Elijah had said to King Ahab in 1 Kings 18:41 “Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” Before Elijah saw the rain he heard it. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Elijah’s spiritual ears could hear the heavy rain and that was enough for him to begin acting in faith.He was in effect saying to the King, “Relax, everything is about to change around here.”
Sometimes faith is demonstrated by doing the ordinary things, getting on with business and trusting God will do the work. Elijah went to the top of the mountain and he began to pray. Let me say at this point that Elijah could have picked many places to pray, but he picked the place which reminded him of the great victory that had just been accomplished.
God had shown up in that place and answered by fire. The entire nation had been stirred to repentance and faith in God; the demonic strongholds had been broken and the enemy had been defeated. Elijah understood the importance of standing in victory and praying from a place of victory.
I remember a story that Dr T.L. Osborn told a group of us, at his office, a few years back. He was conducting a Gospel event in Africa and there were witchdoctors there, calling down curses on him and the team. Some of the Pastors wanted to pray for him but he responded, “When I come to town, the devil runs.”
Dr T.L. Osborn understood the victory Christ had accomplished and his mindset and faith were aligned with that victory. He understood that in the Christian life, the place where you should start everything, is the place where Christ finished everything.
Today, you may be faced with impossibility. The circumstances of life and the attacks of the enemy may be bearing down on you. I want to encourage you to spend some time focussing on the finished work of Christ. I want to encourage you to stand firm in Jesus’ finished work and victory. Refuse to allow anything to move you from that place. That’s the place of salvation and breakthrough; that’s the place where miracles happen.
Elijah began to pray from that place of victory and 1 Kings 18:43 says “He said to his servant go up now, and look towards the sea.” He went up and looked, and said “there is nothing” He said “Go again” seven times.” It can be very discouraging when we don’t see the immediate fruit and results of our prayers. Elijah knew that he knew that he had heard from God and so he persisted!
So many times, in ministry, I have had people come and ask me why nothing happened when they prayed or stepped out in faith. My response is, “We know that Jesus said ‘It is finished.’ and he meant it! Everything was finished on that Cross, just keep praying, keep believing and acting in faith.”
There are no secret formulas to God’s miracle intervention. The only things we are to do is stand upon Christ’s finished work and believe. Sure, it can be discouraging when we see no signs of change on the horizon. But if God has spoken, sooner or later you’re going to see a cloud the size of a man’s hand rising in the distance (1 Kings 18:44).
As soon as that cloud came up, that was the sign Elijah was looking for, it was the tip of the iceberg! He said, “Go up, tell Ahab, ‘Get ready and go down, so that the rain doesn’t stop you.'” In a little while, the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rose, and went to Jezreel. (1 Kings 18:44-45) A heavy rain began to fall over the land breaking the drought, misery and suffering over that nation.
When Jesus rose from the dead, He said to his disciples in Acts 1:4 “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me.” Jesus had just accomplished the greatest victory in human history. He defeated death, hell the grave and all the forces of darkness, at the Cross.
From that place of victory, He began to prepare His disciples for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit that was to come. I want to encourage you that because of Jesus’ victory, something powerful and wonderful is about to happen in your life.
As you stand in Christ’s finished work, you can expect mighty breakthroughs to flow from that place! Maybe today you have become a little discouraged because you have seen nothing on the horizon, but today I just want to encourage you to continue to believe.
Maybe you have experienced some areas of drought in your life, but because of what Christ has accomplished, because of His great victory, you have a place to pray and believe for a mighty outpouring of God’s Spirit. Keep standing in Christ’s victory, your breakthrough is on its way!
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