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In the story of Elijah’s perseverance in prayer in 1 Kings 18, why did he need to continue to pray for rain when God had already promised to send it? What do you think would have happened if Elijah stopped praying after the sixth try?
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His perseverance showed his belief that God would answer his prayers. God had already promised the rain would come and I believe it would still have come.
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Elijah kept praying for rain even though God had promised to send it because he knew he also had a responsibility to keep. A Christian is to be faithful and persistent in prayer. Many of God’s promises are conditional upon our faithfulness and obedience to His commandments. God’s Word teaches us to always pray and not give up.
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Though God had promised to send rain, Elijah continued to pray for rain because he understood that he had to pray for the rain to come.
I think there would not be rain if Elijah stopped praying after the sixth try. This is because prayer was an essential part of the fulfilment of the promise. -
I have a hard time seeing Elijah with his “his face between his knees” as him kneeling in prayer. I picture him as being concerned (maybe even depressed) sitting on the ground with his head bowed so low in concern (and depression?) that his face was between his knees. I don’t often struggle with depression, but there have been times when I have seen myself sitting the same way… just totally un-done… sitting with my head so low that it was between my knees. Especially when you see Elijah in the wilderness in the next “picture” in I Kings. YET Elijah kept praying, even when he was nearly un-done!
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God had given Elijah the understanding that Elijah needed to keep praying in order for God to fulfill his promise. Since God had given Elijah that understanding, if Elijah wouldn’t have kept praying, he would have been in the wrong and God may not have sent the rain until Elijah became convicted to pray again. Then God would be able to fulfill his promise because Elijah fulfilled his role in the matter.
