Big league praying

Prayer is a human activity, even though it reaches out to the eternal. That's the fundamental reason why some prayers move God to action and some don't. As a human activity, we don't always get it right.

But once in a while, in Scripture, you see prayers that changed everything. Moses praying down a reprieve for fallen Israel. King Jehoshaphat praying down victory in a battle he didn't even have to fight. Elijah praying down a multi-year drought.

Like a ball player moving to the big leagues, some of the Bible's citizens prayed at a level unknown by the listless masses. Why? What made their prayers different?

Take the case of Moses. Like a ship's wise captain, he anchored his prayers in solid ground... in what Jehovah had already said.

Look at Exodus 32:13 (NIV) - "Turn from your fierce anger... Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them...'" (Moses realized Jehovah couldn't fulfill that promise if He destroyed them all.)

And take the case of Jehoshaphat. Three tribal armies had amassed forces coming to destroy Judah. Jehoshaphat called for a prayer session at the temple, and led the proceedings himself. Look at his prayer in 2 Chronicles 20 and you'll see him put its whole weight down on what Jehovah had already said. You'll also see one of the most famous victories in the Old Testament.

And what about Elijah? James called him "a man just like us" but then said Elijah's amazing prayer stopped up the heavens and brought drought on unfaithful Israel.

Like Moses and Jehoshaphat, Elijah knew how to locate the rock that could support his prayer's weight. He placed it squarely on what God had already said.

I don't think Elijah created the content of his prayer (to bring drought on Israel) out of his own imagination. In fact, there's a precedent for thinking that Israel's fall into paganism would produce a drought.

I think Elijah based his prayer on Deuteronomy 11:13-17. Look at the two-way promise: if Israel is faithful to Jehovah, rain (and prosperity) will continue, but if the nation turns away to worship other gods, "Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce..."

Elijah was a man just like us, but he was just bold enough to hold God to what He had already said.

Anchor your prayers in what the Rock has already said, and you'll pray with the big-leaguers.