Text: James 5:13-20
“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.” —James 5:17
Doug RM is a 1980 Boxomatic Coach RV in the Pixar film Cars, who resides in Redneck Hill. He is a Piston Cup fanatic, which means he knows a thing or two about racing. Toward the end of the movie, as Bob Cutlass and Darrell Cartrip are bewildered by the way hotshot rookie Lightning McQueen helps veteran Strip “The King” Weathers cross the finish line after getting wrecked, Doug RM says it best:
“Now that’s what I call racing right there!”
Now, wait a minute. They had already been “racing” for a long time. The entire event encompassed racing. But what made that one lap any different than the previous three hundred monotonous laps of “go fast, turn left” in the eyes of Doug RM? Something clutch was happening within the broader term of racing which signified RM’s concept of real heartfelt racing. In that last lap, there was an “animated” moment (no pun intended) of inspired racing which transcended the “predictable” routine of racing. So, there is the repetitive activity of racing, but then there is the rarer intensity of racing.
In Hebrew, repeating a word can often signify a strong emphasis. For example, “He prayed with prayer” is considered a Hebraism, which essentially translates to “he prayed fervently”—implying there is not just prayerful activity, but prayerful intensity. In James 5, this language is used to describe how “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man” can accomplish much.
James uses Elijah as an illustration of how “a man with a nature like ours” could have the powerful prayer life of “a righteous person.” In the context of a drought in 1 Kings 17–18, and a punishment on King Ahab and Israel for idolatry, Elijah “prayed fervently” that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. “Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.”
Some English translations of the Bible say that Elijah prayed “fervently.” Others render it “earnestly,” or “intensely.” Then there are those who translate it from the Hebraism: “with prayer he prayed that it might not rain upon the earth, and it rained not for three years and six months.” The repetition itself signifies the intensity, somewhat like our fictional friend Doug RM can see racing within the racing, distinguishing the contrast of the activity itself with the intensity of the activity.
James wants his readers to be characterized by a prayer life of fervor and intensity, not just prayers that are routine, apathetic, or dispassionate. Thus, he chose Elijah as the model of an earnest prayer warrior who was answered by God. His effectiveness in prayer extended even to the weather! This shows that Elijah’s heart was in tune with God’s heart. He boldly prayed what he already understood to be the will of God. He prayed for the rain to stop and start only because he sensed it was in the heart of God in His dealings with Israel.
Fervent prayer is about knowing the heart of God and praying God’s will with confidence. Once Elijah knew the will of God, he prayed earnestly until he saw the answer. Like we might realize in our own experiences, Elijah knew that answers don’t always come immediately. But that didn’t dissuade him from praying with intensity. He knew that we must pray until we see the breakthrough.
What does it look like for you to pray fervently over every realm in your life—for your marriage to glorify God, for your children to walk with the Lord, for your church to penetrate the darkness in your community, for your everyday work to reveal a gospel-dominated faith and character, for your neighbors to come to know Jesus? What if you prayed intensely on the confidence that “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9)? Think about that as you seek to abide in Him.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, teach us how to be a person like Elijah, with the kind of effectual prayer life that is in tune with your heart and boldly anticipates spiritual breakthroughs. Holy Spirit, mature our faith so that our prayers reveal more of Christ’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Questions for Personal Reflection and Group Discussion:
- Think about a time when God didn’t answer your prayers the way you wanted. How did it feel? Now, think about a time when God answered your prayer in a way that was better than you could have imagined. How did that feel?
- Read James 5:17-18. To fully understand the story of Elijah we must look back to his life. Take some time in your group to read 1 Kings 17 and 18. After reading these stories about Elijah, what most stands out to you about his life?
- James said that Elijah was a man just like us. Elijah prayed earnestly and God answered his prayers. How does Elijah’s prayer life encourage you? Are there times that you give up on praying and resign yourself to apathy in your prayers?
- The letter of James ends with a reminder to reach those who are living a life of sin. Read James 5:19-20. Share about the person who told you about Jesus. Who is God inviting you to share your faith with? What will that take?
Text: James 5:13-20
“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.” —James 5:17
Doug RM is a 1980 Boxomatic Coach RV in the Pixar film Cars, who resides in Redneck Hill. He is a Piston Cup fanatic, which means he knows a thing or two about racing. Toward the end of the movie, as Bob Cutlass and Darrell Cartrip are bewildered by the way hotshot rookie Lightning McQueen helps veteran Strip “The King” Weathers cross the finish line after getting wrecked, Doug RM says it best:
“Now that’s what I call racing right there!”
Now, wait a minute. They had already been “racing” for a long time. The entire event encompassed racing. But what made that one lap any different than the previous three hundred monotonous laps of “go fast, turn left” in the eyes of Doug RM? Something clutch was happening within the broader term of racing which signified RM’s concept of real heartfelt racing. In that last lap, there was an “animated” moment (no pun intended) of inspired racing which transcended the “predictable” routine of racing. So, there is the repetitive activity of racing, but then there is the rarer intensity of racing.
In Hebrew, repeating a word can often signify a strong emphasis. For example, “He prayed with prayer” is considered a Hebraism, which essentially translates to “he prayed fervently”—implying there is not just prayerful activity, but prayerful intensity. In James 5, this language is used to describe how “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man” can accomplish much.
James uses Elijah as an illustration of how “a man with a nature like ours” could have the powerful prayer life of “a righteous person.” In the context of a drought in 1 Kings 17–18, and a punishment on King Ahab and Israel for idolatry, Elijah “prayed fervently” that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. “Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.”
Some English translations of the Bible say that Elijah prayed “fervently.” Others render it “earnestly,” or “intensely.” Then there are those who translate it from the Hebraism: “with prayer he prayed that it might not rain upon the earth, and it rained not for three years and six months.” The repetition itself signifies the intensity, somewhat like our fictional friend Doug RM can see racing within the racing, distinguishing the contrast of the activity itself with the intensity of the activity.
James wants his readers to be characterized by a prayer life of fervor and intensity, not just prayers that are routine, apathetic, or dispassionate. Thus, he chose Elijah as the model of an earnest prayer warrior who was answered by God. His effectiveness in prayer extended even to the weather! This shows that Elijah’s heart was in tune with God’s heart. He boldly prayed what he already understood to be the will of God. He prayed for the rain to stop and start only because he sensed it was in the heart of God in His dealings with Israel.
Fervent prayer is about knowing the heart of God and praying God’s will with confidence. Once Elijah knew the will of God, he prayed earnestly until he saw the answer. Like we might realize in our own experiences, Elijah knew that answers don’t always come immediately. But that didn’t dissuade him from praying with intensity. He knew that we must pray until we see the breakthrough.
What does it look like for you to pray fervently over every realm in your life—for your marriage to glorify God, for your children to walk with the Lord, for your church to penetrate the darkness in your community, for your everyday work to reveal a gospel-dominated faith and character, for your neighbors to come to know Jesus? What if you prayed intensely on the confidence that “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9)? Think about that as you seek to abide in Him.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, teach us how to be a person like Elijah, with the kind of effectual prayer life that is in tune with your heart and boldly anticipates spiritual breakthroughs. Holy Spirit, mature our faith so that our prayers reveal more of Christ’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Questions for Personal Reflection and Group Discussion: