Fire Up Your Praying
Today’s Verse:
Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight. ~2 Kings 1:14
I tend to like my food spicy, and, at times, very spicy hot. Whether it is the use of sriracha, Tabasco, chili sauce, or chili flakes, I enjoy a little fire or spice in my food. Sometimes, things in our life becomes routine and, even, mundane. It is during those times we need to realize that something important is missing and add some fire to it. Let us see why it is important for us to have fire in our praying.
We see the refusal.
“And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.” Ahaziah was injured badly and was very ill. Instead of humbling himself and seeking the Lord for his health, he sent messengers to inquire of a dead, unresponsive idol god for help. He is a picture of wrong praying. There is praying that is absent, or prayerlessness, where we do not pray. Then, there is praying amiss where our praying is defective and bad. Either way, wrong praying is when we refuse to acknowledge God and come to Him for our needs. Elijah said, “Is it not because there is no God in Israel?” God told him that his wrong praying would result in his death.
We see the refining.
“And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.” The king was defiant towards Elijah’s message. He sought to take Elijah and imprison him. He sent a company of fifty soldiers and a captain to take him. God sent fire from Heaven that utterly consumed the captain and his men. The king sent a second captain and company of fifty. Again, God sent fire from Heaven that consumed them. Fire is refining. Refining fire burns away dross and impurity. We need refining fire to deal with the sin in our life. Fire removes. The captains and two companies of soldiers were removed. God wants us to remove our independence and self-reliance. Fire reveals. Fire reveals to us our need for complete dependence on God.
We see the redress.
“And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.” A third captain and company of fifty was sent out. This third captain humbled himself and pleaded for his life and the life of his men. There was redress in his praying. Right praying is when we humble ourselves before God, acknowledge our complete need of Him, and place ourselves at His mercy.
We see the result.
Fire in our praying cleanses us. Fire in our praying corrects us. Fire in our praying connects us. Fire in our praying gives us continuity and extended mercies. We need God’s fire in our praying if we want to see people saved, sin overcome, and the overthrow of strongholds in our life. Let fire come down this morning so that our praying pleases God.
Have a prayerful God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Deuteronomy 1-3