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Changing Your Seasons
1 Kings 18:41-46
41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, 43 and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.” 44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ” 45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. 46 Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
Introduction:
Elijah had announced 3 years before that it was his word the stopped rain and only his word could start it again. 1 Kings 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” He was referring to the power of his prayers, the words that he had spoken to the Lord (James 5:17-18). “17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.”
Who is Elijah:
A brief biography was given about him. I want you know that even if you have got a brief biography, your words matter. Your words can live. The bible only tells us that he was a Tishbite, who was of the habitants of Gilead. He is introduced in 1 Kings 17:1. His name means Jehovah is my God. He was a striking character from the highlands of Gilead. Jehovah sent him to deal with the awful worship of Baal during the reign of Ahab who had married the wicked foreign princess Jezebel. Suddenly emerging from the desert and standing before the corrupt king in the splendor of his court, the stern prophet said ““As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” He was the most outstanding of the prophets. God gave him power to shut up the heavens and there was no rain for three and a half years. He was man of great courage and zeal. He called down fire from heaven before the prophets of Baal at Mt Carmel. He triumphed and destroyed all 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Ashera who were serving at the table of Jezebel. He was an evangelist of his day, thundering out warnings to idolatrous people. The events in his career are fascinating. He is glorious raptured into heaven. He also re-appears on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt 17:1-8).
Body – How to Change Your Seasons:
1. Sanctification (1 Kings 18:1-40): Elijah had build and repaired the altar before changing the seasons. He killed and destroyed all the prophets of Baal and Ashera. We need to ask for sanctification before we change our seasons
2. The power of the Tongue (v41): In order to change our season there is a time we need to speak things that are not there (our desires) as if they are already there.. We need to prophecy to the dry bones to receive life. We need to prophecy for the power of God to takeover in Jesus name. It doesn’t matter, even if the situation is speaking something opposite. Heb 11:1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Solomon says in Proverbs 18:20-21 A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Eat and enjoy the fruit of your tongue, lips and mouth. It's eatable and enjoyable (Heb 1:2-3).
3. By Prayer (v42): It had been a long day for Ahab and Elijah sent him to his retainers to get something eat. Elijah went to the top of Mt Carmel to pray and ask God to send much needed rain. Unlike the answer to prayer at the altar, the answer to this prayer did not come at once.
He did not settle because he got the answer of his first prayer easily; when he first prayed on the altar. He didn’t settle because he was once fed with ravens (birds) at the brook of Cherith. He did not settle though he had been fed in the house of the widow at Zarephath.
Seven times Elijah sent his servant to look towards the Mediterranean sea and report any indications of storm gatherings and six of those the servant reported nothing. The posture he took in prayer indicated the prophet's humility, his concern for the people and his burden for the glory of the Lord. The posture showed his submission to God. We all need to be humble before and love people. When we love people, it's easy to love the Lord. May our burden be for the glory of the Lord.
Just imagine you send some already with a good report and they are excepting rain and you prayed six times there is no sign of rain what will you do?
4. Be persistence, continue to watch and pray: The Prophet didn’t give up and prayed a seventh time, and the servant saw a tiny cloud coming from the sea. The persistence that Elijah did is a good example for us to be persistent and continue to watch for everything that we are praying for. We should continue to intercede until the Lord send the answer. The prophet didn’t give up but he prayed the seventh time until he saw a tiny cloud from the sea. Let’s continue to PUSH; praying until something happen. Our life should be a life of fire we carry the fire of God in us. Do you know that, our lives is a life anointed power. We all need to let it and treat every threat as an opportunity.
5. By Faith: The little cloud wasn’t a storm, but it was the sign of the rain that was to come. Elijah commanded the King to mount his chariot and return to his palace in Jezreel as soon as possible. Let us build faith on all the tiny clouds in our lives. Thank the Lord for little cloud because it’s a storm. Believe the Lord for the little because it was not there, he made it. Trust him for heavy rain of the little cloud.
The bible does not tell us how Elijah broke the news to Jezebel that Baal had been publicly humiliated and declared to be a false god, the prophets of Baal that she supported had been slain. Neither the drought and famine brought Ahad and Jezebel to repentance. Even if some people see miracle in your life don’t think they will repent, they will continue to hardened. The fire from heaven and the rain did not change their hearts. Rev 9:20-21 20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (Rev 16:8-11). With all the evidence, notwithstanding Jezebel wanted to kill Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-2).
6. Be Positive Speaking even if there is a delay (v44):
7. By the Word (v44): So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ” Soon the heaven were black with clouds and great torrent rain begin to fall on the ground. The Lord not only proved that He was the true and living God, but He also put His approval on the ministry of His servant Elijah. Elijah had neither chariots nor retainers to drive them but he did have the power of the Lord and he ran ahead of Ahab and reached Jezreel ahead od of King, a distance of 17 miles. He was old, he had no horses but yet he arrived early before the Kings. May the Lord give you supernatural speed in everything that you doing even if you were thinking you are at a disadvantage.
8. Know that the Lord seriously cares for you; You are special: God had chastened His people with drought and famine but had cared for His special servant Elijah (1 Kings 17).
9. Never Panic, no matter what the circumstance might be; Fear Not:
God sent fire from heaven to prove that he was the true God. Now He had answered the prayer of His prophet and sent rain to water the Land. You would think that Elijah would be at his best spiritually and able to face anything but the next chapter record just the opposite. Never Panic, no matter what the circumstance might be; Fear Not, God is with you.
Conclusion
If there is anything that have been chasing you, I want to command by fire by thunder. We want and should pray for every tiny cloud to become thicker and to produce rain. We should pray for every boisterous wind which is not God, and have got potential to carry the clouds and delay our rains or showers of blessings. We should cancel every negativity over our lives in Jesus' name right now. The devil is a liar.
Keep on trusting the Lord. Pray with expectancy, pray like you mean it. Your prayers have got power. “When a believing person prays, great things happen.” Prayer should not be our last resort, but our first step and constant practice. God has power like we’ve never seen, and strength we’ve never known let’s keep on praying and God will answer our prayers.
Our prayers have power – that is God’s promise to us, so let’s keep on praying without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17)