-oiled wheels.

714
00:34:25,989 --> 00:34:27,830
Get on your way and he's off.

715
00:34:29,710 --> 00:34:32,570
And as he's driving along suddenly there's a

716
00:34:32,570 --> 00:34:35,550
dramatic figure comes striding down with long lean

717
00:34:35,550 --> 00:34:39,909
legs sinewy and strong a man who fasts

718
00:34:39,909 --> 00:34:41,650
and prays with his air blowing in the

719
00:34:41,650 --> 00:34:42,710
wind in the breeze.

720
00:34:43,790 --> 00:34:47,110
Ahab looks the rain dripping and coming past

721
00:34:47,110 --> 00:34:48,510
him and the wind blowing it on his

722
00:34:48,510 --> 00:34:50,530
face and his air flowing back and running

723
00:34:50,530 --> 00:34:50,870
on.

724
00:34:52,110 --> 00:34:53,389
He says whip the horses up but he

725
00:34:53,389 --> 00:34:54,210
can't keep up with him.

726
00:34:56,030 --> 00:34:58,990
He stands at the gate of Jezreel wet

727
00:34:58,990 --> 00:35:01,650
through the prophet and he says thus saith

728
00:35:01,650 --> 00:35:06,040
the Lord praise the Lord.

729
00:35:07,020 --> 00:35:09,100
If we pray like that one day we'll

730
00:35:09,100 --> 00:35:11,620
say to the sceptics thus saith the Lord

731
00:35:11,620 --> 00:35:13,500
that'll be a great day.

732
00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:25,200
If you would like more information about Barrett

733
00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:29,120
Ministries products including books, music albums and teaching

734
00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:31,820
on cd cassette and video we will send

735
00:35:31,820 --> 00:35:33,500
you a free mail order catalogue.

736
00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:38,000
Contact us at Barrett Ministries 114 Daisybank Road

737
00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:47,660
Manchester M14 5QH or telephone 0161 224 2620

738
00:35:47,660 --> 00:35:52,300
or email us at info at barrettministries.org

739
00:35:52,300 --> 00:35:55,780
.uk you can also visit our website at

740
00:35:55,780 --> 00:36:00,320
www.barrettministries.org.uk where you will find

741
00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:01,560
all our products listed