Elijah Prayed for Rain, The Prayer of Elijah
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Introduction to Elijah Prayed for Rain
When I think of Elijah praying, I usually think of the time he prayed on Mount Carmel and asked God to send fire.
He asked God to send fire for several reasons:
- To show the Lord’s glory
- So his relationship with God would be affirmed
- To turn the people’s hearts back to the Lord
In this article, however, we’re going to talk about how Elijah prayed for rain, for he was the one who prayed for rain in the Bible.
It can be easy to think of Elijah as this amazing, powerful person who was able to bring rain with his prayer. However, James 5:17 says that Elijah was a human being, just like us. 
But the verse also says that Elijah prayed earnestly that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t rain on the land for 3 and 1/2 years. What does earnestly mean? It means with sincere and intense conviction; seriously.
A lot of us can say we pray, but do we pray earnestly? Let’s take a look at the true story…
Elijah Declares a Great Drought
Elijah went to King Ahab and said, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”
Some think this is where Elijah stops the rain, but this wasn’t a personal decision made by Elijah – he was a prophet called to deliver messages from God, and that is exactly what he was doing here.
I wonder if Elijah was concerned about himself at all. Rain wasn’t a luxury, it was a necessity for the people to survive. 
With no rain, the crops wouldn’t grow and the livestock and people would die. He trusted God to provide for him, he was completely dependent on God.
The people had turned away from God, and the drought was not only a judgment against the people’s rebellion but also a specific accusation against the power of Baal. The pagan god Baal was a god of storms and fertility.
He was worshiped all over the ancient Middle East because of his association with dynamic forces. His name literally means “Owner,” “Master,” or “Husband.”
Elijah Fed by Ravens
God told him to hide by the Brook Cherith, which flowed into the Jordan. Elijah obeyed, and the Lord provided for him by sending ravens to bring him bread and meat in the mornings and evenings.
Obviously, the brook provided water to drink.
Can you imagine having ravens bring you bread and meat?? Are you an animal lover? I am, so I think that would be really incredible! 
Elijah Presents Himself to King Ahab
In the 3rd year, God told Elijah to present himself to King Ahab and that God would send rain on the land. Again, Elijah was obedient and presented himself to King Ahab.
Elijah on Mount Carmel
Elijah said to King Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”
So King Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. Elijah prayed for rain.
“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.
“There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”
Wait a Minute…
Let’s take a minute (or a few) to think about the fact that Elijah told his servant to check for rain seven times. When we pray something in God’s will, do we really believe it will happen? 
At the first sign of it looking like it won’t happen, do we automatically give up and feel disappointed? Elijah was persistent and wholeheartedly believed that God would send rain, and Elijah prayed seven times, he said seven prayers.
And the seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea. So Elijah said, “Go and tell King Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.”
At the smallest sign of God’s word being fulfilled, Elijah has his servant tell King Ahab to leave before the rain stopped him.
Let’s Stop for a Moment…
How many of us would have waited until there was more evidence of rain than just an itty bitty cloud?
And how many of us would have waited until it was actually raining because we were afraid of looking like a fool since we didn’t fully believe that it would rain?
Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and King Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of King Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
Here, God gave Elijah the supernatural power to outrun King Ahab, who was riding in a chariot. That must have been an amazing experience!
Conclusion of Elijah Prayed for Rain
So, in conclusion, this story brings up thoughts and questions. There is much we can learn from Elijah.
Why did Elijah pray for rain? What was Elijah praying for? God had promised to bring rain to the land, so Elijah was praying expectantly for that promise to be fulfilled.
He was obedient, prayed in faith expectantly, had courage and stood firm at a time when he was literally the only prophet of the Lord, spoke God’s word as fact before it had been fulfilled, was persistent and didn’t lose hope, was totally dependent on God, and prayed fervently and boldly. 
Are we obedient as we wait on God? Are we praying for BIG things, not just the things and people in our daily lives?
Do we pray for people, the world, to turn to God? Do we pray for the Lord to be glorified?
Click the following link to read The Story of Elijah & The Prophets of Baal: Got Questions
Preparing Your Field
Are you preparing your field for rain? Check out the clip below from Facing the Giants.
Check out the options for watching this inspiring movie! It’s also available in book format.
Rent online at Amazon by clicking here: Facing the Giants Online
Click on the Amazon image below to buy DVD (see price in image), Blu-Ray, or Prime Video.
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Facing the Giants, DVD |
If you aren’t already, why don’t you make the decision to start praying courageously? I am working on this, and I would love to hear if you are, too!
An excellent book I can recommend to help you start praying fearlessly is “Dangerous Prayers: Because Following Jesus Was Never Meant to Be Safe” by Craig Groeschel. I recently finished reading it and felt very convicted – my prayers need to be way more bold!
You can buy it by clicking on the Amazon image below. Kindle, Audiobook, Hardcover, & Paperback are available.
Or, if you would like to support Christian Book Distributors, click on the 1st link below for the eBook, & click on the 2nd link for the Hardcover book.
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Dangerous Prayers: Because Following Jesus Was Never Meant to Be Safe – eBook |
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Dangerous Prayers: Because Following Jesus Was Never Meant to Be Safe |
If you’re interested in a related Bible study, check out Elijah: Faith and Fire paperback book by Priscilla Shirer.
It is AWESOME!!! It is a 7-session study, & there is also a Leader Kit available in paperback (see 2nd image below). You can purchase either of these items by clicking on the Amazon images below.
Or, if you prefer to support Christian Book Distributors, both of these items can be purchased by clicking on the blue links below.
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Elijah Bible Study Book |
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Elijah Leader Kit |
I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment at the bottom of the page.
Thank you, and it is my prayer that you have a very blessed day! ❤
Since we’ve been talking about Elijah, I thought it would be appropriate to include the video below. This song has been in my head today. Enjoy! ☺
Elijah prayed 7 times Bible verse / What verse talks about Elijah praying for rain?
So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.
Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.” The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.”
Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”
Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’”
1 Kings 18:42-44