Elijah was a prophet. He stood against a wicked king and his wicked wife, and against all the corrupt culture around him. He prayed, and it stopped raining for three years. He prayed, and it rained again. He called down fire from heaven. Elijah was also human. James tells us he “was a man just like us” (James 5:17). He is someone to emulate. He prayed with fervency. He followed God’s word in faith. Elijah was willing to lay his life down. He was willing to say YES to God. God is calling us to be modern day Elijahs. God is looking for people who will say yes to Him, people who are willing to say no to themselves and say yes to Him. Are we willing for God to use us?
D.L. Moody famously said, “The world has yet to see what God will do with a man who is fully consecrated to Him.” Notice he says will do, not can do. Many of us don’t believe we can make an impact in the Kingdom of God. We hear the message with our ears, but do we believe it in our hearts? Be careful to believe the truth of the Holy Spirit instead of the lies of the enemy. The lie of the enemy is always telling us what we can’t do, but Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice” (Jn 10:27). The truth of the Holy Spirits says, “You are significant. You are important. Your contribution does matter to the kingdom. You can make a difference. You can make an impact.” He already prepared a ministry for every one of us to do. Ephesians 2:10 tells us. “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
I’ll be a fire starter. I’m willing to do what it takes. I’m willing to lay all down on the altar. When you do that, God takes your words very seriously. If you want to be an Elijah that is what it is going to take:
- If we dare to be an Elijah, we need to be aware of the source of our strength. Every great man and woman of God knew this. Supernatural strength has a supernatural source. If you try to do God’s business in your own strength, through your own self-effort, you will fall on your face. You can’t accomplish what God has for you unless you learn to flow from His strength. Elijah was able to continually draw on God’s strength. Ephesians 6:10 says we are to “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” This means continually drawing strength from the Lord and His resources. There are two sources: His person and His resources. We can draw strength from the word, prayer, and fasting. May our eyes be enlightened to know “the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Eph 1:18-19).
- We must learn that God is always THERE. There is wherever God sends you, and in whatever circumstance you find yourself. You will always find Him there. There could be in the marketplace. It might be at home. It might be visiting at the hospitals. “There” could be different for each one of us, but wherever it is, you will find God. It will always be a place of promise, a place of provision and power.
- Learn to take one step at a time. This is a simple principle, but it’s a hard one to learn. If we are going to walk into our destiny with the Lord, we need to take one step at a time. We want to know the whole picture, but God doesn’t work that way. He will give you the vison, and you have to take the first step. Often, the revelation of the second step will not come until you have taken the first step. We keep moving forward trusting He is walking beside us.
- Learn to trust in God absolutely. Elijah learned to trust God when the resources went down, when the attacks came, when he needed help, when he was praying for rain, when he was facing the prophets of Baal on the mountain, when he needed fire to come down from heaven. We need to trust God in every situation, no matter how big or small it is. Trust that He is the one who helps us, and changes every situation.
- We must learn to value the hidden life. Elijah sat by the brook drawing strength, getting refreshed in the presence of the Lord. This is probably the most important point, not only for those in ministry, but for every believer. We must learn to have the hidden, intimate time with the Lord. Take time to be alone with Him.
We must be willing to prepare the way of the Lord. It is our responsibility to prepare the way for His return. Our prayer should be, “Let me be a voice crying out just as John the Baptist cried out. Lord, I’m willing to be a forerunner. I’m willing to stand in opposition to the world around me as Elijah opposed wickedness. I’m willing to stand for truth and righteousness. I’m willing to pray fervent, effectual prayers. I’m willing to light the fires of revival.”
—Tom Jones