By Minister John Mabry
In his letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul wrote, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men: for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour” (I Timothy 2:1-3). The call of the hour is for men and women who are mighty in prayer, masters of supplication, and specialists in the holy art of intercession.
The God of Elijah is the answer. Something happened when Elijah prayed that would not have happened had he not prayed. There was no doubt about the reality of God’s power in the minds of those who heard Elijah pray upon Carmel when they saw the living fire fall from heaven to blaze upon the altar. Listen to his words:
“If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
This is a dateless promise; these are timeless words. They are for God’s people of every nation and for all time. If we will only pray, we need not fear even our mightiest foe.
The world is in a state of utter chaos, and the United States is battled by one crisis after another: millions of Americans seeking work, skyrocketing medical costs, run-away inflation, crime in the streets, deception and greed on Wall Street, and the demise of the family unit. Our political leaders have tried numerous legislative programs to correct these problems, but to no avail. The key to solving these problems is simple: seek the wisdom of God through prayer.
In her book What It Means To Pray Through, Mother Dabney wrote:
Prayer is the key to the Lord’s heaven door. It encourages every leader, minister, and missionary when they observe the ingathering of the Lord’s spiritual harvest. I believe in asking for divine guidance in everything pertaining to business and human life.
It is high time that we learn the futility of our human endeavor, the folly of fighting in our own strength, or in the armor of our own invention. We need the Spirit who came at Pentecost. We perish for the breath of God. Shall we not cry with Elisha, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?”