I have never seen anyone pray to a god who never hears. I have entered restaurants that have prayer idols at the entrance or at the back and I have seen others priortize many other things over God, but have not seen them pray to those things.

Elijah gives me a bird’s eye view of what it is like for followers of a fake god and how they pray.

Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since there are so many of you, you take a bull and prepare it first. Pray to your god, but don’t set fire to the wood.”

They took the bull that was brought to them, prepared it, and prayed to Baal until noon. They shouted, “Answer us, Baal!” and kept dancing around the altar they had built. But no answer came.

At noon Elijah started making fun of them: “Pray louder! He is a god! Maybe he is day-dreaming or relieving himself, or perhaps he’s gone off on a trip! Or maybe he’s sleeping, and you’ve got to wake him up!” – 1 Kings 18:25-27 GNT

These prophets of Baal obviously had a devoted prayer life – they prayed long and with passion – however, no results – no voice and no answer. They had an energetic prayer life, filled with enthusiasm and activity – all of it meant nothing.

When it was Elijah’s turn to publicly pray, he prepared himself.

Then Elijah said to the people, “Come closer to me,” and they all gathered around him. He set about repairing the altar of the Lord which had been torn down. He took twelve stones, one for each of the twelve tribes named for the sons of Jacob, the man to whom the Lord had given the name Israel. With these stones he rebuilt the altar for the worship of the Lord. He dug a trench around it, large enough to hold about four gallons of water. Then he placed the wood on the altar, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the offering and the wood.” They did so, and he said, “Do it again”—and they did. “Do it once more,” he said—and they did. The water ran down around the altar and filled the trench. – 1 Kings 18:30-35 GNT

He also called the people to come near because he wanted them to be as engaged as possible and to learn what it takes to prepare for prayer. Effectual prayer requires a correct understanding and faith. He wanted them to witness the power of prayer. Public prayer was going to be a time of encouragement and blessing.

After God immediately responds and consumes the sacrifice and the people declared God to be the one and only true God, it was time for the drought to end. Elijah began to pray for the miracle of rain. There can be a few breakthroughs that come by prayer. It becomes important for me to know that if I can see what God is doing, I need to pray that through even though others cannot see. Even if the answer may be a long way off, I need to pray that through. I pray, in faith, until I see it happening and the rain begins to fall.

Then Elijah said to King Ahab, “Now, go and eat. I hear the roar of rain approaching.” – 1 Kings 18:41 GNT

Revival is so important – it results in real change. It results in God’s presence being with me.

The name of the city from now on will be “The-Lord-Is-Here! – Ezekiel 48:35 GNT

There is a song, IT IS THE LORD WHO SENDS THE STORM, written by Christopher Idle. It describes what it looks like when God is among us.

It is the Lord who sends the storm,
to seek for those who run away;
the Lord who gives the welcome calm,
and hears despairing one who pray.

It is the Lord, who sends a whale,
wonders from land or air or sea;
his purpose always must prevail:
it is to set his people free.

It is the Lord who sends his child
to listen, speak, repent, obey;
and if too timid or too wild
he deals with me in his own way.

The Lord gives trees and worms and sun,
to warn or shelter, judge or bless;
strips us until our pride has gone
and clothes us in his righteousness.

In peace or tempest, need or wealth,
in good withheld or new-found grace,
it is our safety and our health
to find the Lord in every place.

One greater far than Jonah came;
life ended, buried, and restored:
Christ Jesus, send us in your name,
that all may know you are the Lord!

“However difficult it may sound, the hearing really precedes the
asking. It is the basis of it. It makes it real asking, the asking of Christian prayer” – Karl Barth