It is reported that Mary, Queen of Scots, once said, “I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe.” The very thought, fearful prayers!

Yet in the Old Testament there is a man whose prayers were feared! Elijah the Prophet, by name. The man was courageous in prayer! He prayed down … into oblivion … many of God’s enemies!

I use one major example from his life. Elijah had sent “bad news”…  certain “judgment” from God was about to fall upon the wicked King of Samaria (Israel). Ahaziah was seeking the counsel of an idol, a heathen god at the time. “Baalzebub” the god of Ekron, to be precise.

Well, Elijah was sought everywhere. And when located … a war party was dispatched immediately! This Prophet must be annihilated, killed.

All because of a Sermon Elijah had preached, a scathing rebuke to the King for his idolatry! “The angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?” 2nd Kings 1:3-4

The war was on!

Ahaziah versus Elijah!

Evil versus good!

Since King Ahaziah was physically incapacitated (due to a fall) he dispatched a group of fifty soldiers to “deal” with Elijah. Here’s the Bible account:

“Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.” 2nd Kings 1:9

Knowing their “intent,” Eljah prayed a four word prayer!

“And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then LET FIRE COME DOWN from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.” 2nd Kings 1:10

Prayed … answered!

Safe again!

Now you know what I mean, a prayer of judgment!

But the King sent another war party!

This demand is even more stringent! Not just “Come down,” old man … but “Come down quickly!” Let’s read it: “Again also he (King Ahaziah) sent unto him (Elijah) another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down QUICKLY.” 2nd Kings 1:11

Wow, Elijah launches another prayer!

Typical to the character of this Man of God!

“And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, LET FIRE COME DOWN from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.” 2nd Kings 1:12

And soon … just as Elijah had prophesied, the unrighteous King was dead!

But also, needlessly, so were a hundred of his men, his soldiers.

Elijah … praying against the enemies of God!

It’s called “imprecatory” prayer.

And the Bible is full of such righteous pleading!

Pray today … that God would rebuke the devil.

That Jesus would “come again!” As in “Thy Kingdom come!”

That’s a prayer (indirectly) for God to judge the rebelliously wicked!

And fire may not come down … but the promised judgment of God will, without fail.

Some day.

In this same line of thought, pray AGAINST the dope dealer who would destroy the life of your child or grandchild! Against the sexual predator who would molest your Wife! Against the liberal (progressive?) theologian who would destroy the Truth about your Savior!

“LET FIRE COME DOWN!”

If you don’t believe me, read Psalm 58. Then read Psalm 83, a powerful prayer for judgment against all Israel’s enemies!

Prayer as a weapon!

Think about it.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

There will be more than one Prayer Lesson concerning Elijah. There just must be! The New Testament mentions this giant of a man (spiritually) as a paragon of prayer. Read with me part of James 5:17-18. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias (Elijah) was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly ….”

You might say Elijah did everything earnestly!

To express “pray earnestly” in Greek, James had to use both a verb and a noun. He “doubles” the available prayer words! It’s somewhat like this: Elijah praying prayer held up the rain! Or Elijah praying prayer called down the fire! Or Elijah praying prayer brought back the rain, in abundance!

This is intense prayer! (In many ancient languages “doubling” a word makes it very powerful! In Hebrew it makes the whole thought “superlative!”)

Add to this description of Elijah as a praying man the previous clause in James’ report. About prayer needing to be “effectual” and “fervent” … and you have  two more adjectival words about Elijah. He was the very epitome of these descriptions. Now both “effectual” and “fervent” are translations of one Greek word “energo!”

And “energo” means?

Look at it! It’s virtually our word “energy!” It means “work” (“ergon” in Greek) … plus the idea of something being internal (“en” in Greek) … thus “work, power, strength,” with a visible presence too! And here “effectual fervent” is a verb, a present participle! There was something internal “operating, motivating” Elijah’s prayers! God’s “empowering strength” deep down inside the Prophet!

Concerning this great man of prayer we now have a string of descriptors!

“Praying he prayed,” intensely so, “praying prayer” was his testimony, his heritage to the Church!

Plus, he did so “energetically!” Visibly so.

But there’s one more thing, he must have been “passionate” too! Yes, he had his “ups” and “downs,” who doesn’t? But really the root of the word “passions” as used by James here is “pascho,” a verb literally meaning “to suffer” 39 times in the New Testament.

Wow!

In summary:

1. Elijah “prayed prayer” … King James, “prayed earnestly.”

2. And he was “energized” of God as he prayed. (This really might be what Jude calls “praying in the Spirit.” Precisely, Jude’s 20th verse: “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost ….”) In the King James “effectual earnest” prayer.

3. Also he “suffered,” was a “man of passions,” like us too. God did not have this prayer warrior on a pedestal somewhere. Elijah was in the “trenches” of spiritual warfare. Ahab hated him! Jezebel tried to kill him! The population despised him (no rain for 3 years)! In Greek “pascho” is not far removed from the word “pathos,” our word for much of the emotional life. Yes, Elijah became discouraged once, suicidal even! But he prayed himself out of that cave, that pit!

4. And because of such character, of being such a person of prayer … Elijah now is memorialized in Scripture. He has “a good name” forevermore! And we all know how Proverbs 22:1 begins: “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.”

Because … he prayed.

Intensely so.

So may we!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

 

We’re learning about prayer by studying those who prayed! Not via a textbook or lecture or some other means. It’s almost a biographical approach to the subject.

And many in the Bible prayed!

It’s been happening since Genesis 4:26. “Then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.” That’s a long time ago, numerous centuries, several millennia in fact.

Today I’d like us to briefly study one of Judah’s Kings, Asa by name. Not that the man is perfect, no one is! He had many lessons to learn, and even died not pleasing the Lord.

But on one impressive occasion he sure did pray!

“And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour. ⁹ And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah. ¹⁰ Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. ¹¹ And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. ¹² So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.” 2nd Chronicles 14:8-12

I realize the Bible skeptics will question these numbers, saying they are impossibilities. Did the Text say 300,000 soldiers out of Judah, and 280,000 more out of little Benjamin?

YES, and I plan to believe that Text!

But still, with all those men, King Asa was in the minority, his whole army adding up to about half that of his enemy. The Ethiopians had a million man army. “A thousand thousand!”

Out-manned 2 to 1, what’s a leader to do?

By the way, though comparatively few, these young Jewish fighters are skilled troops. “Mighty men of valor,” with the noun “valor” being “chayil” in Hebrew, a major word for “power, ability, efficiency!”

Still … so few in the face of so many?

Again, what do you do?

Surrender?

Call for help from some ungodly source?

Or … as Asa here did … TELL ALMIGHTY GOD!

Our Scripture again: “And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.” 2nd Chronicles 14:11

Asa prayed!

“God, Thou are bigger than any enemy army!”

“This formidable foe is NOTHING to Thee!”

The Hebrew is “ayin,” an adverb of negation. It means “0” … zero … naught … inconsequential!

God can conquer a million man army before breakfast, so to speak! At least according to Asa’s rather bold faith on this memorable day of battle.

PRAYING WHEN THE ODDS ARE INSURMOUNTABLE!

PRAYING WHEN THE OUTLOOK IS BLEAK!

PRAYING WHEN NO ONE ELSE BELIEVES IN YOUR CASE!

PRAYING FOR GREAT THINGS!

“Help us,” O Lord, the King’s very words.

This is the Hebrew verb “azar,” meaning “to offer succor,” to give “support.” And I looked at the etymology of that verb “to succor.” It’s from the Latin infinitive “succurrere,” meaning “to hurry with help!” In fact “currure” alone means “to run!” LORD, COME RUNNING PLEASE! WE NEED THY STRENGTH!

Wow!

What arguments, what reasons why God should come and help …

We’re resting (trusting) in Thee!

We’re fighting today “in Thy Name!”

We desire to see no man “prevail” against Thee!

Asa did know how to pray!

But … with what results?

Our last verse today: “So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.” 2nd Chronicles 14:12, word for word.

The verb “smote” means “put to the worse,” five times it does in the King James Version. Given the “plague” 3 more times! And killed (“slain”) 2 times. The Ethiopians, the numerically superior force, lost the battle that day. Defeated by the Lord of Hosts!

Because of a praying man.

And because of an awesome God!

The resources of a vast enemy army were “nothing” to a godly man who knew the “Resources” of God in Heaven!

But, can we pray like that?

Asking for such BIG things?

Jeremiah 33:3, with God doing the talking. “Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

I guess we can then … also ask for BIG things too!

Praise the Lord.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

We see the end of Solomon’s “Temple Dedication” prayer today, and God’s response to it.

Second Chronicles 6:14-42, a very long prayer!

Its closing centers on God’s “help” when the nation goes to war. “If thy people go out to WAR against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name; then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.” 2nd Chronicles 6:34-35, the “if” placing the petition into what I call “contingency” praying. “Just in case!”

The Solomon, once again, mentions the possibility of “sin” and Israel. It’s longer but worth reading, for sure. “If they SIN against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near. Yet if they bethink (Hebrew “shub” … to “turn,” better yet, “to repent”) themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and PRAY unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, WE HAVE SINNED, WE HAVE DONE AMISS, AND HAVE DEALT WICKEDLY. If they RETURN to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name: then HEAR thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and FORGIVE thy people which have sinned against thee.” 2nd Chronicles 6:36-39, note how very sensitive to “sin” Solomon was in those early days!

Lastly Solomon pleads a general need, a Nation “right” with God, having the “Ear” of the Almighty! “Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.” 2nd Chronicles 6:40, just a single verse.

Then, in conclusion, God is “invited” into His new House, the Temple that has just been dedicated! “Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.” 2nd Chronicles 6:41

But, importantly … how did God respond?

The very next chapter, 2nd Chronicles 7 (particularly verses 1-2) tells us. “Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’S house.”

Wow!

God did move “into” His earthly abode.

And, as long as Israel obeyed the Word, our Lord answered every request Solomon had lodged, no exceptions. Solomon, a leader in public prayer. A King, praying with his people!

No wonder the devil “hates” Israel like he does.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

Praying without prejudice!

In an ancient day when xenophobia was rife.

Solomon’s great prayer takes a “turn” this morning.

For some reason he prays not only for the people of Israel, but for those of foreign descent as well. And I doubt I would have ever written a Lesson on this aspect of prayer, likely not even thinking of such a thing. Yet, because of systematic Bible teaching, here we are!

Solomon at prayer, with the whole congregation of Israel:

“Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name’s sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; IF THEY COME AND PRAY IN THIS HOUSE; then HEAR THOU FROM THE HEAVENS; even from thy dwelling place, AND DO ACCORDING TO ALL THAT THE STRANGER CALLETH TO THEE FOR; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.” 2nd Chronicles 6:32-33

The noun “stranger” is “nakriy,” not the normal word for “gentile!” It means an “alien,” not an indigenous citizen of a  given land. But it is derived from “noker,” a Hebrew word meaning “calamity, disaster, misfortune.” Someone who is in your country … because they have been endangered in their native land! A true “refugee!”

But there’s possibly more here, about this “stranger.”

He or she has come to Israel “for God’s great Name’s sake.” Because of God’s “Mighty Hand!” And “stretched out Arm,” in protection and provision!

Here’s a potential “convert” to the Faith!

Hungry for God!

No wonder this man or woman will want to pray!

And Lord, if they PRAY … please answer!

That’s what Solomon literally petitions our Lord!

How gracious!

How magnanimous!

Again the words of this request: “If they come and pray in this house; then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for.”

Wow!

At this point in Solomon’s life, middle age, he is yet living for God!

But why such a prayer?

It is “evangelistic” in nature, folks.

Read more now. This clause is called a “statement of purpose,” why God might desire to answer these prayers. “… that ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH MAY KNOW THY NAME, AND FEAR THEE, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.” Answers to prayer, as a soul-winning tool!

I am impressed.

But one caution needs to be stated.

Solomon violated his own norm here.

Instead of converting these foreigners to his Faith … he allowed himself to be introduced to their various corrupted faith systems! He adopted their heathen practices!

He let them “turn his heart!”

He loved and married many of those “strange” women, 1st Kings 11:1 specifically says.

“And Solomon had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. for it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.” 1st Kings 11:3-4

Soul-winning, good!

Soul-blending, not good!

Think of it, the body of today’s Lesson. Praying for God to answer the prayers of someone else! What a lovely thought!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell