Romans has another throwback, this time to Elijah.

God has not rejected his people, whom he chose from the beginning. You know what the scripture says in the passage where Elijah pleads with God against Israel: “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me.” What answer did God give him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not worshiped the false god Baal.” It is the same way now: there is a small number left of those whom God has chosen because of his grace. His choice is based on his grace, not on what they have done. For if God’s choice were based on what people do, then his grace would not be real grace. – Romans 11:2-6 GNT

In prayer – we deal with God, commune with Him, discourse with Him. It is said of Elijah that he prayed in praying. We are then likely to pray in praying, to make a business of that duty, when we pray as those that are dealing with God in the duty. Now Elijah in this prayer spoke as if there were one left faithful in Israel but himself. See to what a low ebb the profession of religion may sometimes be brought, and how much the face of it may be eclipsed, that the most wise and observing people may give it up for gone.

When I pray, God has appointed a way to direct my enquiring soul. If it were not so, it would be in vain to ask Him anything. He is my only effectual teacher and He teaches me how to pray.

They will ask the way to Zion and then go in that direction. They will make an eternal covenant with me and never break it.. – Jeremiah 50:5 GNT

I believe I need to remember my own weakness, the strength and power of my enemies and continually watch and pray that I might walk my walk of faith in order to be answerable to my high calling. With that, I may give God all the glory while He blesses me with all the peace that comes with following Him.

Do I know the way to Zion? If I do it is because there have been others who have shared, challenged, encouraged and exhorted me to do so. There have been others who have taken time to give me advice. And there have been others who have prayed for me.

With that I go to God myself so that He can hear me and not be silent in His answer.

O Lord, my defender, I call to you. Listen to my cry! If you do not answer me, I will be among those who go down to the world of the dead. – Psalm 28:1 GNT

I will cry and He will answer.

“Mere formalists may be content without answers to their prayers, but genuine suppliants cannot; they are not satisfied with the results of prayer itself in calming the mind and subduing the will – they must go further and obtain actual replies from heaven, or they cannot rest.” – Spurgeon

I have heard others say how God has become silent to their prayers – it has to be the worse place to be in. To cry means I reach out to God in argument and reason. I must have answers to prayer, out of necessity. Prayer is a two way conversation.

Hear me when I cry to you for help,  when I lift my hands toward your holy Temple. – Psalm 28:2 GNT

When I enter into the spirit of prayer there is no way that I will except anything else other than that God would hear me – I will labour, use importunity, and agonize until He hears me. However, I am reminded that a silent prayer may have a louder voice than the cries of those priests of Baal who tried to wake him up. It is earnest and serious prayer that matters.

When I lift up my hands it is a symbolic posture that represents my heart’s attitude in dependent prayer. I raise them up in praise as a sacrfice of praise to God.

Punish them for what they have done,  for the evil they have committed. Punish them for all their deeds; give them what they deserve! – Psalm 28:4 GNT

This is a prayer asking God to deal justly and though I may look for it, I believe there is no vindictiveness or malice in it. I need to be able to consider, from time to time, there is no inpropriety in praying that justice may be done to the violatiors of law.

“It is fitting each one of us should set apart certain hours for this exercise. Those hours should not pass without prayer, and during them all the devotion of the heart should be completely engaged in it. These are: when we arise in the morning, before we begin daily work, when we sit down to a meal, when by God’s blessing we have eaten, when we are   getting ready to retire.” – Calvin