James 5:17
“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.”
What of Today’s Verse…
When we read that Elijah was a man subject to the same passions as ourselves, we are apt to suppose that we have the clue to the driving force of his life. But Scripture shows that the results of his wonderful career were achieved, not by his passion, but by his prayer! Elijah, though capable of the same vehement earnestness with which we are all endowed, refused to accomplish his life-work by the employment of lower energies, but set himself to obtain the results he desired, through prayer. He was a man of like passions with ourselves, but he prayed earnestly. He turned his passion into prayer.
There was no salient element of a strong nature of which his was destitute. There was the passion of patriotism, as when he was prepared even to witness the sufferings of his people, if these would bring them back to God; of tenderness, as when he bore the dead body of the child to his room; of righteousness, as when he slew the false prophets; of love for Nature, as when he fled into the wilderness to die; of devotion to God’s glory, as when he cried, “I have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts.” All these passions dwelt strongly within his breast, but if he had relied on them alone, his life-work would have faded as the mirage on the glistening sand.
There is a marvellous contagion in vehement feeling. As a tiny pith-ball, light as a feather, by continually impinging on a suspended bar of iron, will make it move, so one soul can move others. The brain is able to create waves of thought, and the heart waves of emotion. But we must learn to secure through God results which some try to achieve by the energy of their own nature. Let us pray more. Let us seek to be filled with a passionate love to our Lord Jesus, and to the world of men—with a love so hot that the most passionate words of St. Bernard or Faber may not seem extravagant. Then let us divert the glowing metal into the mould of prayer–which may express itself in an intense silence of intercession, or with strong crying and tears. At least let us not dare to be tepid and apathetic in the midst of this wonderful universe which is electric with living energy! (Rev_3:15-16.)
Let us Pray:
O Christ, who baptizes with fire, kindle in our hearts the flame of Thy love, that we may not be lukewarm or cold. We would not trust in the force of our emotions, lest they fail us, but in the power of prayer and of Thine intercession for us. Amen.
Words of Wisdom
Protected
God is my source, my strength and my shield.
Feelings of insecurity may creep up on me from time to time. If so, I take a moment to observe the thoughts behind my feelings. Rather than dwell on what might go wrong, I choose to focus on God’s powerful, protecting presence within and around me.
With each slow, deep breath, I am filled with peace. God is greater than my fears, and I am God’s beloved. I call upon divine strength and feel my strength increasing.
In any situation, God is mighty in the midst of me, lifting my spirits and calming my mind. God is my source, my strength and my shield. I am grateful for a peaceful heart, as I know I am always safe in God’s presence.
“This God–his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” –2 Samuel 22:31
