Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years (James 5:17 NIV).
You know what? Sometimes we keep forgetting that the most influential person in the world is the Christian who knows how to stand in his position of prayer and get his prayers answered. So often we are standing outside the grace of God and begging God for victory and breakthrough when God has already said it is finished, it’s done. When we don’t recognize the power of the cross, sadly we live in lack and condemnation. We literally open a door for the enemy to come in and manipulate our mind. We go about thinking and accommodating a mindset that we are not good enough for God’s favour and blessing.
The Christian who knows his position in Christ. His authority, his power, and his inheritance is a Christian who will be victorious in this life.
When you are clear about your identity in Christ demonic spirits will tremble before you can even utter a word before them.
You don’t have to scream your heart out to chase the devil out of somebody. We need to go back to the Bible and learn how Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons and devils. Jesus was as calm as anything. He spoke and commanded once with authority and that’s it, the devil just obeyed. He spoke and commanded once, even the winds and the storm obeyed. Why don’t we take Jesus as our example and learn from Him rather than mimicking other people?
Today we are not sure of our position and what belongs to us no wonder we have to scream and shout and dramatize and yet the end result is not fruitful. Nobody gets healed! Nobody gets delivered! Nobody gets restored! The only thing you do is you create a frightening atmosphere around you with too much of adrenaline released into your blood.
Elijah prayed when things got tough. He knew God would hear his prayers because he was in alignment with the God of heaven and earth. Therefore when he declared the end of a drought and the beginning of rain God answered him. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). It’s not your shouting and screaming that is going to draw the attention of God.
We must understand that we are living in the covenant of grace. A covenant of unmerited favour. This grace of God’s blessings and favour that you did not earn and did not deserve is just given to you as a gift in your life. The saddest part of humanity is that we are unable to see it and walk in this truth.
But have you ever forgotten that God has singled you out for a blessing in the midst of tough times? What kind of power, authority and promises has God bestowed upon you as his children? Listen!! You need to be tapping into the finished work of the cross, “a done deal “2000 years ago, and begin prophesying over your life today about what has been accomplished for you already. Are you aware that when you are placed under the blood of Jesus no demon can touch you!?
To be able to pray like Elijah and get positive results there are certain conditions that need to be observed in God’s word. Never forget that God is delighted and God is seeking a people who will worship Him in spirit and truth. “The prayer of the upright is His delight” (Prov 15:8).
You can’t live the way you want and walk the way you like and expect God to pour out His blessings upon you in your desperate moments.
The fullness of God in you is completed in Christ in accordance with your union with Him (2 Col 2:9-10).
Like Elijah we need to be in persistent prayer and refuse to give up and be in union with God. You remember six times his servant came to tell him: “There is no Rain! There is no rain!” but Elijah said to his servant go and look again! -because Elijah knew who this God of heaven and earth was and that he could rely upon Him with faith and trust!! The next thing we hear, “There was a great rain” (1 King 18-45)
There are 4 important lessons that we can pick up quickly here:
(1) Your greatest miracle in your life will always take place when you know how to stand in your right position in prayer. God does things through prayers that He will not do any other way. You must know who you are in Christ and never beg God to bless you again. A lot of us are trying to prove to God that we deserved to be blessed. That is merely rejecting the finished work of the cross. Claim your inheritance in your prayer then the fruit of it will manifest in your life. Don’t try to ask God for what He has already given you.
(2) Instead of mourning over your situation helplessly and trying to feel sorry for yourself, start focusing on the God who promised you that if you trust Him nothing is impossible with Him. That is grace! He can swing your situation around no matter how impossible it may seem to you right now because of the done deal 2000 years ago.
(3) At this crucial moment of your life you cannot survive without the leading of the Holy Spirit. His infilling is so important to reveal how to move with discernment at this moment. Therefore it is very essential that you amend your life-style in order to accommodate His presence in your life. If your house is clean He will abide in you.
4) Your breakthrough for a change will depend on your attitude of prayer and fasting. Remember you are fasting and praying for your own personal spiritual growth. You need to be very clear about this attitude. Because this is the area the enemy will be waiting to manipulate when he finds you ignorant.
Do you think fasting moves the heart of God to act? No! That is totally Old Testament law thinking. It is absolute religion. Under law, I act, so God will act. You do your part and God will do His part. Under grace, I BELIEVE BY FAITH that Jesus acted on my behalf already when He said “It is finished! It is done!”. Therefore God is working to bless me now! “I am deeply loved! Highly favored! Greatly blessed! And destined to reign because of the finished work of Christ.”
My fasting does not make God bless me more!! If you think like that then you are trying to ask God to give you what belongs to you already. God is always paying attention to my needs and always working to bless me and be good to me. HE IS MOVED BY MY FAITH NOT BY MY WORKS!! He will supply all my needs over and above (Phil.4:19). You become a recipient of all His goodness and blessing.
Please understand that you can add absolutely nothing to the cross. Everything what you need in this life is a done deal through the cross of Jesus. You just got to appropriate it by the grace of God given to you. This is a powerful truth that can lift you to a new dimension.
You know what? We have no option but to learn to change strategies. If you keep doing the same religious thing you will only end up getting the same results. Sometimes we need to “rock the boat” my friend! To experience a new move of God in your life.
Note: Rev Dr Jai Kumar is an ordained & licensed minister of Covenant Ministries International N.J. USA. He is a mission minded pastor who carries an apostolic anointing who preaches and teaches an uncompromising gospel with boldness. A member of ECCM (Malaysia) Spiritual Adviser & overseer to various ministries and churches. An itinerant speaker. He is also the author of a book entitled, ‘God’s Time Clock.’ Currently he worships at C3 Subang.
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Rev Dr Jai Kumar
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