“Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So, all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.” ~ I Kings 18:30
REFERENCE:
Israel was in a famine that lasted for three years. It had not rained, and the nation was in dire desperation. Rain represents the nourishment of the earth, refreshing, cleansing, renewal, and fruitfulness. The lack of rainfall in Israel’s agrarian (farming) society was bad for the people. They looked upward for a remedy, but the solution to the problem would come from a strange place.
Have you ever wondered at the desperation of our times, the desolations in the lives of many Christians? Marriages are breaking down, sicknesses ravage believers, increase in miscarriages and barrenness, various bad habits helplessly bind church folks, and many followers of Christ cannot even make ends meet and are oppressed and harassed by Satan.
These troubles often indicate that we lack the rain of the Spirit. Until He rains on us, spiritual famine and ‘barrenness’ will remain the order of the day. The people looked up to Elijah for a remedy. His solution was one Israel did not foresee; he repaired the broken-down altar. He showed Israel that the lack of rain was connected to God’s altar being in ruins, which they had neglected and followed other gods of pleasure, popularity, prosperity, power, pride, etc.
The altar is a gateway between heaven and earth. It is the place of worship and sacrifice where divinity and humanity shake hands. A broken-down prayer altar spells doom for a believer. When the altar of prayer is broken-down, everything breaks down, and a door opens to temptations. If we are weak in prayers, we ultimately will be weak and exposed everywhere.
Are you dealing with a broken-down altar of prayer? You should repair it! If you are too busy to pray, you will rob yourself of many victories. Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees because prayer is man’s weakness leaning on Omnipotence. It is finite man partnering with the infinite God. What you are going through now may be connected to the neglected and broken-down prayer altar. You need help from above, so pray.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
Matthew 26:39-41 & I Thessalonians 5:17
TO DO:
+ Be intentional about your prayers; set a time and a place to pray daily. You can also set a clock to time yourself. You can begin with 15 mins, then move it to 30 mins, and keep growing.
+ Get a prayer journal where you can write what you want to pray about. Affix a bible text to each, and when you pray, and God answers you, return and tick them.
