The Word for wisdom:
Proverbs 27:21 (AMP)
As the refining pot for silver and the furnace for gold [bring forth all the impurities of the metal], so let a man be in his trial of praise [ridding himself of all that is base or insincere; for a man is judged by what he praises and of what he boasts].
The Word for inspiration:
Psalm 119:80 (AMP)
Let my heart be sound (sincere and wholehearted and blameless) in Your statutes, that I may not be put to shame.
The Word for encouragement:
1 Kings 18:36-39 (KJV)
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.
My observation:
The prophet Elijah lived at a time when most of the people of his nation trusted in Baal and not in Jehovah. Elijah wanted the people to know that what he had previously said and done was not of his own initiative. So, what we have in our focal passage is a prayer for God to demonstrate that is was of him, and not of Elijah.
This prayer of Elijah should be an encouragement to every believer of the power of God. It shows that God is willing to use ordinary people who are willing to do God's will and God's work in this world. The difficulty of the task is not an insurmountable undertaking for God.
At this time in the history of our nation we need a few praying people who will have the faith in God that Elijah had. Elijah simply asked God to show the people that he was God, and to turn the hearts of the people back to God. Every one of us is capable of doing what Elijah did, and we know that God is able to do again what he did then.
James 5:17 (AMP)
Elijah was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours]; and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and no rain fell on the earth for three years and six months.
My prayer:
Father God, my dear Father, will you stir up within me the passion that the prophet Elijah had for you and for the people of his nation. Father, I know that you have all power in your hands, and that nothing is too difficult for you. Father, I pray that you will show yourself to be God in our nation at this time in our history, and turn our hearts back to the true and living God.
My song:
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (Click on link below to listen to this song):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWxb6VvPrkE
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http://www.herbcotton.org
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Proverbs 3:5-6 (HCSB)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; 6 think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.
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