Rain in Answer to Prayer

In this part of the sermon: Elijah instructs Ahab to eat and drink, declaring a 'sound of abundance of rain,' which Martin interprets as a sound heard by faith, not audibly. This highlights Ahab's spiritual…

Martin imagines Ahab's fear as Elijah slays the 450 prophets of Baal one by one, wondering if he, the one who welcomed them, would be next, highlighting Ahab's guilt and potential terror.

Can you imagine what Ahab might have been thinking? As you saw the prophets slain one by one, and it goes from 450 down to 400, to 350, 300, 250, 200, 100, 50, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. And you know that every one of those prophets is there because you welcomed him.

7:20 - 7:40 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Elijah instructs Ahab to eat and drink, declaring a 'sound of abundance of rain,' which Martin interprets as a sound heard by faith, not audibly. This highlights Ahab's spiritual…

Martin describes Ahab breathing a 'proverbial sigh of relief' when Elijah tells him to eat, illustrating Ahab's preoccupation with physical comfort over spiritual realities.

And then the words come forth from the prophet. Get thee up, eat and drink. For there is sound of abundance of rain, and Ahab went up to eat and drink. I imagine if anyone ever breathed the proverbial sigh of relief, this blinded, sotted, sinful man breathed the sigh of relief at the words, get thee up to eat.

8:11 - 8:36 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Elijah instructs Ahab to eat and drink, declaring a 'sound of abundance of rain,' which Martin interprets as a sound heard by faith, not audibly. This highlights Ahab's spiritual…

Ahab's earlier preoccupation with finding water for his horses during the drought is recalled, illustrating his sensuous, fleshly focus even amidst God's judgment.

A pattern established early in the picture we gain of this man when his own nation, the nation over which he was to rule as the representative of God, for that's what the kings were in Israel, in this nation that was peculiarly the nation of God, when his own people, when his own people are smarting beneath the judgment of God, we find this man out with his servant looking for water for his horses. What a picture of a man who in the midst of the smarting judgments of God is so given over to the flesh and to the sensuous that he's preoccupied with feeding his horses status symbol for earthly ki...

9:59 - 11:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Elijah instructs Ahab to eat and drink, declaring a 'sound of abundance of rain,' which Martin interprets as a sound heard by faith, not audibly. This highlights Ahab's spiritual…

The conversion of Paul, where he heard a voice but others did not, is used to illustrate how God can grant a prophet a unique sensory experience (hearing the 'sound of abundance of rain') that others do not perceive.

Was there a sound specifically given to the prophet? You remember there's another occasion in Scripture where certain things were seen by the prophet that were not seen by others. We read in the book of Acts concerning the conversion of Paul that though he heard the voice speaking in distinct words, the others did not. It could be that God actually caused the prophet to hear in his ears just as they sometimes were enabled to see with their eyes what others could not see.

11:53 - 12:24 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Prayer precipitates the purposed and promised blessings of God.

Charles Spurgeon's plea to his congregation to pray down a 'cloud full of the blessing of the outpoured Spirit' over London illustrates the principle that prayer precipitates promised blessings.

He was too busy working out his clear understanding of the place of prayer in the purpose of God. And he recognized, and I repeat, not for the sake of filler, because I say I don't know if we'll get through tonight, but for the sake of emphasis, he knew this principle that operates in the whole realm of the kingdom of God. Prayer precipitates promised, purposed blessings of God. There's a section in Charles Spurgeon's autobiography that is most illustrative of this.

20:03 - 20:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Ask God for daily bread, not just expect it, to cultivate true thankfulness.

The common failure to genuinely pray for daily bread is used to illustrate how expecting blessings through 'natural courses' diminishes gratitude and true reception from God's hand.

to pray even for our daily bread, something which few of us honestly do, because we just expect that our bread will be there. And so we really miss the blessing of true thankfulness when we receive our bread. You see, that terrible reminder that I'm sure many of us have, that when we bow to say our blessing or say grace, whatever we call it, most of the time our hearts really aren't in it. There is no real bursting forth of thanksgiving.

24:21 - 24:49 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine your prayers to ensure they conform to the directives of Scripture, recognizing that disregard is sin.

Examples of sin in family roles (husband, son/daughter) are used to argue that disregarding God's directives for prayer is equally sinful, challenging the notion that prayer is solely a private matter.

If I may put it as coarsely as I know how, if they are prayers that disregard the directive of God, it's just as much sin to disregard his directive about prayer as it is about the ordering of the home. Suppose I will not assume my proper headship as a husband and a father. Is that sin? Why?

27:07 - 27:25 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Elijah's ascent to the top of Carmel for solitude and his prostrate posture signify deep humility and reverence before a holy God. Martin contrasts this with a 'shallow, frothy…

Martin recounts trying to replicate Elijah's posture of putting his face between his knees, emphasizing the physical difficulty and the profound humility it signifies.

And so the prophet retires that he might do this very thing. Now consider in the second place not only the place he retired to pray but the posture he assumed in his prayer. And he cast himself very vivid word, he cast himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees. Now I'll do almost anything to make a passage live to myself and so when I came to study this I got up out of my desk, out of my chair and got out of my study floor and I tried to do exactly what it says here.

32:31 - 33:08 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But when he who is a sinner by nature and practice comes into the presence of his God, there's only one place for him. Down on his face in the dust.

The black fist of the black revolution and the Heil Hitler sign are used as metaphors to explain how Elijah's physical posture serves as an 'object lesson' signifying his spiritual attitude.

What attitude of heart is signified by this posture? This is a physical object lesson. Just like the black fist raised in defiance has become a symbol in our day of the black revolution. Just as the sign of a Heil Hitler signifies something so we have in this physical posture of the prophet, something signified of his own spiritual and mental attitude.

35:18 - 35:47 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But when he who is a sinner by nature and practice comes into the presence of his God, there's only one place for him. Down on his face in the dust.

The elders in Revelation casting their thrones before God and falling on their faces illustrates that even the sinless redeemed maintain a posture of humility and reverence before God.

Sons, but still sinners. And we must never forget it. Sinners, cleansed and covered in the blood of Christ, yes, but sinners still. And the only attitude of a sinner in the presence of a holy God is one, of humility and brokenness. And though we are sons, we are still His subjects. He is the King, the Sovereign upon a throne, and the only fitting posture for a subject in the presence of His Sovereign is one of humility and brokenness. I instruct when I read in the book of the Revelation something that I hope will break through to us as we read through that book Sunday mornings, that whenever y...

37:32 - 38:34 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But when he who is a sinner by nature and practice comes into the presence of his God, there's only one place for him. Down on his face in the dust.

Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones's observation that no saint in Scripture addresses God as 'dear God' or 'loving Father' is quoted to underscore the importance of reverent address in prayer, even in intimacy.

I'll never forget when listening to a tape of Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones. He made this remark, and I've tried to check it through, and I haven't found him wrong on this point yet. He said, you will search in vain for any record in Scripture where any prayer recorded of a saint of God, Old or New Testament, ever finds that saint addressing God as dear God or loving Father or loving Heavenly Father. He said the Son of God Himself addressed Him how? Holy Father. John 17. Holy.

39:02 - 39:41 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Elijah's prayer is characterized by a specific desired blessing (rain), the pleading of specific promises (God's word to him), and fervent earnestness. Martin contrasts this with…

The analogy of a hunter with a shotgun firing 'buckshot prayers' versus a rifle hunter targeting a specific bear illustrates the difference between vague, unfocused prayer and specific, purposeful prayer.

We're like a man who goes out in the woods with a shotgun, a two-barrel shotgun. And he goes out with his pockets loaded with shells and he loads up his shotgun and he goes all through the woods. Boom, boom, boom, boom. And someone says, what are you shooting for?

43:46 - 43:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Diligently search the Scriptures for warrant to pray for specific things, and then plead those promises before the Lord.

A quote describing God's promises as 'the mold into which we may pour our fervent spirits without fear' beautifully illustrates how promises provide direction and confidence for prayer.

They, that is the promises, are the mold hard word to say when you've got a cold. They are the mold into which we may pour our fervent spirits without fear. Isn't that beautiful? What are the promises of God?

49:48 - 50:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate earnestness in prayer, recognizing that a lack of earnestness reflects a lack of conviction about the true need for the blessing.

The parable of the friend at midnight asking for bread (Luke 11) is cited to illustrate the necessity of earnestness and persistence in prayer.

Awfully earnest. Awfully earnest. When the blessing was needed, earnestness was the natural result. Isn't that one of the aspects that should mark our prayer according to the teaching of our Lord in Luke 11 and Luke 18? Luke 11, you have the friend going to his friend at midnight asking for bread, and he was dead in earnest. He said, friend, some people come to visit me. I've got nothing to set before me. Give me some bread.

53:09 - 53:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate earnestness in prayer, recognizing that a lack of earnestness reflects a lack of conviction about the true need for the blessing.

The parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge (Luke 18) is cited to illustrate the necessity of earnestness and persistence in prayer.

Kept right on pounding. Dead in earnest. Jesus gave that parable to teach us how we should pray. And there's that woman, Luke 18. Avenge me of my adversary. She was in earnest, and that judge just tried to get her off his back until finally he said this poor woman's going to wear me out. I'll give her what she's asking. Earnestness. And isn't earnestness really another check as to how much we really feel we need the blessing? How much was Elijah convinced that land needed rain? He was dead in earnest. They had to have rain. Just as they would have been blotted out by the judgment of God if the...

53:44 - 54:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate earnestness in prayer, recognizing that a lack of earnestness reflects a lack of conviction about the true need for the blessing.

Martin recounts a story of a stuttering brother named John whose earnest prayers were loud, illustrating that genuine earnestness can express itself in volume, and cautioning against judging others' prayer expressions.

I remember one time I was in a prayer meeting, and one dear brother, when he'd pray and get in earnest, the only way he expressed it naturally was volume. And he'd pray so as to make this roof dance. But it was genuine, as best I could discern. I prayed often with this dear brother, and he loved God and loved the souls of men. And when he got praying and he had a high-pitched voice, one of these got schooled preaching on the street corner. He had a terrible problem with stuttering, but turning loose to pray or preach, and his stuttering would leave him. And one day he was just praying up a sto...

55:27 - 56:13 Read in full sermon

The point: Be persistent and expectant in prayer for material needs, pleading specific promises of God's provision, and resist conniving to meet needs ourselves.

A lengthy quote from Krummacher's 'Elijah the Tishbite' explains that God makes us wait and persist in prayer not to be difficult, but because the waiting period is beneficial for us, purging self-love and preparing the heart.

If my children are hungry and they need bread and need food and say, Daddy, can I have a cookie? I don't say, well, I'm going to give you one eventually, but ask me twenty times. I don't deal with my children that way. This is a problem to us, isn't it? If it's never been a problem to you, then I doubt you've ever wrestled long in prayer about something. But when you've wrestled long, you begin to say, Lord, what's the meaning of all this? Let me read from one of the old masters in Israel, one of the old commentators, Krumacher, who's often quoted by all the other commentators. He came along f...

63:20 - 63:52 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: God gloriously answers Elijah's prayer with a great rain, starting from a small cloud. Elijah then supernaturally runs ahead of Ahab's chariot to Jezreel, a demonstration of God's…

Martin shares a story of a friend from India who had never seen snow and prayed to see it, illustrating the wonder and joy of experiencing something new and long-awaited, akin to the Israelites seeing rain after a long drought.

the ship and one of the men there with him said ah we must haste and get on to the other side a storm is coming. And by the time they got their sail hoisted and underway the storm broke upon them in its terrible fury. And so God wonderfully answered the prayer. Again let me encourage you use your imagination. Three and a half years you haven't seen a drop of rain. Here are kids who've been born in that time and they've heard mom and dad talk about drought and they say what's drought? That's when there's no rain. What's rain? Don't try to strike rain to someone who's never seen it. Well it's we...

68:23 - 69:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Repent and believe, recognizing the abundant proofs that Jehovah is God and His salvation is real, rather than remaining impenitent like Ahab.

The practice of kings having couriers run before their chariots is used to explain Elijah's running before Ahab, suggesting it was a sign of loyalty and service to the nation.

Now you say if ever the prophet had just sort of lost his mental balance it sure was here. But you can't say that because it says the hand of the Lord was upon him. God equipped him to do this. Now why? Well the commentators run off in a thousand directions at this juncture. I would like to suggest two reasons. Number one this was common in those days for a king to have couriers go before him. Runners go before his chariot and they would spell one another to announce his coming and to herald his coming. And it would seem that in this way the prophet was showing Ahab that he had nothing but the...

70:35 - 71:32 Read in full sermon