DEVOTION ~GLORY REVEALED IN PRAYER

Theme: Glory Revealed in Prayer

Text: 1 Kings 17:17-24

17 Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him. 18 So she said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?”

19 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?” 21 And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” 22 Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives!” 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth.”

Serving God does not mean you're challenge free or less burdened by struggles. You're likely to meet these troubles but if you look on to God, you're come out with ease. Elijah now stays with the widow whom God had prepared to feed him in the season of drought when the Brook got dried. Unfortunately, the child of the woman became ill and died.

When you're faced with a challenge in life, what comes into your mind might be the reason for the predicament? Some choose to see it as God punishing them for their sins (which usually has been the norm in ancient days) but let's see God's glory at work in every challenge that comes our way. The disciples desired to know if the gentleman born blind was as a result of his parents' sins or himself. Jesus answered it is for the power of God to be revealed (John 9:1-3). The widow also believed Elijah had brought judgement upon her for her sins in verse eighteen. When you're down, don't always be hard on yourself likewise, when others are in pain, let your heart and mouth speak good tidings in their situations avoid condemning them.

Elijah did what we should be doing when faced with a challenge. Take the trouble to God. He took the child and head up in secret to pray. This is the kind of prayer Jesus approved of in Matthew 6:6  "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." Elijah could have just done it in the open, but he decided to pray instead in the upper room. Is your prayer life well defined according to God's plan? Don't make a show of your prayer life.

You can question God in prayer but not arrogantly. Prayer must be backed with faith and patience. Elijah stretched on the child three times and cried unto the Lord. Dear beloved in the Lord, you might having been trusting God for an answered prayer, but don't be discouraged. Keep the prayer going up for God is going to use your answer to proof His glory to the world. For all this while, the woman didn't really believed Elijah as a man of God but rather a food provider. So the death of her son made her see God's glory in Elijah when her child was revived. Don't give up on prayer, your miracle will be a wow to be celebrated by even those who never trusted you will make it in life.

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for boosting up my prayer life with your Word. Help me to always come before your presence in humility and with good intent. Holy Spirit divine, touch my tongue to know what to say in prayer for God's glory to be revealed in Jesus' name have I prayed. AMEN!