Category Archives: Elijah Prayed

The Spirit and The Bride saying, “Come”

First and Last Mentions of “Spirit” in Bible

Let’s look at the first mention of the word, “Spirit” in the entire Bible, and then let’s look at the last mention. The first mention of the word, “Spirit” should be in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. Sure enough, in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, in the second verse, we have the first mention of “spirit” in the Bible.  The first verse of Genesis talks about creation, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Verse 2 begins with the words, “And the earth was without form and void…” It seems like something was wrong on the earth or it was just ready for creation at that point. Then it says that the Spirit of God brooded or hovered over the face of the waters. Here you have the first mention of the Spirit in the Bible. This is a very unique passage.  Here was God with the Heavens and the earth.  God wanted to do something. The earth needed something.  Bible scholars look at Genesis one in different ways.  Many scholars say that Genesis 1:1ff is talking about the original creation. Others say, “No, the original creation was described in Genesis 1:1, and then what follows in Genesis 1:2ff is a restoration.”  I really don’t want to get into that point right now because Bible scholars who love the Lord and who handle the Bible properly come to two different conclusions about that point.  I don’t believe either viewpoint dishonors the Word of God.  Both viewpoints could be argued.

In Genesis 1:2, you have the Spirit of God coming on the scene. Here, in Genesis 1:2, God is about to do something. God is about to do the original creation or He is about to restore things. What happens first?  Verse 2 says the Spirit of God was hovering or brooding over the situation. In our experience as Christians, many times, when God is about to do something, the Spirit of God will come in and prepare our hearts for what God wants to do.  God was going to do some very dramatic things on earth by creating plant and animal life, as well as man. The Spirit of God comes on the scene.  This is the first mention in the entire Bible of the word, “Spirit”.  This Spirit, here, is referring to the divine Spirit, the Holy Spirit, or he Spirit of God.

The Spirit and The Bride saying, “Come”

Let’s go to the end of the Bible. The last book of the Bible is the book of Revelation. In the last chapter of that book, chapter 22, we have several mentions of the word, “Spirit”. I believe that the last verse that mentions the Spirit of God is verse 17 and it says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” This is the last mention of the word, “Spirit” in the Bible. Here, actually, it is a call or a cry, or an invitation to come. It is not just the Spirit, but the Spirit and the Bride saying, “Come.”  Come to what? Come to the living waters.  This is the last mention of the term, “Spirit” in the Bible, and we find it in the last chapter of the last book, the book of Revelation.  In Genesis 1:2 we saw that the Spirit of God was brooding over the situation before God created.  We also looked at the last verse that mentions the Spirit in the Bible in the book of Revelation. There the Spirit and Bride say, “Come.”  So we have covered the first and the last.

Praying with God or God Praying with Us

Sometimes when we pray, it is hard to know who is initiating the prayer.  Is it us or God.  In Romans 8:26, Paul says the Spirit help us to pray.  But sometimes we are seeing a need and start praying.  Other times it seems we sense a need for prayer for someone or something. And then there is times we are with others and they initiate the prayer.

Sunset over the Columbia River

Sunset over the Columbia River

We are praying and asking God for the prayer of God.  Consider what Jesus talks about in John 15:7.   If you are one with the Lord, you are obeying the Lord, you are abiding in the Lord, and His Word is dwelling in you, then you are one with the Lord, and what the Lord wants to pray, you want to pray, what the Lord wants to ask the Father through your prayer, you want to ask the Father.  So who is really praying here?  Is it us praying or is it God praying?  It is kind of hard to understand.

Mount Hood, Oregon

Mount Hood, Oregon

The Example of Elijah in the book of James

James was a man of prayer.  In fact, James 5 talks about a similar principle. The last part of verse 16 says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Then James goes on to talk about Elijah.  Verse 17, “Elijah was a man subject to like passions…” He was a man, just like we are. He had feelings just like you and I have. Then it says, “And he prayed earnestly” or the literal Greek is, “He prayed in prayer” or, “He prayed in his prayer”.  It is kind of a strange construction in the English. “He was a man of like passions as we are, and he prayed in prayer that it might not rain”. In other words, Elijah had an experience, here, of not praying his own prayer, but praying the prayer of God. You could say he prayed the prayer that God put on his heart, or prayed the prayer that God burdened him with.  Here Elijah was praying the prayer of God.

Columbia River, Oregon and Washington

Columbia River, Oregon and Washington

The Prayer Example of Young Samuel in the Old Testament

We have another prayer example of Samuel in the Old Testament.  This is the story of Samuel as a young boy.  He was learning how to serve God and how to do the things of God. He was just beginning, or barely beginning to hear the voice of God.  At one point, he thought Eli, the priest, was calling him, but he eventually learned that it was the Lord who was speaking to him. The phrase that Samuel repeated back to the Lord at this point was, “Speak Lord, for your servant hears.” In other words, Samuel had the attitude that whatever God would speak, he would hear, and whatever God asked him to do, he would do.

Columbia River, Oregon and Washington

Columbia River, Oregon and Washington

Does God Still Love Us When We are Depressed?

Many times we get low, and God really cares. God does not condemn us when we are low or even depressed. He loves us and cares for us. We need to bring our troubles to God. God is gracious to us when we fail.

Here is a short devotional video on “Does God Still Love us When We are Depressed?”

In the Bible, God, the author does not hide the fact that many people get low or depressed. Consider Elijah, who had a great victory and wonderful miracle at Mount Carmel. Then soon after he was harassed by someone and hid because he was low and depressed. God did not make him feel bad, but instead God found a way to get Elijah some bread to lift him up. I am really not sure why Elijah got so low and almost panicked.

Then there is King David in the Old Testament who many times got low and depressed. When we read the Psalms, the writers many times, especially David, how they were depressed, despondent and just low. David in the Psalms does not hide his feelings, but confesses them to God and brings them to God. David learned how to bring his troubles to God.

Sometimes we are so low we almost (or do) panic.  God is very gracious to us when we fail. So just bring your troubles and depression to God. God still loves us when we are low or depressed.

God and Depression

God and Depression

Psalm 18:6  In my distress I called upon the Lord,
and cried unto my God:
he heard my voice out of his temple,
and my cry came before him, even into his ears

God and Depression

God and Depression

God still loves us.

We need to bring our troubles and depression to God.

We need to bring our troubles and depression to God.

Hard Events Help us Grow in God

Hard events of life help us grow in God. Faith is tested by the events of life. Everything is under the hand of God, both the easy and the hard.

Hard events help us grow in God

Hard events help us grow in God

Almost every person mentioned in the Bible had difficult times. God used every event to bring this person more in the faith and belief of God. God became more real through every situation. At one point the Bible seems just a good book about God, but events in life will make the Bible become part of our life and living.

Insecurities help us grow in Faith

Insecurities help us grow in Faith

Even material insecurities help us grow in Faith.

Consider Elijah in the Old Testament who went through various situations to prove to him that God is real and present, and that God actually cares for what is going on in life. At one point a brook that Elijah was near dried up.  What was he to do. Well, God provided for him. He just needed to keep his eyes on God.  The dried up brook helped Elijah to trust in God for His provision.  God eventually provided, but not in the way Elijah expected.

The providence of God in our lives is sometimes the best education we can get in the ways of God. Even Peter in the New Testament got distracted with something he thought would be great, but God needed to teach him a lesson in looking at Jesus and not being distracted. Consider the points in this video about “Listen to Jesus”.

Peter was the top, number one disciple of Jesus, but he had a lot to learn. It seems he was always being corrected by Jesus. Hard things and hard words helped him grow in faith.

It’s so easy to get distracted with great religious things. Jesus is the main subject and focus of the New Testament. Even the chosen disciples like Peter could get distracted with doing something “great” for God and miss the Son of God, Jesus, who was standing right there.

So watch this short video on “Listen to Jesus”

In Matthew 17,  Jesus takes His top three disciples up to a mountain, and there Jesus was transfigured or glorified. He probably looked like He might appear in heaven. His top three disciples were Peter, James and John. Peter had a great idea, but God did not agree with the idea and so God spoke from the heavens. God said “This is my beloved Son, Hear Him“. Too many times we have a “great idea” for God. But many times God does not agree and may speak to us and tell us to just “Listen to Jesus”. So how do we “listen to Jesus”, the easiest and best way is to just read the Bible.

Jesus Prays for Us – Encouragement to Go on with Christ

Encouragement to go on with Jesus – that could also be the title of the book of Hebrews.

Jesus is praying for us to be encouraged to move forward with Him.

The author of Hebrews is trying to get the readers to get moving in a positive direction toward Jesus. The writer of Hebrews did not want the believers to go back, shrink back or accidentally fall back to an older way of tradition and legalism. So this verse mentions that Jesus is praying for us. Jesus is praying for us to be encouraged to move forward with Him.

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. So have confidence in Jesus’ prayer for us.

In the New Testament,  everything focuses around Jesus. Jesus is the focus and the way to God. There is no other way.

Here is a short devotional video on “Jesus Prays for Us”

The word “uttermost” indicates the salvation Jesus gives us handles everything, so we can have complete confidence He will bring us to full complete maturity,  and not let us slide back to an old dead way such as legalism.

The phrase “He is able also to save” means that Jesus, because He is fully God and fully man, has the ability to save us and free us from sin. Here “save” is not just saving from Hell, but saving us from a sinful life.

The phrase “come unto God by Him” indicates that Jesus is the mediator between us and God. God is Holy and we are sinful. How could we touch or pray to the holy God except by Jesus, who because of His perfect sacrifice, on the cross fully made a way for us to come to God.

The phrase “He ever liveth to make intercession“, means He is constantly praying for us. Don’t worry,  Jesus is praying for us. He knows our every need.

I believe Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, but I could be wrong. Many students of the Bible do not agree that Paul wrote it. Some think Paul wrote it and some do not think he wrote it. To my realization the level of understanding of the place of the Old and New Testament, and the understanding of the unique place Jesus has in God’s overall plan and economy dictates that a very well Bible educated and understanding person wrote this book of Hebrews.

The New Testament represents a transition in what God expects and demands. In the Old Testament it was keeping the law, in the New Testament it is believing on Jesus. So we move from legalism to grace.

It is my theory that the letter of Hebrews would be better received by believers in Paul’s day if it was not perceived to have been written by Paul. This is just my theory.

A great transitional verse is John 1:17 where John says: For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. So we move from the “law” to “grace”. So which writer/author of the Bible really understood this and could express it as we see in the book of Hebrews. I think only Paul, but I realize there are other considerations.

Paul had the best understanding of the transition to the new and could wade through the Old Testament Jewish ceremonial law (given by Moses) and interpret in in light of what Jesus did on the cross.  Please look at Romans 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.  Again here we see the law is not able to save man, so God sent His son. Trying to keep the law and legalism will not take us on to maturity in our Christian life. Only grace takes us on.

Also Paul said this in Galatians 2:20  Christ liveth in me:and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Paul was so clear the new way is just Jesus. The new way is not a compromise between the old and new,  and not something added to the old. It is just Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them

This verse in Hebrews indicates that Jesus is praying for us to go on with Jesus and not go back or compromise to an older way such as the law or legalism.

Jesus Prays for Us – Encouragement to Go on with Christ

Jesus Prays for Us – Encouragement to Go on with Christ

Be Encouraged.

God Helps Us Pray

God Helps Us Pray

Here are three key verses in the Bible showing us how God helps us pray.  Even Elijah the great prophet in the Old Testament was weak like us, and many times had trouble knowing how to pray. In James 5, James describes Elijah as a man with “like passions” which means he has feelings and weaknesses like us. So don’t feel bad when you or I feel like we don’t know how to pray, or even don’t want to pray. Elijah had very similar feelings.

In this video I present three key verses in the Bible indicating how God helps us pray.

John 15:7
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Hebrews 7:25
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Prayer is Simple

Prayer is Simple

We hate to admit it, but we are pretty good at taking simple things and making them hard. The same is true when it comes to prayer. Our prayers don’t need to be eloquent or profound, nor do they have to be long and drawn out, or filled with emotion.

Deer in the trees

Deer in the trees

Prayer is really nothing more than a conversation between the believer and his God. When we come to the Father in prayer, we should come with a heartfelt attitude of humility and complete dependence upon Him. We should acknowledge that He is the Shepherd, and we are the sheep.

In this video I present three key verses in the Bible indicating how God helps us pray.

We often know what we want when we approach God in prayer, but surprisingly often we don’t know what we need. We can always trust God, and be confident that He knows exactly what we need, and what is best for us in every circumstance of life. This is true whether we are experiencing a mountaintop of joy, or the depths of darkness and despair. He seeks His glory and desires to make us more like Jesus. What more should we desire?

Mount Hood, Oregon from 30,000 feet

Mount Hood, Oregon from 30,000 feet

Admittedly there are times we come to God overwhelmed with anxiety, and full of confusion—so much so, that we don’t even know how to pray. At those moments, Romans 8:26 teaches us that God’s Spirit intercedes and prays for us in perfect conformity with the Father’s will.

Jesus Prayed

Jesus Prayed

California Beach

California Beach

It’s so simple. Let God pray through you just like Elijah allowed God to pray through him. When we do this, you could say we are actually praying the Lord’s prayer—not the familiar prayer in Matthew 6 we have come to know as the Lord’s Prayer, but we are simply praying what God wants us to pray.

California Beach

California Beach

Elijah Believed God

Elijah Believed God

Statue of Elijah on Mount Carmel where Elijah Prayed in Israel

Statue of Elijah on Mount Carmel where Elijah Prayed in Israel

ELIJAH:

  • Had great confidence in God, and was not intimated by enemies
  • Did, at times, become depressed and discouraged
  • Believed in the one true God of the Bible and rejected all other gods
  • Obeyed God
  • Performed miracles in God’s power
  • Offered prayer that brought fire down from heaven and controlled the rain
  • Prayed in accordance with God’s will
  • Was a true servant of the Lord
  • Did not have his own agenda
  • Followed God’s leading step-by-step
  • Was an example of a righteous man whose prayers God heard

It is important to remember that the power of prayer comes not from the one who prays, or from the way he or she prays. The power of prayer is in the omnipotent God to whom prayer is directed. God is the power behind prayer. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and yet  he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three and a half years. He prayed again, and a faithful God gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

Jezreel Valley north of Mount Carmel where Elijah Prayed in Israel

Jezreel Valley north of Mount Carmel where Elijah Prayed in Israel

Later we will discuss the parallel between the Lord’s Prayer and Elijah’s ministry, and also examine a quick history of Elijah in the Old Testament.