#First 21/Day 2 - The process of prayer

Day 2 - Today's Scripture Verses

I Kings 18:43b-44 NLT 43 ...Seven times Elijah told him to go out and look. 44 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!”

"But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." - James 1:4

Reading this story always kind of makes me want to say, 'aww...poor servant. He keeps getting sent back and sent back and sent back. By his third trip back, I imagine he must have wondered, 'when is this prophet going to realize the rain's not coming!" Or maybe he wondered, 'how many times do I have to go back before God finally answers the prayer....or IS He even going to answer???" Little did he realize that Elijah was probably thinking the same exact thing... Have you ever asked yourself, “How do I know God is going to say yes to my prayers?” I'm sure there are many (if not all) of us who have asked that question, even as we seek to have a bold and confident prayer life. It's important to recognize however, that prayer is not just about the answer, but it’s also about glorifying God in the process of waiting for the answer. Oftentimes, it is through the waiting process of prayer that God prepares us for the answer He brings. In the meantime, I believe God uses this waiting period so that we can check our motives in the prayer and in our faith.

We see an example of this process of prayer in the story of Elijah in I Kings 18. Elijah climbed to the top of the mountain to pray for rain to come. As he waited for the rain, he continued to pray, believing God would answer. When he finally saw a small cloud, he told Ahab to “get ready” because the rain was coming. Elijah knew what to pray for, and God heard him the first time he prayed, but there was preparation that needed to take place in order to receive the answer to his prayer.

And it's no mistake that God waited until Elijah had prayed seven times before He answered. In the Bible, seven is the number of completion. In this portion of scripture, we see that seven represents the completion of God’s process in Elijah's time of prayer. You see, God doesn't merely want to answer our prayers; He wants to spend time with us to prepare us for the answer that will come. But too often, we want to skip over the process involved in engaging God in prayer as we wait for our answer. Yet, it is this very process of 'patient endurance' that grows us, matures us and prepares us for the answers our prayers bring. (James 1:4).

Journal/Reflection: What prayers in your life are still awaiting an answer? Could it be that we are still 'holding on' to our plan rather than submit to His? During this time of prayer/fasting, ask God to open your eyes to 'see' His hand at work, then Trust Him and thank Him for His process in your life. Remember, there's 'enlargement' happening in the waiting.