My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

James 5:19-20 (NET)

How should we perform rescue missions within the church—restoring believers who have stumbled into sin, wrong doctrine, and potentially from the faith?

In Isaiah 53:6, Isaiah said this in describing Israel and the world in general: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” The nature of sheep is to wander away from the flock and the shepherd. Certainly, this is true of all people in that we are born with a sin nature that suppresses the truth of God (Rom 1:18-21), so we can go our own way. However, even after repentance and belief in Christ, we still have a tendency to drift away from God. Because of this tendency even among those who are part of the church, we need to at times perform rescue missions, like shepherds—seeking to turn back those who have gone astray.

In fact, Christ gave a parable which pictures these rescue missions called the Parable of the Lost Lamb. In Matthew 18:10-14, Christ said,

See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If someone owns a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go look for the one that went astray? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that one of these little ones be lost.

Likewise, there are people in the church who have walked with us, ate dinner with us, prayed with us, and worshipped with us, but for some reason fall away from God—turn their backs on him and the church altogether.

Possibly having this parable in mind, James concludes this book by challenging believers to seek to restore those who have fallen away from God and his church. Therefore, in James 5:19-20, we learn principles about how to perform rescue missions—restoring erring believers back to Christ.

Big Question: What principles can be discerned from James 5:19-20 about performing rescue missions in the church—restoring erring believers back to Christ?

To Perform Rescue Missions, We Must Understand that Lost People Are Part of the Visible Church

My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

James 5:19-20

When James talks about those wandering from the truth down the wrong path, it is clear that he is talking about a professing believer. He describes the person as “among you” (v. 19). However, with that said, he doesn’t seem to just be describing believers who have fallen into sin. Certainly, we should help all believers grow in holiness by helping them repent of sin (Gal 6:1), but this seems to be referring to those amongst the congregation who profess Christ but are not truly saved. We’ll briefly consider the alternative view which says this is referring to a true believer, but first we’ll look at evidences that this is a professing believer—one who is not truly saved.

Interpretation Question: What are evidences that James is dealing with a professing believer who is not saved instead of a true believer?

(1) Evidence that James is dealing with helping a professing believer repent unto salvation is the fact that this has been James’ chief goal in writing the letter. Throughout, he challenges those who profess faith but do not have godly works to prove that their faith is real. They were hearing God’s Word but not obeying it. James 1:22 says, “But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves.” If people listen to God’s Word but don’t practice it, they are deceived about their faith (cf. Matt 7:21). James 1:26 says, “If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile.” If we profess faith but it never changes how we speak, our religion is in vain (cf. Matt 15:18). James 1:27 says, ^“Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” If we profess to love God and others but dishonor and neglect the needy, our religion is not acceptable to God (cf. Matt 25:31-46, the Parable of the Sheep and Goats). James 4:4 says, “Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever decides to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy.” If we profess devotion to God but we love the world with its evil values and ungodly practices, our profession is not genuine, and we are enemies of God (cf. 1 John 2:15). If our faith lacks good works, James actually says that our faith is dead, demonic faith—a faith that knows God, possibly fears him but doesn’t obey him. James 2:17-19 says,

So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that—and tremble with fear.

The fact that James is talking about professing believers who are not saved is not just clear from the context of the book but also from within the passage. (2) Again, this wandering person is from “among” them (v. 19). (3) When James uses the word “sinner” in verse 20, this word is typically used of nonbelievers in Scripture, not believers (cf. Prov 11:31; 13:6, 22; Matt 9:13; Luke 7:37, 39; 15:7, 10; 18:13; Rom 5:8; 1 Tim 1:9, 15; 1 Pet 4:18).¹ Consider a few of them: In Matthew 9:13, Christ said, “Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Also, Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” First Peter 4:18 says, “And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of the ungodly and sinners?” John MacArthur’s comments on the word “sinner” are helpful:

The term sinner frequently describes hardened unbelievers, those who openly, defiantly disregard God’s law; those whose evil character is apparent to everyone; those whose wickedness is common knowledge²

James believed that in the local church there are those who associate with the body of believers, including serving and leading, who might not be saved (cf. Matt 7:22-23). They were “sinners” in the sense that they had never received the imputed righteousness of Christ (2 Cor 5:21).

(4) In addition, when James says if we turn the person back, we “save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (v. 20), “death” seems to refer to eternal death (cf. Rom 6:23, Rev 20:14). Covering a “multitude of sins” would then refer to being forgiven in salvation.

With that said, those who believe James is referring to a true believer tend to believe that “death” refers to this person dying an early death as a result of God’s discipline. In Scripture, sometimes as a form of discipline for an unrepentant believer, God will simply take them home. We saw this in the story of Ananias and Saphira in Acts 5:1-11. When they continually lied about selling their property and giving all their money to the apostles, God simply took them home. They immediately died and were buried. Likewise, in 1 Corinthians 11, when the Corinthian believers were getting drunk during the Lord’s Supper and disrespecting the poor, some of them were judged by becoming sick, some became weary (depressed), but some of them died (v. 30). It was a sin unto death. In 1 John 5:16-17, John warns about a sin unto death:

If anyone sees his fellow Christian committing a sin not resulting in death, he should ask, and God will grant life to the person who commits a sin not resulting in death. There is a sin resulting in death. I do not say that he should ask about that. All unrighteousness is sin, but there is sin not resulting in death.

For those who take this view, they do so based on the fact that the overall testimony of Scripture indicates that true believers cannot lose their salvation (cf. John 10:27-30, Rom 8:29-30), so they say “death” must be referring to the sin unto death. However, again, the context of the book and James’ use of the word “sinner” argue against that interpretation. James is writing to challenge believers about false faith (Jam 2:17-19). There were professing believers amongst the congregation who were never truly saved, and their lack of fruit proved it. If they didn’t repent, then they would experience eternal death. They would be like those in the last days who served Christ and called him, “Lord, Lord,” but he will reply to them by saying, “I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!” (Matt 7:22-23).

Consequently, if we are going to do the ministry of restoration, we must first be convinced of what James believed—in every church there are wheat and weeds (Matt 13:36-43), good fish and bad fish (Matt 13:47-50), virgins with oil and virgins without oil (Matt 25:1-13), and sheep and goats (Matt 25:31-46). Understanding this reality will make us test the reality of our faith—are we bearing fruit of true repentance (Matt 3:8)? And, it also encourages us to help other brothers and sisters to turn away from lifestyles of sin, which ultimately may end in eternal death (Jam 1:14-15, 5:20). Consider the following verses: 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless, indeed, you fail the test!” Second Peter 1:10-11 says,

Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to be sure of your calling and election. For by doing this you will never stumble into sin. For thus an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be richly provided for you.

In Acts 26:20 (NLT), Paul said this about his gospel ministry:

I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.

Likewise, in Matthew 3:8-10, John the Baptist preached this to the Jews:

Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance, and don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

After writing a letter about true faith, James calls the church on a rescue mission to save those within the church. Some are not convinced that there are many in the church who are lost. They think as long as at some point they said the sinner’s prayer or went through confirmation, they are OK in the sense of their eternal salvation. Therefore, they neglect this ministry. Scripture teaches that every tree that doesn’t bear good fruit will be thrown into the fire (Matt 3:10). Yes, we must seek to turn back those who have fallen into sin, but we also must be aware that a lifestyle of unrepentance might prove that they lack salvation. Ephesians 5:3-6 says,

But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting—all of which are out of character—but rather thanksgiving. For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience.

Application Question: Why is performing rescue missions so important within the church? Which view do you agree with—that “death” in James 5:20 refers to the early death of a believer as a judgment or that it refers to eternal death, that the professing believer wasn’t saved?

To Perform Rescue Missions, We Must Recognize the Warning Signs

…if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path…

James 5:19-20

Observation Question: What are some common warning signs of believers falling away from the faith or their lacking genuine faith, as demonstrated in James 5:19-20?

Like a lifeguard surveying a beach looking for signs of distress, those who are going to perform rescue missions in the church must be aware of signs of distress or danger amongst professing believers. James mentions two in the text: “wanders from the truth” (v. 19) and “wandering path” or “error of his way” as in the NIV (v. 20). These represent both doctrinal error and error in practice. This makes perfect sense. For some in the church, practicing or condoning the sins of others leads them to change their doctrine. They just can’t believe their friends that don’t accept Christ as their Lord and Savior are going to hell, so they are drawn to a universal salvation understanding of Scripture. They can’t believe that sex between two loving, unmarried people is wrong—whether that be heterosexual or homosexual sex—so they start to adopt an antinomian understanding of Scripture—living without biblical laws. “As long as we have faith in God, it doesn’t matter how we live!” they say. For others, instead of practice leading to wrong doctrine, wrong doctrine leads to wrong practice. They start off listening to the wrong podcasts, hearing wrong doctrine in their classrooms or church services, or hearing the liberal views of their friends while in conversation. Eventually, they accept these views, which changes their practice. These are danger signs that we need to be aware of—wrong views of Scripture, especially in the area of foundational doctrines, and wrong practices, which are often vigorously condoned and defended. For example, watch out for these specific warning signs:

1. Be careful of views that teach there are errors in Scripture and that the Bible or parts of the Bible are not trustworthy.

Satan’s first temptation was, “Did God really say that?” (Gen 3:1 paraphrase). Likewise, when people start to not believe all of Scripture, they soon doubt the creation story, then the miracles in the Bible including the virgin birth, the existence of a real hell, and then they doubt the resurrection of Jesus which is the foundation of our faith (1 Cor 15:14, 17). It’s a very slippery slope.

Again, a major warning sign is when people start doubting the validity of Scripture. In John 8:31, Jesus said, “If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples.” Therefore, people who don’t continue in God’s Words are not true disciples.

2. Be careful of errant views about Jesus.

In 1 John 4:1-3, John said,

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world.

The cult indoctrinating the church of Ephesus attacked the humanity of Jesus. They believed he was God but not man. Likewise, be careful of any type of doctrine that denies either the humanity or deity of Jesus. That is the spirit of the antichrist according to John. This is why many would call Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons a cult because of their errant doctrines about Jesus Christ. He is not God or originally was an angel.

These errant teachings saturated the early church so much that John later wrote the same thing in 2 John 1:7-10:

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh. This person is the deceiver and the antichrist! Watch out, so that you do not lose the things we have worked for, but receive a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who remains in this teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not give him any greeting

We must make sure that we and our brothers and sisters remain in the orthodox teachings about Christ.

3. Be careful of any doctrine that changes the gospel.

In Galatians 1:6-9, consider Paul’s warning to the Galatians:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a different gospel—not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be condemned to hell! As we have said before, and now I say again, if any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be condemned to hell!

In verses 8 and 9, he said that those with a different gospel should be “condemned to hell” or “accursed” (ESV). This was very serious to Paul. For the Galatians, there was a cult adding the necessity of works, like being circumcised or following the law, to be saved. We are saved by grace through faith and not by any works (Eph 2:8-9), including going to church, taking the Lord’s Supper, giving to the poor, and being baptized. Works is a necessary fruit of salvation (Jam 2:17, Eph 2:10), but it is not the root of salvation.

When someone accepts any doctrines that add works to the gospel, such as in Catholicism or those who add the need for baptism to be saved, then those are major warning signs. In addition, we should be aware of those who would remove the need for repentance in the gospel or accepting Christ as our personal Lord. Some advocate a gospel without the need for repentance or even following Christ as our Lord. As long as we believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead for our sins, then we are saved. We don’t need to follow him at all, they say! That is not a true gospel. Be extremely careful of any views that change the gospel—our need for faith in Christ and repentance of sins.

4. Be careful of those who would deny the need for holiness after salvation, either through doctrine or practicing unrepentant sin—again the antinomian error.

Again, in Ephesians 5:3-6, Paul said,

But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting—all of which are out of character—but rather thanksgiving. For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience.

There were some professing and practicing a licentious view of God’s law and therefore trying to deceive believers to do the same in the church of Ephesus. Paul said don’t let anyone deceive you about this. People who live like this will not enter the kingdom of God. True salvation—true faith—is proved by a life of obedience to God’s Word—not a perfect life, but a life that is striving to grow in holiness. In Matthew 7:21, Christ said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven—only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”

If we are going to perform rescue missions in the church, we must be aware of the danger signs—errors in major doctrines and unrepentant sins, which are typically vigorously condoned and defended by those practicing it.

Application Question: How have you experienced believers who have these warning signs—errors in foundational doctrines or defending and practicing unrepentant sin?

To Perform Rescue Missions, We Must Reach Out to Those Who Have Wandered

My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

James 5:19-20

Again, after James taught about the need of having a faith that works and the existence of demonic faith within the church, he concludes his letter by encouraging believers to try to turn these professing believers back to God and away from wrong doctrine and sinful behavior. Most times, those “wandering” will already have left the church or only occasionally attend. It is hard to stay in a church where the Word of God is being preached when a person is living in unrepentant sin or has cardinal doctrines that they disagree with. In 1 John 2:19, John said this about the cultist who previously attended the Ephesian church:

They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them do not belong to us.

Therefore, to perform this ministry, often it will mean going outside the church to those who have stopped attending church altogether or who have gone to another church which accommodates their unbiblical views and practices. However, at times, their hearts have become so hardened to the truth that they actually stay in the church, with little to no conviction. If they have major doctrinal errors, they will sometimes try to recruit others into their error. Either way, James challenges the church to reach out to them, so they can be restored to God and his people and ultimately saved.

Application Question: How should we practically perform rescue missions for those who have wandered from the truth in doctrine and/or practice?

1. Throughout the process, we must pray for the wandering person.

In 1 John 5:6, John said, “If anyone sees his fellow Christian committing a sin not resulting in death, he should ask, and God will grant life to the person who commits a sin not resulting in death.” Wandering believers must continually be the object of our prayers.

2. We must make sure that we have the correct information.

Often rumors go around that so and so is living in sin or teaching errant doctrine. We should confirm the truth first by talking with those who are sharing such things. It may actually be only a rumor or gossip. In those cases, those sharing may need to be gently corrected. At times, the only way to confirm the information is to approach the person who is supposedly doing such things. When doing this, it must be approached very humbly, affirming your care for them, with a recognition that what you want to talk about might simply be a mistake or miscommunication. Either way, to do this ministry, we need to confirm what’s true.

3. We must discern who would be best to approach the person.

In Galatians 6:1, Paul said this about performing restoration ministry: “Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too.” Paul says those who are “spiritual” should be the ones to perform this ministry. He is not saying it should only be the elders or spiritual leaders of the church. This ministry is given to the body of Christ (cf. Matt 18:15-17), but if we are very young or new in the faith, then we should probably defer to somebody more spiritually mature. When dealing with false doctrine or ungodly practices, the spiritually immature are prone to be confused and deceived by that doctrine or tempted in the very same sin.

In addition, the best people to do this ministry are not only the spiritually mature but also those who have a relationship with the person in error. Having an intimate relationship with that person may make him or her more prone to listen. Therefore, we must ask ourselves, “Are we the right person to reach out to them, and if not, who?”

4. Before confronting the person, we must arm ourselves with relevant Scriptures.

In teaching about spiritual warfare, Paul talked about using “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:17). If a wandering believer is struggling with some doctrine, we should study up on it. If he is living in some sin, we should likewise be prepared with Scriptures which focus on that area. If it is possibly a professing believer who lacks genuine faith, we should arm ourselves with Scriptures that both warn and provide the ability for a person to test their faith. For example, the whole book of 1 John has tests of salvation (cf. 1 John 5:13). One widely applicable one is 1 John 3:9-10. It says,

Everyone who has been fathered by God does not practice sin, because God’s seed resides in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone who does not practice righteousness—the one who does not love his fellow Christian—is not of God.

When John says those who are saved do “not practice sin” (v. 9), he is not talking about being perfect (cf. 1 John 1:8), he is talking about a continual practice of sin—a lifestyle without repentance. James says the same thing but in the opposite way, “But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves” (Jam 1:22). If we simply listen to God’s Word and don’t practice it as a lifestyle, we’re not saved. In addition, John said if we don’t love fellow Christians, we’re not saved. First John 3:14 says, “We know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love our fellow Christians. The one who does not love remains in death.” This is the same thing Christ taught in John 13:35 when he said, “Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.” If a person doesn’t faithfully attend church, meet with believers, and serve them, this is not just an obedience issue but also a love issue. When you love someone, at the minimum, you want to be around them, even if they are not perfect. Therefore, those who forsake the assembly of God fail the “love” test (cf. Heb 10:25, 1 John 3:14). Before approaching wandering believers, we need to arm ourselves with relevant Scriptures.

5. Throughout the discussion, we must be gentle and noncombative—trusting that God changes hearts, not us.

Second Timothy 2:24-26 (NIV) says,

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

If our manner in approaching them is harsh or rude, we may, inadvertently, close their hearts to God. This is part of the reason Paul said those who are “spiritual” should reach out to the person in error (Gal 6:1). The spiritual ones are less likely to be combative and push the erring person away from God. Our hope must be in God—not our logical arguments, loud voice, or temper. Ephesians 4:15 (NIV) says we must speak “the truth in love.”

6. If there is no repentance, we must be willing to follow the New Testament guidelines on church discipline, including, eventually, separating from them.

In Matthew 18:15-17, Christ said this:

If your brother sins, go and show him his fault when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have regained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector.

Because their souls are so important, (1) we reach out to them one-on-one, and (2) if there is no repentance, we reach out with one or two others, (3) then with the church, and (4) if they still don’t respond, we separate from them, in hopes that they will understand the gravity of their sin and repent.

In considering this final step, Paul said this to the Corinthians:

But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Are you not to judge those inside? But God will judge those outside. Remove the evil person from among you.

1 Corinthians 5:11-13

7. Finally, throughout this process, we must be willing to take the risk of being misunderstood and even demonized, as we seek to help people who have gone astray.

Are there risks in seeking to help someone who has turned away from the truth? Certainly. They might curse us, stop being our friends, say bad things about us, or even try to fight us. However, truly loving people means opening ourselves up to be hurt by them. Someone said this ministry is kind of like trying to help a wounded dog; it’s very likely that you’ll get bit.³ Unfortunately, this is true. Christ did the same for us. He loved the world and, therefore, spoke the truth to them, and they crucified him for it. But God used Christ’s pain for good—to save the world. Often the pain we receive is something God can use to deliver a brother or sister from death and cover a multitude of sins. Therefore, we must willingly take these risks to rescue our brothers and sisters.

Application Question: How have you experienced performing rescue missions with wandering believers? What did you find most helpful in the process and not so helpful?

Conclusion

How can we perform rescue missions in the church—helping wandering brothers and sisters who have turned away from Christ in doctrine or practice?

1. To Perform Rescue Missions, We Must Understand that Lost People Are Part of the Visible Church
2. To Perform Rescue Missions, We Must Recognize the Warning Signs
3. To Perform Rescue Missions, We Must Reach Out to Those Who Have Wandered

Prayer Prompts

• Pray for God to protect our church members from the evil one and temptation, and if any are caught in some sin or false doctrine, that God may deliver them.
• Pray for God to restore and heal those within denominations who have fallen into major error and practice—pray for God to restore his Bride.
• Pray that God would give us his love and his wisdom so we can effectively reach out to those struggling or in rebellion.
• Pray that God would strengthen our church through his Word and unify us through his love.

Copyright © 2021 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

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Related Topics: Christian Life

Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As certainly as the Lord God of Israel lives (whom I serve), there will be no dew or rain in the years ahead unless I give the command.”

1 Kings 17:1 (NET)

What are characteristics of the person God uses greatly? As we consider Elijah and his powerful ministry, we can discern common characteristics of those God has used throughout history. The first characteristic we considered was the fact that Elijah was a common man. He was from a small town in Gilead, which was a mountainous region. He would have lacked the education of those from a big city. He wore clothes which represented his rugged upbringing. Scripture says he wore a garment of animal hair with a belt (2 Kgs 1:8). He probably had an accent. Because of his country upbringing, those from the city would have looked down upon him. He was common; however, God has delighted to use people like this throughout history (1 Cor 1:26-31). The Bible is full of stories of God greatly using farmers, shepherds, and others who would have not been highly esteemed in society. Why? Because God’s power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12:9), in people who will trust in him instead of their strength, riches, or education. The apostles were common men who lacked formal rabbinical training (Acts 4:13). When God does use somebody of great standing in society like Moses or Paul, he makes them weak through their circumstances, so they can become humble and rely on God.

Why doesn’t God mightily use more people in the church? No doubt, it’s because we are too strong, too independent, and we need to become more humble and dependent on God, so he can use us. Christ taught, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them” (Matt 5:3). In Matthew 18:4, he taught that the greatest in the kingdom are like little children—totally dependent on God.

The second characteristic we learned about Elijah was his righteousness. We saw this when he stood up against Ahab who was leading Israel away from God, but we also saw it in his name. His name meant “My God is Yahweh.” Elijah’s parents no doubt raised him to be a godly man, and when all Israel was turning away from Yahweh to follow Baal and his corrupt practices, Elijah lived out his name. When God looks for someone to use greatly, he finds a righteous person. In James 5:17, in using Elijah as an example, James said, “The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.” God hears the prayers of the righteous and he uses them to transform families, communities, cities, and nations.

What else can we learn about Elijah? It is clear from this passage and Elijah’s life that he was a man of great courage. We see this in two ways: The first way is his defiance of the King. According to the author of 1 Kings, Ahab was the most wicked king that had ever sat on the throne of Israel. First Kings 16:30 says, “Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all who were before him.” What made him even worse was his marriage to Jezebel. She was from the kingdom of Sidon, and she instituted Baal worship in Israel. From Scripture, we learn that she was very wicked and often was the mastermind behind Ahab’s evil ways. Together, they made a frightening couple.

But nevertheless, Elijah appears in the presence of the King and defies him. What makes this even more terrifying is that appearing in the presence of the King without permission could be extremely dangerous. In the story of Esther, even as queen, she had to get permission to come into the presence of her husband. In fact, one time, so she wouldn’t be put to death for coming into his presence without permission, she asked her uncle to get the Israelites in Susa to fast for her for three days (Es 4:16). In general, the Israelite kings weren’t as ruthless as the Persian kings, but nevertheless, it took great courage for Elijah to confront Israel’s most wicked king. Since Elijah was commissioned by God, apparently, he was not afraid, and if so, he was willing to face his fears. He not only showed up in the presence of the King but also gave him bad news: “there will be no dew or rain in the years ahead unless I give the command.”

The second way we see Elijah’s courage is that he not only stood up to the most wicked king of Israel but also to a false deity. Baal was the primary pagan deity worshiped in Israel at this time. He was considered the god of the storm and fertility. Followers of Baal would commonly practice sexual rituals and even sacrifice their children in order to secure rain and blessings for their crops. When Elijah declared it would not rain, not only was he confronting the King, but he also was confronting this pagan god.

This confrontation with Baal will come full circle in 1 Kings 18 when Elijah confronts all the prophets of Baal. He gathers all of them for a competition: Which deity, Yahweh or Baal, would bring fire on a sacrifice? Again, Elijah’s boldness and courage are seen as he mocks the prophets and Baal. First Kings 18:27 says: “At noon Elijah mocked them, ‘Yell louder! After all, he is a god; he may be deep in thought, or perhaps he stepped out for a moment or has taken a trip. Perhaps he is sleeping and needs to be awakened.’”

Elijah’s courage is displayed as he confronts both Ahab and Baal. However, it must be noted that this is a necessary quality for every man or woman God uses. Consider what Moses said to Israel and Joshua before they crossed over into the promised land:

Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He will not fail you or abandon you!” Then Moses called out to Joshua in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will accompany these people to the land that the Lord promised to give their ancestors, and you will enable them to inherit it. The Lord is indeed going before you—he will be with you; he will not fail you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged!”

Deuteronomy 31:6-8

In fact, after Moses’s death, God again commands Joshua to be brave before entering the land. He said,

Be strong and brave! You must lead these people in the conquest of this land that I solemnly promised their ancestors I would hand over to them. Make sure you are very strong and brave! Carefully obey all the law my servant Moses charged you to keep! Do not swerve from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful in all you do… I repeat, be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do.”

Joshua 1:6-7, 9

The repetition of the command to be brave or courageous shows its importance. If we are going to be people that God can use, we must be courageous. With that said, it must be known that courage is not necessarily the absence of fear, it is being willing to confront our fears. Elijah confronted the King who could have killed him. He stood up to the pagan god, Baal. He also later confronts all the false prophets and Israel. He was willing to be courageous.

Unfortunately, many Christians can’t be used by God because they are ruled by fear. Fear keeps them from doing God’s will with their lives. Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart.” God’s peace should be ruling and guiding our lives, not fear. In this study, we will consider three Ahabs or fears that commonly keep people from doing God’s will.

Be Careful of the Fear of Man

The first one we will consider is the fear of man. Many Christians, especially young ones, care too much about the praise of man, and therefore, are hindered in their walk with God. Consider these verses,

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

Proverbs 29:25 (NIV)

Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ!

Galatians 1:10

Many people are trapped and crippled in their spiritual life because of fear of what man will say or do. They are afraid to be different from their friends, family, and culture. Consequently, they are no longer following God but men.

What are some practical ways that we see fear handicapping believers?

• Some are not willing to follow God in the career field that he has called them to or have a lesser standard of living because of shame, as their friends and families would not approve.
• Some accept and adopt the drunken and dishonest cultures of their workplaces because they fear what their co-workers and bosses will say or do.
• Some won’t marry the person God called them to because of what family or culture would say. That person has the wrong ethnicity, career field, family background, etc.
• Some, especially young Christians, are not willing to be godly because it will not be considered cool or acceptable among their friends.

The fear of what people will say or do is a snare. With that said, Elijah stood up to the wicked forces leading Israel without succumbing to fear of repercussions. In Luke 14:26, Jesus said this: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Christ knew that relationships and the fear of people, including one’s own family, would be a major hindrance to discipleship and even salvation.

Is the fear of man keeping you from doing God’s will?

Be Careful of the Fear of Failure

But there is another type of fear that often cripples Christians from being used by God and that is the fear of failure. Some are afraid to fail, and therefore, they never step out in faith to follow God’s leading. Christians and non-Christians alike are greatly affected by this. They don’t want to fail, so they never attempt anything out of their comfort zone. They won’t serve in a ministry; they won’t lead a small group; they won’t share their faith; some won’t even pray out loud. Fear handicaps them. Instead of faithfully obeying God, they at all costs seek to protect their comfort.

We may get a hint of this in the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25. God gave one man five talents and another two, and they both made profit. However, he gave another person one talent and instead of attempting to make a profit, he hid it in the ground. Consider how he responds to his Master, who reflects God:

Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

Matthew 25:24-25

Essentially the man says, “I was afraid to fail you, so I hid my talent in the ground!” A lot of Christians are just like that. They see the difficulty of the task at hand, including the expectations that come with it, and they become afraid and quit before beginning. They declare, “Lord, I can’t speak!” “Lord, I can’t lead!” “Lord, this is not my gifting!” Fear traps them—so they don’t even try.

Was it not “fear” of failure (and the fear of man) that kept the Israelites from conquering the promised land? God promised it to them, but after they surveyed the land, they said, “Nope! Too many giants, God. Can’t do it!” In Numbers 13:31, they said, “We are not able to go up against these people, because they are stronger than we are!” And, consequently, God removed them from the promised land, and they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. How many Christians are wandering in the wilderness, year after year, missing God’s best for their lives because of fear? No doubt, too many to count. They are spiritually stuck. To move forward, they must confront their giants. They must confront things too big to conquer in their own strength.

Is your Ahab the fear of failure? Is the fear of failure keeping us from progressing spiritually?

Be Careful of the Fear of Death

Another common hindrance to doing God’s will is the fear of death. If Elijah feared death, he wouldn’t have confronted the King. If the apostles feared death, they would not have boldly proclaimed God’s Word in the face of the Jewish and the Roman persecution. In fact, courage in the face of death has been one of the greatest testaments to Christians throughout the centuries, as they have been flogged and persecuted for their faith. Christ said this in Luke 12:4: “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do.” In Luke 14:26 and 27, he said that to be his disciple, we must “hate” our own life and carry our own “cross.”

There is a temptation to soften the interpretation of carrying one’s “cross,” as just referring to the burdens and normal hardships of the Christian life. However, the cross was a form of execution in those days. When Christ said, if you want to be my disciple, if you want to be my follower, you must “take up your cross,” he was literally saying you must be prepared to die for him. In that society, that was a very real possibility. The Jews persecuted Christians, and later, the Roman Empire began to do the same. This is certainly true in many nations today, as more Christians have died in the last one hundred years than the previous two thousand years. Being a disciple of Christ means we must be willing to hate our own lives and take up our cross (Lk 14:26-27).

Death is a great hindrance for many Christians. This will keep many from going to a Muslim or communist country to preach the gospel. It will keep many from leaving the comfort of home for missions. Why? It’s because we don’t “hate” our own life in comparison to our love for God and his will.

Christ, in fact, came to deliver us from the suffocating fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 says,

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death.

Christ became a human and died to free people from the fear of death. Christians don’t have to be afraid of death because Christ defeated it. Christ died and rose again, and one day, after our deaths, we will rise again like him.

In fact, it was Christ’s resurrection that gave the disciples, who all denied him at the crucifixion, boldness to preach and die for their faith. His resurrection made them all willing to die. Why? They were willing to die because they knew if they died, they would immediately be with Christ spiritually (2 Cor 5:8) and one day be physically resurrected.

In considering the resurrection, Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 15:54b-57:

“Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Paul proclaims that there is no victory or sting in death because our victory is in Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:8, Paul said, “Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” And in Philippians 1:21, Paul said, “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.” Therefore, believers should not fear death.

Sadly, many Christians care so much for their life that it hinders their spiritual growth—it hinders them from being a man or woman that God can use greatly. They cannot leave their comfort zone because instead of “hating their life,” they love it dearly. They have never allowed themselves to be set free from the “fear of death,” and therefore, God cannot use them as he did Elijah or the apostles. Fear cripples and hinders their spiritual progression. Believers that don’t fear injury or death are a serious threat to the kingdom of darkness.

What is your Ahab? Is it the fear of man? Do we esteem the opinions of friends, family, and employers over God’s esteem? Is it the fear of failure? Is fear of failure causing us to hide our gifts in the ground? Or is it the fear of death? Christ conquered the grave so we wouldn’t have to fear death.

Application Question: In what ways do people commonly experience the fear of man, failure, and death, which hinders their faith and walk with God? How have you specifically been hindered by these or other fears?

How to Conquer Our Fears

We have talked about three common fears that keep us from being willing to do God’s will and therefore hinder God from using us greatly. Now we will look at how to conquer our fears.

1. To conquer fear, we must fear God more than anything else.

Consider again what Christ said in Luke 12:4-5:

I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do. But I will warn you whom you should fear: Fear the one who, after the killing, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!

Luke 12:4-5

Jesus said that the disciples should not be afraid of those who could kill them but to instead be afraid of God. This would deliver them from their fears. Likewise, Proverbs 9:10 says, “The beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord, and acknowledging the Holy One is understanding.” It is the beginning of making right decisions with our lives. When we honor God, we can boldly face Ahabs, giants, and anything else that terrifies us. The problem with many Christians is not that they have a fear of failure, a fear of man, or a fear of death. Their problem is that they do not fear God! The fear of God is the beginning of being wise.

When we fear God more than what our employer thinks or can do to us, then we start to become someone God can use. Promotion, ultimately, comes from the Lord. When we fear God more than failure, we will be willing to take risks like sharing our faith, even when we know it will probably be rejected. When we fear God more than death, we become dangerous to the kingdom of darkness and extremely valuable to the kingdom of light. We become valuable because there are not many people like that. Most are crippled by fear and, therefore, cannot be used greatly by God.

Do we fear God more than people, failure, and death?

2. To conquer fear, we must recognize and reject it as a hindrance to obeying God.

In 2 Timothy 1: 7, Paul says, “For God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.” Timothy had been left in charge of the church of Ephesus and was struggling with fear of the difficulties included in his ministry. Paul told Timothy the spirit of fear he was struggling with was not from God, and therefore, Timothy should reject it. Certainly, there are healthy fears, like fear of crossing the street without looking both ways. But Paul is not talking about that type of fear. He is talking about fear that keeps us from doing God’s will or having God’s peace.

That is what Paul told the church of Philippi, in Philippians 4:6b, “Do not be anxious about anything.” That means we need to reject “fear” as something not from God.

No doubt, some fears are passed down generationally. Mom was a worrier—she worried about everything. Dad was a worrier, and it made him try to control everything and everyone around him. Now, we struggle with worry, and it often hinders us from walking in the will of God and steals our peace.

In order to conquer our fears, we must recognize that fear is not from God and reject it. We must reject anything that keeps us from doing God’s will.

3. To conquer fear, we must know our resources in God.

Courage is not foolishness; it is a proper evaluation of resources. For many of us, we know that we can make a trip to the grocery store because we have a vehicle and enough gas to get there. Therefore, we have nothing to fear. It’s the same way with every task God calls us to in life. If God called us to it, we must recognize that he provides the resources for the task. Is that not what God said to Moses when he said that he couldn’t speak? God replied, “Who made the mouth? I will give you the words to speak. Don’t worry about that.” (Ex 4:11 paraphrase). Then God said, “If that’s not enough, I’ll give you, your brother, Aaron, to speak for you. He will be your mouthpiece. Don’t worry, just obey!” (Ex 4:13-16 paraphrase).

Isn’t that exactly what Paul said to Timothy? “For God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim 1:7). Essentially, he said, “God has given you everything needed for ministry: power for the task, love to care for the people (even difficult ones), and self-discipline to be faithful.”

Isn’t this exactly what God said to Joshua? In Joshua 1:9, God said, “I repeat, be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do.”

This is true for us as well. God is with us! He empowers us for whatever task he calls us to. We don’t have to fear because we have the resources. Proper evaluation of resources not only gets rid of fear but also gives us courage.

4. To conquer fear, we must take steps of faith.

Many times, it takes a step of faith to totally rid ourselves of fear. Personally, it is often when I step into the pulpit and start to preach that all my fears and anxieties go away. It is when I start to do God’s will that I find out that he has in fact given me power, love, and self-discipline to accomplish the task.

Many never experience those resources because they won’t take a step of faith. A good example of this is Peter. In Matthew 14:28-29, Peter saw Jesus walking on the sea and cried out to him, “If it’s you, let me come to you” and Christ said, “Come!” (paraphrase). Is it possible for a man to attempt to walk on water in a raging storm and not be afraid? No doubt, Peter was afraid. But, when he took a step of faith on the water, he found there was grace. God’s resources were available to fulfill Christ’s command.

Oftentimes, the best way to get rid of fear is to just do it. Like the old Nike slogan, “Just Do It!” After we’ve clearly discerned God’s will, we should take steps of faith and allow God to prove himself faithful: get involved with the church, share your testimony, ask to pray with somebody, start preparing for the mission field, turn away from a situation or relationship that’s handicapping you. If Christ has called us into the water, it is the wisest step we can take. As we do so, his grace will be available which will remove our fears.

What steps of faith is God calling you to take to serve him?

Application Question: How should believers overcome various fears that hinder their obedience to God or make it more difficult? How is God calling you to overcome fears which are hindering your faith?

Conclusion

As we consider Elijah’s courage in confronting Ahab, even at the prospect of death, we must ask ourselves, “What is my Ahab? What is keeping me back from doing God’s will?” Is it the fear of man, the fear of failure, and/or the fear of death? As God said to Joshua who was called to lead Israel and conquer giants in the promised land, we must be strong and brave in order for God to use us (Josh 1:9)—willing to confront our fears. What fears is God calling us to confront so he can use us in a greater way?

Application Question: What stood out most in the reading and why? What questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Prayer Prompts

• Pray for God to reveal his will to us and that we would be willing to follow it (individually and corporately), even as Elijah did.
• Pray for God to deliver us from anxieties, worries, and fears that hinder us from doing his will.
• Pray for God to enable us to be courageous in confronting whatever challenges we currently face or will face in the future.
• Pray for God to give us faith to move mountains (referring to trials and hindrances to his will) and that those mountains would move, in Jesus’ name.

Copyright © 2022 Gregory Brown

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Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As certainly as the Lord God of Israel lives (whom I serve), there will be no dew or rain in the years ahead unless I give the command.” The Lord told him: “Leave here and travel eastward. Hide out in the Kerith Valley near the Jordan. Drink from the stream; I have already told the ravens to bring you food there.” So he did as the Lord told him; he went and lived in the Kerith Valley near the Jordan. The ravens would bring him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he would drink from the stream. After a while, the stream dried up because there had been no rain in the land.

1 Kings 17:1-7 (NET)

What is God’s process for developing a man or woman of God? How does God develop those he uses greatly for his kingdom?

In 1 Kings 17:1, Elijah confronts King Ahab, the worst king of Israel. Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, had turned Israel away from God to worship Baal. Elijah proclaims there will be no rain or dew except at his word. But the next thing that happens is surprising: God tells Elijah to “hide” in Kerith Valley, east of Jordan. This is surprising because you would think Elijah would be sent to proclaim the Word of God throughout Israel, calling people to repentance. But the man shows up, speaks one sentence, and God immediately removes him from the scene and sends him to a valley.

What is Kerith Valley? We don’t know anything about this place other than the meaning of its name. The word “Kerith” means “a cutting.”¹ God essentially tells Elijah that he must hide in “Cutting Valley.” Names in Hebrew culture were not just terms one called somebody or something. They typically symbolized the object’s character or nature. The Valley of Cutting was not only a place where Elijah hid from public ministry, but it also was a place where God was going to do a work in his life. It was, no doubt, a place of cutting and molding the prophet for greater ministry. It is in “Cutting Valley” that God commonly prepares all men and women that he uses greatly for his kingdom.

Christ uses a similar terminology when talking about the nature of the vine, and thus the Christian life, in John 15:1-2. He says, “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. He prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit.” Here Christ says that when a branch bears fruit, when a person is faithful to God, God prunes the person—he cuts away so the person can become more fruitful. The nature of the vine is to become crowded with leaves, fungus, and other things that can be detrimental to growth. Therefore, a good gardener consistently trims a vine so it can bear much fruit. We can have no doubt that this was God’s plan for Elijah.

Elijah was faithful, as he stood against Ahab, but now, God will prune him so he can bear more fruit. In fact, right after leaving the valley, Elijah does a great miracle. He resurrects the son of a widow—the first resurrection we see in Scripture. Soon after, he calls down fire from heaven and destroys the prophets of Baal. Elijah was brought to “Cutting Valley” so he could be prepared for greater works in God’s kingdom.

Have you been to the valley? Often, pastors preaching on this passage have used whimsical titles, such as calling it “Kerith Valley University.” Have you been to KVU, Kerith Valley University, where God prepares men and women of God? As in any university, whatever classes you fail, you must retake, and when you pass them, you can take higher-level courses.

As we study this narrative in Elijah’s life, we will consider pivotal lessons that God teaches everybody in the valley—cutting seasons in their life—so they can bear more fruit.

Big Question: What lessons does God teach Elijah in Kerith Valley, and how does he teach us the same lessons in seasons of cutting in our lives?

The Lesson of Our Responsibility to God’s Word

The Lord told him: “Leave here and travel eastward. Hide out in the Kerith Valley near the Jordan.

1 Kings 17:2-3

The first lesson Elijah learns is a lesson about the Word of God, which he began to learn even before entering the valley. He learned this lesson in his receiving God’s Word after his obedience, and also in his being taken away from Israel because of their disobedience.

How do we see this? In verse 2, the word of the Lord came to Elijah only after he was obedient in challenging King Ahab and praying for it not to rain. It was only after Elijah finished what he was called to do that God gave him new revelation. We see this as a principle throughout Scripture. It was something that Christ taught often. In Mark 4:24-25, Jesus said,

… Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, and more will be added to you. For whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

Jesus taught that how a person responded to God’s Word affected his continued hearing of it. The person that faithfully obeyed God’s Word would be given more, but whoever was not faithful would experience a taking away.

It was because Elijah faithfully obeyed God’s Word that God spoke to him again—sending him to the valley—and because Israel disobeyed God’s Word, Elijah and other prophets were being taken from them. When God hid Elijah in the valley, God was taking away the Word from Israel. They had been unfaithful hearers, and God was removing his prophet. Even what they had was being taken away. In fact, we learn in 1 Kings 18:4 that the other prophets had gone into hiding as well because Jezebel was killing the prophets. God was taking the Word from Israel.

We see this reality at other times in Scripture. Amos 8:11-12 says this:

Be certain of this, the time is coming,” says the sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land—not a shortage of food or water but an end to divine revelation! People will stagger from sea to sea, and from the north around to the east. They will wander about looking for a revelation from the Lord, but they will not find any.

Because of Israel’s unfaithfulness, as a judgment, God removed his Word, bringing a spiritual famine. Essentially, we see this again in the Gospels with Israel. Jesus said this to the disciples about his teaching of parables in Matthew 13:10-14:

Then the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He replied, “You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand. And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: ‘You will listen carefully yet will never understand, you will look closely yet will never comprehend.

In the context, the disciples did not understand Christ’s sudden change in teaching philosophy. Previously, he taught clearly, but at this point in the Gospels, he began to speak in parables. The parables were not meant to enhance understanding but to hide the truth. Christ would take the disciples away and then explain the parables, but he didn’t do that with Israel (cf. Matt 13:36). Because the disciples were obedient to God’s Word, they received understanding. But because Israel was constantly hearing and not obeying, their understanding was taken away, as their hearts were hardened towards the truth.

This is the first lesson Elijah learns, as he leaves for the valley: “We are gravely responsible for the hearing of the Word of God. If we are faithful, the Word of the Lord comes to us again. But if we are not, God will remove his Word from us.” Therefore, we must ask ourselves, “What type of hearers are we?” No doubt, some are growing tremendously in the grace of our Lord Jesus. Their love and knowledge of God’s Word are increasing. They are studying, memorizing, and sharing it with others, as they cannot get enough of it. But others are becoming hardened. When they read and listen to Scripture, they get nothing from it. They do not have a stomach for it, and like Israel, their ears and hearts are hardening.

We must understand this: It is a tremendous privilege to hear the Word of God, but with that privilege comes a grave responsibility. We must faithfully respond to it in order to receive God’s blessings, and if not, we receive God’s discipline. Our hearts are always either growing softer or harder. It has been said that the same sun that melts the ice hardens the clay.

From a national standpoint, it is a scary thing when God removes his faithful preachers. It is a scary thing when all that can be found are those who preach politics, sports, their testimonies, or false teaching. However, this is what happens when a nation is disobedient. Likewise, in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (ESV), Paul said this:

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Paul said that the time will come when the church would not tolerate biblical preaching but would instead heap up teachers that simply “itch their ears”—making them feel good—but they wouldn’t preach God’s Word. The church would turn from the truth to myths—fabricated or unfruitful stories. Though believers will, of their own volition, reject truth, even as Israel and its leaders rejected the prophets, their rejection was God’s judgment. As judgment, they experienced a famine of God’s Word.

Sadly, this is happening in many of our churches, ministries, and Christian institutions today. Like Israel receiving unexplained parables, in many (if not most) churches, the congregations primarily get stories instead of clear exposition of God’s Word. This essentially is a judgment happening throughout the world. The church is not responding to God, even as Israel didn’t, and God is taking away his revelation—not casting his pearls before swine (Matt 7:6). He’s giving them a famine of God’s Word—they get stories instead of clear teaching, even as Christ gave to Israel.

As we consider this, we must ask ourselves, “Have we learned this lesson in the valley? Have we learned about our responsibility to God’s Word?”

Application Question: How can we know if we have learned the lesson of our responsibility towards God’s Word?

1. If we have learned the lesson of our responsibility to God’s Word, we will always survey, guard, and cultivate our hearts.

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Are our hearts hard or soft to God’s Word? Are they becoming more calloused or more tender to God’s Word? Jesus warned us in Mark 4:24, “Take care about what you hear.”

If we have learned this lesson, we will be faithful gardeners of the soil of our hearts. We will constantly survey our hearts for dullness or resistance to God’s Word, repenting of any sin, so we can understand and accept Scripture.

2. If we have learned the lesson of our responsibility to God’s Word, we will be quick to obey it.

Elijah obeyed God when called to confront Ahab, even though it could have cost him his life, and he obeyed when called to go to the Valley of Cutting.

Are we swift to obey God? Or are there areas in our lives where we are holding back full obedience?

As an example, when Abraham was a new believer, he wasn’t swift to obey. When God called him to leave his father’s house and land to go to Canaan, Acts 7:2-4 and Genesis 11:31-32 tell us that he first moved to Haran with his father and settled there for years. After his father died, he then obeyed God by moving to Canaan. For many years, he missed God’s best. This is common for young believers. They often delay or outright disobey—missing God’s best and hardening their hearts. But those who have been trained are swift to obey.

Are we swift to obey God, or are there areas of delayed obedience or disobedience in our lives?

Application Question: In what ways do you see a famine of God’s Word and a hardening of hearts happening in the contemporary church? How have you experienced times of hardness or special sensitivity in your heart towards God’s Word? How would you describe the status of your heart now? How do you feel God is calling you to apply this lesson of our responsibility towards God’s Word?

The Lesson of Solitude

The Valley of Cutting is not only a place of pain, but it is also a place of solitude. Elijah would be alone for many months. This is assumed because eventually the small stream from which he drank and bathed eventually dried up. His only company would be some birds that appeared two times a day to bring him food.

God often places us in seasons of solitude in order to remove all distractions and to allow us to focus on him more. It is there that we learn that God is enough. We may not have the comfort of family, friends, or even work, but it is there we hear God’s voice and discern his movement around us.

In Psalm 46:10, God commands his hearers, “Stop your striving and recognize that I am God!” It can also be translated, “Be still, and know that I am God” (NIV). It is in the place of solitude where we are often forced to stop all our activity and busyness that we start to know God more deeply and therefore know ourselves and our shortcomings.

Unfortunately, many of us do not get to experience God or truly know him more because we are too busy, too distracted. We need the solitude that the Valley of Cutting provides so we can grow.

The Discipline of Solitude

Because solitude is so important for our spiritual growth, we must make it a daily pursuit. We must get away to be alone with God for prayer, to study his Word, and to worship. It is a spiritual discipline we all must practice.

We see this discipline very clearly in the life of Christ. In Mark 1:35-37, it says:

Then Jesus got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer. Simon and his companions searched for him. When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”

Starting in Mark 1:21, we actually see a busy day of Christ’s ministry. It started with him teaching in the synagogue and casting a demon out of a man. Then, in verse 29, he went to Simon’s house, healed his mother, and then presumably ate (v. 31). Then, in verse 32, it says after sunset the whole town gathered at the door for him to minister to them. All night he healed people and cast out demons. Then, in verse 35, it says early in the morning while everybody was asleep, he woke up and went to a solitary place to spend time with God. Later, in verse 36, the disciples and Peter looked for him, and when they found him, they essentially said: “Everybody’s looking for you; the ministry is thriving. Why did you leave?” For Christ, being alone with God was more important than ministry, in part, because power for ministry came from being alone with God.

Going away to the secret place is counter-cultural. Being busy is one of the ways we tell people that we are important and significant. Being busy often makes us feel like we have a purpose, and when we’re not busy, we often feel lazy or like something is wrong. However, if we are going to know God and have power in our life, we must, as a discipline, go to the quiet place to meet with God.

When we do this, people may actually get upset with us, questioning: “Why aren’t you working more! Why aren’t you pursuing more education! Why aren’t you seeking a spouse!” However, the place of solitude is where God forms men and women of God. It is when they stop their striving that they often see and know him in a greater way.

Are we getting away from the noise and busyness to be with God?

The solitude Elijah experienced in the Valley of Cutting reminds us of our need to practice spiritual disciplines. We should, like Christ, commonly pursue God at strategic times throughout the day—including the mornings and evenings. We must enter our quiet places to be with him and enjoy his presence. It is in the place of quietness that he delivers us from a lot of the noise distracting us from worship, reveals his love for us, challenges our sin and insecurities, and empowers us for ministry.

Unexpected Seasons of Solitude

Because we tend to neglect the discipline of solitude or simply to sanctify and prepare us for greater ministry, God often leads us into unexpected seasons of solitude, as he did with Elijah. Consider how Psalm 23:1-2 (NIV) puts it: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.” Our shepherd often has to “make” us lie down. This is because we are so prone to activity that we often neglect God, neglect concentrated focus on our faith, and sometimes even burn ourselves out. Again, he makes us lie down to strengthen us and restore our focus. Sometimes God “makes” us lie down through trial, sickness, loss of a job, difficulty with family, friends, or co-workers, or even a pandemic. Often this is a season not of rest from difficult circumstances but of spiritual rest in the midst of our circumstances. It is a season that we lie down in God.

In fact, in considering the shepherding analogy, sometimes with a wandering sheep, the shepherd has to break his leg and carry the sheep in order to protect him. In that case, the sheep would have to lie down on the shepherd because he was not capable of going forward on his own. Sadly, not only are we prone to busyness but also prone to wander into sin. In those cases, God may have to stop us in our tracks through some trial, so we can come back to our senses and find rest and restoration in the Shepherd’s arms.

Listen, God can make us lie down. He can bring events that make us stop our striving—trials that make us stop our busy activity. However, God won’t make us find rest in him. He won’t make us seek his face. We must choose to draw near him in the place of cutting—the place of solitude. While Elijah was in the valley, he could have wasted time: he could have done lots of swimming, counted rocks and stars, or spent a lot of time being upset and angry at God or Israel. Or he could focus on the most important reason God brought him to the valley—to be still and know God more.

Sadly, many people when entering the place of cutting, instead of seeking God, run around frantically trying to control their circumstances. Instead of having peace, they become prone to anxiety; some develop anxiety disorders. Others develop addictions. They develop addictions to alcohol, smoking, caffeine, or some other drug. Some become addicted to a person or people—in that they become their quiet place, their sanctuary, instead of God.

In the place of cutting—the place of solitude—we must run to God. We must choose him instead of other avenues and coping mechanisms. God hid Elijah so he could be with him. God stopped Elijah’s ministry so he could focus on the Master more and be equipped for greater service.

Application Question: How do we know if we have learned the lesson of solitude?

1. When we have learned the lesson of solitude, we will zealously guard our times of solitude.

Solitude with God will become a non-negotiable in our lives, even if we’re naturally extroverted. We won’t miss it because we’ve learned that we can’t function properly without it.

Personally, in one season where God took me to the “cutting place,” my personality changed. I battled with depression for a year or so while in college and the military. During that time, I took a personality test, and for the first time in my life, the test said that I was an introvert. I needed to be alone. I coveted and protected that time because I realized apart from significant time with God, I struggled with great depression. Though I don’t have the same intense battle with depression anymore, the need for solitude remains. It was a lesson I learned in that season of trial which continues to bear fruit today.

Have we learned the lesson of solitude? If not, we will commonly neglect it for other pursuits. Busyness will crowd out our alone time with God.

2. When we have learned the lesson of solitude, we practice introspection—seeking to have a right heart before God.

In this season, God begins to show us things in our hearts that are not right with him. Lack of trust for God shows up, fear of people—what they say and think—identity issues, worries, etc. God reveals these so we can work on them. In Psalm 139:23-24, David said this: “Examine me, and probe my thoughts! Test me, and know my concerns! See if there is any idolatrous tendency in me, and lead me in the reliable ancient path!”

What is God showing you in your times of solitude?

3. When we have learned the lesson of solitude, we will zealously guard against addictions and timewasters.

This is how many Christians fill their time in order to avoid solitude with God and oneself. Addictions and timewasters actually hinder spiritual growth and short-circuit God’s plan for us in the Valley of Cutting. As mentioned, Elijah could have spent his entire time swimming and counting stars, but if he did, he would have missed God’s purpose in the solitude. It’s the same for us. Too much time on the Internet, playing video games, hobbies, social media, and entertaining unfruitful relationships or activities can be harmful for us, especially when they replace our relationship with God.

Have we learned the lesson of solitude? If not, addictions and timewasters often will crowd out our time with God and hinder our spiritual growth.

Application Question: Why are spiritual disciplines so important (i.e. prayer, worship, time in the Word, fasting)? What is your spiritual discipline routine like? How can you grow in these disciplines? How have you experienced seasons where God “made you lie down” (Ps 23:2)? If so, how, and what did you learn in those seasons? What are your time wasters or potential addictions? How is God calling you to guard against them?

The Lesson of Depending on God for Daily and Future Needs

Drink from the stream; I have already told the ravens to bring you food there.” So he did as the Lord told him; he went and lived in the Kerith Valley near the Jordan. The ravens would bring him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he would drink from the stream.

1 Kings 17:4-6

The next lesson we learn in the Valley of Cutting is our need to trust and depend on God for daily and future needs. How do we see this? This is seen in the fact that God ordered the ravens to bring Elijah bread and meat every morning and evening. From this fact, it seems clear that Elijah was not able to store up food for future days. God didn’t give him enough to store up for a week or even the next day. God miraculously provided his daily food. Elijah was learning to trust and depend on God, even for daily provisions.

One of the problems many of us have coming from developed countries is that we haven’t had to learn to depend upon God for our daily needs. This is because we typically have enough provisions for weeks and even months. Certainly, this is a blessing, and it is prudent and wise for us to live in such a way if we can. Working people, if possible, should save in case they lose their job, get injured and can’t work, or eventually retire. This is a wise and prudent thing. However, our affluence makes it easier for us to lose focus on God as our daily provider.

This was specifically a lesson God not only taught Elijah but also tried to teach Israel while they were in the wilderness, when he miraculously provided them with daily manna. Exodus 16:15-20 describes this:

When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” because they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you for food. “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Each person is to gather from it what he can eat, an omer per person according to the number of your people; each one will pick it up for whoever lives in his tent.’” The Israelites did so, and they gathered—some more, some less. When they measured with an omer, the one who gathered much had nothing left over, and the one who gathered little lacked nothing; each one had gathered what he could eat. Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.” But they did not listen to Moses; some kept part of it until morning, and it was full of worms and began to stink, and Moses was angry with them.

Why did God not allow the bread to last more than a day? Normally, bread will last at least a few days and up to a week. It certainly won’t spoil after a day. But, with Israel, God said that they should only get what they needed and not take any more. If they did, it would spoil. Why? It was because God was teaching them to trust him for their daily provision. He was showing them that he would provide all their needs. Consider how Moses explained the lesson in Deuteronomy 8:3:

So he humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna. He did this to teach you that humankind cannot live by bread alone, but also by everything that comes from the Lord’s mouth.

God wanted them to learn that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Every day Israel had bread; it was a gracious gift from the mouth of God. Because the bread was miraculous, the presence of it taught them that it was God’s gift to them.

See, when we have more than enough, our job is stable, and our savings is adequate, we tend to find our security in those things instead of God. Therefore, it can be difficult to learn the lesson of dependency on God for daily provision. Again, we tend to put our trust in our job, our savings, or our family. This is why Paul said this to the rich in 1 Timothy 6:17: “Command those who are rich in this world’s goods not to be haughty or to set their hope on riches, which are uncertain, but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment.” We should not put our hope in our job or savings account, which are uncertain, but on God.

Proof that we tend to put our hope in things other than God is seen in the fact that when we lose our job, scholarship, home, or retirement, we tend to get frantic. Those things represent security to us rather than our relationship with God. However, like the manna given to Israel daily, those things are simply provisions from the mouth of God. He spoke and gave us a job. He spoke and provided our rent or tuition through various means. Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Because we tend to put our hope in our provisions, God often has to put us in the Valley of Cutting by taking away or threatening those provisions, so we can freshly recognize that those gifts originally came from him. He uses the job, parents, or savings to meet our needs, but it ultimately came from him all along. He is the one who provides the mental capacity, physical strength, and open doors to work for provisions. It does not come from ourselves or others. At times, as with Israel and Elijah, he has to meet our needs miraculously to help us know and depend totally on him and not our job or savings. As Paul said in Philippians 4:19, “And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

God takes us to the Valley of Cutting to learn dependence. It could be through the loss of a job, a scholarship, or a disabling sickness. And in that season, he meets our needs in a variety of ways—sometimes by friends and family, a new job, or some other surprising way. He humbles us by taking away our perceived security, and then teaches us to rely on him. As with Elijah, every day God meets our needs in such a way we know it came through him.

Going to the Valley of Cutting is important because many think they don’t need God, and this is not just true for unbelievers. Though many Christians have orthodox theology, in that they believe in God, they are functional atheists in that they live their lives without truly relying on God. They believe their success is based solely on their own wisdom, educational background, work-ethic, and networking, which is why the Valley of Cutting is necessary. It teaches us our weakness and therefore need for God, even for daily provisions.

Application Question: How do we know if we have learned the lesson of dependence?

1. When we’ve learned the lesson of dependence, we guard our hearts against idolizing our means of provisions.

Again, it’s easy to start to see a job, career, education, a spouse, or parents as our providers or those who sustain us. We can tell that our hearts are idolatrous by how we respond to the possibility of our means being taken away. Often that will create anxiety or anger in the idolatrous heart.

How can we guard against idolatry?

• We guard against idolatry by always giving God thanks for his provisions and blessings, even when they are taken away. Giving him thanks for work, finances, education, family, and friends is a constant reminder that he is our ultimate provider. When Job lost his wealth, family, and status, he said, “… The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. May the name of the Lord be blessed!” (Job 1:21). Are we giving God thanks?
• We guard against idolatry by holding everything with an open hand. Again, when Job says, “… The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. May the name of the Lord be blessed!”, it shows that his focus wasn’t his family, status, or even his life; it was always God. He held everything with an open hand. Like Christ, we must be willing to say, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but yours be done” (Lk 22:42).
• How else can we tell if we’ve learned the lesson of dependence?

2. When we’ve learned the lesson of dependence, we devote ourselves to prayer, especially in trials and waiting seasons.

First Peter 5:7 (NIV) says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” And in the Lord’s Prayer, Christ taught us to pray for our daily bread (Matt 6:11). In the valley, God teaches us to bring our needs and desires before him and to trust that he hears, cares, and will provide what is best. Constant intercession helps us depend on God, especially in difficult seasons.

Have you learned the lesson of dependence on God for daily and future provisions?

Application Question: In what ways are you tempted to depend on your job, savings, education, family, or other things instead of God? In what ways have you experienced seasons where God was teaching you that he was your ultimate provider? How is God calling you to depend on him more in this season?

The Lesson of Contentment

So he did as the Lord told him; he went and lived in the Kerith Valley near the Jordan. The ravens would bring him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he would drink from the stream.

1 Kings 17:5-6

The next lesson we learn from the valley is contentment. Where do we see this? We see this in the fact that ravens brought Elijah food in the morning and evening. Something interesting about ravens is that they are scavengers. They are large black birds who are about two-feet-tall (61 cm), with a wingspan of over four-feet (122 cm).

An Unclean Bird

In Israel, ravens were considered unclean, and therefore, Israelites were taught to despise them. To touch a raven would make one unclean—meaning that he or she would not be able to offer sacrifices at the temple. Leviticus 11:13-15 (NIV) says, “These are the birds you are to regard as unclean and not eat because they are unclean: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, the red kite, any kind of black kite, any kind of raven.” So for a Jew, this might be the worst way to receive food. These were dirty animals that scavenged food even from corpses. For us, it might be emotionally equivalent to getting our food from rats, a type of scavenger we’re more accustomed to.

Torn Food

But not only would Elijah as a Jew have a problem with eating food delivered by an unclean scavenger, but he would also probably have a problem with the food itself. Imagine a raven bringing food; the food might come as a few crumbs here, a torn piece of flesh there. A raven is not a waiter at a restaurant who makes sure the food is heated and presented nicely. A raven tears food as it grabs it. For many, if the food doesn’t look good, smell good, or have the right texture, they won’t eat it. When they go to a restaurant, they say, “Oh, I don’t like this!” When someone asks, “Why?” they respond, “I just don’t like the texture,” “It smells weird,” or “It’s not hot enough!” Elijah had to eat food coming from a stinky, smelly bird that was probably torn in pieces.

Lack of Diversity

But, not only would there be a problem with the type of bird bringing him food and the manner the food came, but he would also probably have a problem with the lack of diversity. Apparently, he had the same meal every day—bread and meat. Granted, there could have been some diversity in the types of bread and meat (if God was gracious). But, to eat bread and meat twice a day for months would be difficult. Most, especially from developed nations, prefer more diversity in their meals.

It is very clear that one of the lessons Elijah was learning in the cutting place was contentment; he had to eat food from an unclean, despised bird, which probably would have been torn in pieces, with little, if any, diversity. This is a lesson God teaches all those he will use greatly, and he puts them in the cutting place to do so.

Israel

This is the same lesson God taught Israel in the wilderness. While there, they did not get the variety or quality of food they had in Egypt. God provided manna for them every day, and quite naturally, the people started to complain and murmur against God. They said, “Where are the bananas and fruits we had in Egypt? Where is the meat?,” and God judged them for complaining. What was he teaching them? He was teaching them contentment.

Paul

God taught Paul the same thing. Consider what he said in Philippians 4:11-13:

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance. I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing. I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.

He said, “I have learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing.”

We often think of contentment as only being necessary for meager or poor circumstances, but wealthy people also struggle with great discontentment, even leading some to suicide. And because of this, they are constantly seeking something new to satisfy them or bring them joy. Yet, Paul said he had learned contentment in both circumstances.

Paul said this was a “secret.” A secret is something that most don’t know. Most have never learned this secret, but it is crucial if a person is going to be someone God can use greatly for his kingdom—someone who can stand up to kings, false prophets, and rebellious nations.

Missionaries / Disciples

We see this practically with missions. Many missionaries don’t last a year on the mission field because they have never learned the lesson of contentment at the cutting place. They go to a different country and experience food that doesn’t taste or smell good, and they really struggle with the culture and being away from family. They have never learned the lesson of contentment in all circumstances and therefore aren’t effective on the mission field.

No doubt being aware of the difficulties of missions, Christ said this to his disciples as they went off on missions in Luke 10:3-7. He said,

Go! I am sending you out like lambs surrounded by wolves. Do not carry a money bag, a traveler’s bag, or sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whenever you enter a house, first say, ‘May peace be on this house!’ And if a peace-loving person is there, your peace will remain on him, but if not, it will return to you. Stay in that same house, eating and drinking what they give you, for the worker deserves his pay. Do not move around from house to house.

Christ said when you go from village to village, stop at a house, and if they receive you, stay there. Eat whatever they give you, don’t be picky, and even if the provisions are meager and you are uncomfortable, don’t go moving from house to house. Stay where God opens the door for you. Christ was teaching his disciples the same lesson—contentment. If they were going to be used greatly by God on the mission field, they had to learn it.

This is something the church has wholly lost; they have lost the secret to contentment. Consider what Paul taught his disciple Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:6-8:

Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit. For we have brought nothing into this world and so we cannot take a single thing out either. But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that.

Paul says we should be content with food and shelter. The Greek word for shelter just means “covering,” which possibly refers to housing and clothing. Paul essentially tells Timothy to learn contentment and to not chase the riches of this world.

Training

Again, in order to train us, God often places us in situations where we are uncomfortable; he allows us to have a difficult job, roommate, marriage, or church experience. Our natural desire is to quit, leave, and get out of the situation. However, we must be aware that there is a lesson to be learned, and that lesson is contentment. Godliness with contentment is great gain.

God wants to train us like he did his disciples, so he can send us out. He needs people that he can send anywhere and to any place. Right after God trains Elijah with the unclean ravens that he was raised to detest, he sent him to Sidon to a Gentile widow’s house that he also would have disliked because of his Jewish upbringing. If he was going to serve God and do whatever God told him to do, he needed to learn contentment.

For one would-be disciple that wanted to follow Christ in Luke 9:58, Christ declared, “Foxes have dens and the birds in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He challenged him to consider the cost of following Christ—at times he might be homeless and sleep in the field. Christ needs people who have learned the lesson of contentment.

Are you in an uncomfortable situation? Do you just want to quit or run away? Most times, that is not God’s desire for you. James 1:4 says, “And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.” He has great things to teach you in that place.

Application Question: Well, we must ask the question, “How do we learn the lesson of contentment in the valley?”

1. To be content, we must learn to recognize God’s sovereignty over every situation—that he is using it for our good and his glory.

When we recognize God as in control, not ourselves, evil people, random circumstances, or even Satan, we will experience more grace to be content. Ephesians 1:11 says God “accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will.” Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

When Pharaoh would not release Israel from slavery, Moses recognized it as God hardening his heart (Ex 9:12). When Satan attacked Job, causing him to lose his wealth and children, Job said, “The Lord gives and he takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21 paraphrase). They both saw God in control of their circumstances and the evil people they dealt with. Likewise, we’ll never be content if we don’t see God as in total control of our circumstances. We’ll find ourselves constantly frustrated at people and circumstances.

2. To be content, we must be careful of complaining and arguing.

Philippians 2:14-15 says,

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world

Complaining only makes us more discontent and tends to spread that discontent to others. When Christians do everything without complaining, they become lights in a dark world and demonstrate to the world that they are children of God. Not complaining should mark God’s children.

3. To be content, we must practice giving thanks in every situation.

First Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” When we give thanks in faith, even when things aren’t good, it increases our faith in God and our contentment. As we thank God and worship him, we begin to trust in his sovereignty, even over the inconveniences and difficulties of life.

4. To be content, we must draw near to God for strength to persevere.

In Philippians 4:13, Paul stated his secret to contentment which was, “I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.”

We can be content in whatever circumstance because Christ will give us strength, as we rely on him. By ourselves, we can’t do it, but with God, we can. We can eat food we don’t like. We can persevere through a difficult work situation or relationship. If it is God’s will, he will give us strength, patience, and perseverance to overcome. He’ll teach us contentment.

Similarly, Hebrews 13:5 says, “Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.’” The writer of Hebrews says the reason we can be content is because God is with us. Therefore, in order to have contentment, we must realize that we have all things in Christ and, for that reason, continually draw near him. Like Paul said, “I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.”

Are you drawing near Christ? If not, you will be prone to complaining and arguing like the world. Contentment is a virtue, and God can only develop it by putting us in less-than-ideal situations. Like Elijah, he puts us in difficult places and situations to train us in contentment. Those who are content, God can use greatly for his kingdom, because he can send them anywhere, to do anything.

Application Question: Why is contentment so important in serving God? How can we develop contentment? How has God trained you in contentment in the past? How is he training you presently, in this season?

The Lesson of Submitting and Trusting Our Future to God

Leave here and travel eastward. Hide out in the Kerith Valley near the Jordan. Drink from the stream; I have already told the ravens to bring you food there.

1 Kings 17:3-4

Another major lesson we learn in the valley is to trust God with our future. Elijah, who was serving God in Israel, was told to go to the Valley of Cutting. He wasn’t told why, how long, or when he could leave, but eventually, after the brook dried up, he was told to go to Sidon to be cared for by a widow (v. 8-9).

Now, as you can imagine, this was probably never part of Elijah’s plan for his life. The valley was not a luxury site that everybody visited. He could hide there because it was an isolated place where nobody wanted to go. Nevertheless, it was where God sent Elijah.

When God sends people to the place of cutting it usually is a time of discomfort. For many, it is the death of a dream or vision. It is not what they expected to happen in their lives. They didn’t plan to have this sickness; they didn’t plan to go into this career field; they didn’t plan to have to deal with this heartache; they didn’t plan to have to start taking care of aging parents or a sick child, but God did.

Jesus

This is a lesson that every person God will use greatly must learn. They must learn how to let go of their future and trust God with it. It is what Christ said before going to the cross. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but yours be done” (Lk 22:42). Father, if there is any other way, take this suffering from me, but nevertheless, your will be done. The valley is not a place where anybody wants to go, but Elijah went willingly. He didn’t argue or complain; he just submitted to God. The cross wasn’t something Christ wanted to go through, necessarily; it was something he willingly submitted to out of love for us and submission to the Father’s will.

In the valley, people often experience the sweet discomfort of submitting to God’s plans rather than their own. They often go through stages of not knowing what is next, as God obliterates their five-year and ten-year plan. There he teaches them to trust his wise and loving hand with their future.

For example, Abraham heard God’s call and left his homeland for the land of promise. But while there, he never owned the land. Later, God revealed that Abraham’s children’s children would gain the land but only after being enslaved for hundreds of years (Gen 15). Going to the valley means learning, “not my will but your will be done.” It means sometimes not knowing what’s next. It means being faithful where God has placed us, while waiting for his Word to come.

We also see this in the life of Joseph. When Joseph was sold into slavery, then placed in prison, he didn’t know how long it would last or what was next. He had to learn to trust God with his future.

As mentioned, many times the valley means a change of direction in life. It is there that God often changes our dreams, and because of that, for many, it is the hardest trial of their life. It can be especially devastating because many prepared to go a different direction for a large portion of their life, if not their whole life. However, at some point, God takes his holy pruning scissors and cuts away because he has better things in store. God at some point says, “No. I’ve got different plans. Do you trust me?”

For me, I had dreams of playing professional basketball. On a full scholarship during my sophomore year of college, I tore a piece of my achilles. Later, at a different school, I started to develop stress fractures in both of my feet. Eventually, I had to let the dreams of playing post university go. God slowly cut away from my life, preparing me for something else.

Application Question: How can we learn to patiently trust God with our future while in the valley, being pruned?

1. To grow in our trust for God, we must learn that God’s plans are perfect and good.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “Indeed, my plans are not like your plans, and my deeds are not like your deeds, for just as the sky is higher than the earth, so my deeds are superior to your deeds and my plans superior to your plans.”

God essentially declares, “I can see better than you. I know what you will encounter in your future and I’m preparing you for that.” The cutting season is intentional. It is a necessary preparation for our future ministry. Romans 8:28 says he works everything for our good.

Do you trust that God’s plan for you is perfect?

2. To grow in our trust for God, we must learn to not lean on our own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.” God puts us in the valley, in times of cutting, so we can learn to trust him, even when things are difficult and seemingly don’t make sense.

Are we willing to stop trusting our own wisdom and understanding?

3. To grow in our trust for God, we must learn to reject our anxieties and worries, as we rely on God.

Satan will try to use anxiety and worry to destroy us and remove our blessing while we’re waiting on God in the valley. We must learn to reject anxieties and worries, as we rely on God. Philippians 4:6-7 says,

Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Through praying about everything and giving thanks in everything, we can have peace that passes all understanding. At God’s perfect time, he will reveal to us what’s next. In the meantime, we must be faithful where he has placed us.

Have we learned the lesson of trusting our future to God? Every time worry or fear creeps in, we must pursue God harder, spend time in God’s Word and prayer. God has nothing but good things for us, and the valley is only a step towards those good things.

In 1 Kings 17:8-9, God’s word eventually came to Elijah, as God said, “Get up, go to Zarephath in Sidonian territory, and live there. I have already told a widow who lives there to provide for you.” Elijah then obeys and goes to the next stage of his spiritual development.

Application Question: Have you ever experienced a radical change in life’s direction that left you lost, confused, and maybe even depressed? If so, what happened? How is God currently challenging you to trust him with your future? How do you deal with anxieties and worries about your future in the cutting season?

Conclusion

At Kerith Valley, we see God’s process of continually developing the man or woman of God. Again, in John 15:5, it says every branch that bears fruit, God prunes so it can bear more fruit. God does the same with us. He often sends us to the cutting place to train us for more.

Have you been to Kerith Valley University (aka Cutting Valley)? Have you learned its lessons?

1. Have you learned the lesson of our responsibility to God’s Word?
2. Have you learned the lesson of solitude?
3. Have you learned the lesson of depending on God for daily needs?
4. Have you learned the lesson of contentment?
5. Have you learned the lesson of trusting the future with God?

Application Question: What stood out most in the reading and why? What questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Prayer Prompts

• Pray that we would grow in our responsibility to God’s Word—faithfully studying it and obeying it—and that God would remove any spiritual hindrances like unrepentant sin or spiritual apathy.
• Pray that we would trust God for our daily and future needs, that God would abundantly supply all our needs according to his riches and glory, and that God would remove worries and anxieties as we wait on him.
• Pray for grace to be content with God and his provisions both in times of prosperity and in times of need and that God would deliver us from discouraged and complaining hearts.
• Pray that God would increase our faith, that we would not rely on our own understanding, but that we would trust God with our past, present, and future.

Copyright © 2022 Gregory Brown

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After this the son of the woman who owned the house got sick. His illness was so severe he could no longer breathe. She asked Elijah, “Why, prophet, have you come to me to confront me with my sin and kill my son?” He said to her, “Hand me your son.” He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him down on his bed. Then he called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, are you also bringing disaster on this widow I am staying with by killing her son?” He stretched out over the boy three times and called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, please let this boy’s breath return to him.” The Lord answered Elijah’s prayer; the boy’s breath returned to him and he lived. Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upper room to the house, and handed him to his mother. Elijah then said, “See, your son is alive!” The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a prophet and that the Lord really does speak through you.”

1 Kings 17:17-24 (NET)

How can we develop a powerful and effective prayer life? Often, prayer is considered something secondary to ministry or as preparation for ministry. However, Oswald Chambers, the writer of the famous devotional, My Utmost of His Highest, rightly said, “Prayer is not preparation for the great work. Prayer is the great work!” It is by prayer that individuals are saved, relationships are reconciled, prisoners are set free, and nations are healed. Prayer is how we access God’s power and get his work done. If this is so, then we must ask, “How can we grow in prayer both individually and corporately?”

This question is especially relevant as we continue our look at the story of Elijah. In Scripture, Elijah is given as a model of prayer. James 5:16-18 says,

… The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and there was no rain on the land for three years and six months! Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land sprouted with a harvest.

Elijah was like us, and yet when he prayed for the heavens to be shut for three and a half years, it happened. He then prayed for it to rain, and it happened again. Elijah’s prayers were powerful, and James implies that our prayers can be powerful as well.

In fact, a powerful prayer life is a common component in the lives of those God used greatly. Abraham was a man of prayer—in his narrative, he is constantly seen communicating with God and even interceding for people. Moses, Nehemiah, and the prophets were also people of prayer. Likewise, when Christ was preparing weak disciples who would one day turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6), he constantly emphasized their need to pray. He modeled faithful prayer for them (Lk 11:1), taught them the Lord’s Prayer at least twice (Matt 6, Lk 11), taught them parables emphasizing their need to pray (Lk 18:1-8), took them away for prayer retreats (Lk 22:39-46), and at times rebuked them for their lack of prayer (Mk 9:19, 29). In the book of Acts, the world is turned upside down, in part, because the disciples developed powerful prayer lives (Acts 17:6). They prayed in the upper room and the Holy Spirit fell on them at Pentecost (Acts 1:14, Acts 2:1-4). They had a corporate prayer meeting after being told to no longer preach the gospel, and the building was shaken, the Spirit fell on them again, and they left proclaiming God’s Word boldly (Acts 4:23-31). They, like Christ, at times even turned down ministry because they needed to stay committed to prayer (cf. Mk 1:35-37). In Acts 6:1-4, they told the Jerusalem church members to find someone else to care for the widows because they needed to be committed to prayer and God’s Word.

God using people who were faithful in prayer is not just clear in the narratives of Scripture but also the history of the church. Martin Luther, upon being asked by his friend about his plans for the next day, said, “Work, work from early until late. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” When God raises up someone to mightily use, he trains him or her to be mighty in prayer. Therefore, as we look at Elijah resurrecting this young boy, which is the first resurrection in Scripture, we learn principles about developing an effective prayer life.

Big Question: What principles about developing an effective prayer life can we learn from Elijah’s raising the widow’s dead son?

To Develop an Effective Prayer Life, We Must Develop Strong Faith

After this the son of the woman who owned the house got sick. His illness was so severe he could no longer breathe. She asked Elijah, “Why, prophet, have you come to me to confront me with my sin and kill my son?” He said to her, “Hand me your son.” He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him down on his bed. Then he called out to the Lord…

1 Kings 17:17-20a

Observation Question: How did the widow respond to the death of her son, and how did Elijah respond to it?

In verses 17-18, we see how the widow responded to the death of her son. Instead of trusting the God who had faithfully provided for her needs through the prophet, she accused Elijah (and by implication God) of punishing her, reminding her of the sins she committed, and killing her son. Unfortunately, when many people encounter a trial or difficult situation, instead of responding in faith by praying to God and trusting him, they get mad at God and mad at others.

How did Elijah respond when accused by the woman? He didn’t argue with her. He immediately asked for her son, took him to the upper room of the house, laid him on the bed, and began to cry out to God for a resurrection.

Here we see the first step in developing a powerful prayer life: It is developing a strong faith. Why pray at all if we don’t believe in God’s power, wisdom, and goodness—that he desires to answer our prayers and that he will always do what’s best?

Again, at this point in Scripture, there has been no resurrection; therefore, Elijah is taking a leap of faith. No doubt, he must have rationalized to himself, “Cannot the God who created the heavens and the earth, stopped the rain, fed me by ravens and through this poor widow also resurrect this dead boy?”

This is an important step in developing a powerful prayer life. We must develop our faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Also, Hebrews 11:35 says this, no doubt in describing Elijah’s great faith, “women received back their dead raised to life.” Hebrews 11 is commonly called the Heroes of the Faith chapter, and apparently Elijah is given not only as a model of prayer but also of faith. If we’re going to develop powerful prayer, we must, like Elijah, have great faith in God. It takes great faith in God to move mountains, heal people, bring revival in communities, and be used in our weakness.

Throughout Scripture, the importance of faith is often emphasized as a prerequisite for receiving blessings from God. In Matthew 17:20, Jesus taught if we only had the faith of a mustard seed, we could move mountains, which probably refers to insurmountable difficulties. And likewise, when Christ went to his hometown of Nazareth, Matthew 13:58 says he didn’t do many miracles there because of “their unbelief.” How many people don’t receive from God and can’t be used by God simply because of a lack of belief? Faith is believing and trusting in God despite our feelings or circumstances. And when there is true faith, God often rewards it (Heb 11:6).

In Mark 2:3-5 and verse 11, we see a great example of faith in Christ’s healing of a paralytic. The verses say,

Some people came bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. When they were not able to bring him in because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Jesus. Then, after tearing it out, they lowered the stretcher the paralytic was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” … “I tell you, stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.”

Even though the four men could not get their friend to Christ because of the crowds, they were willing to climb the roof, tear a hole in it (regardless of damage and cost), and lower the paralytic down so he could be healed. They demonstrated great faith in the midst of what seemed like a closed or delayed door. The text says Christ forgave the paralytic’s sin and healed him because of seeing “their faith” (v. 5). Christ rewarded their faith by healing and forgiving their friend. Likewise, when Elijah was confronted with insurmountable odds—the death of the widow’s son—he did not give up either. He demonstrated his great faith by pleading for a resurrection.

Similarly, in order to have a powerful prayer life, we also must take steps of faith by bringing impossible situations and grand requests to God. Taking a step of faith doesn’t necessarily mean that God will always answer our prayers affirmatively, but it is often one of the prerequisites for God to do so. In James 5:14-17, James encouraged the sick to seek prayers from their elders because the prayer of faith will bring healing. Certainly, God will not always heal when elders pray, but according to James, taking a step of faith by seeking prayer from our leadership, in obedience to Scripture, is often needed for Divine healing.

Likewise, in James 1:5, James encourages believers going through trials to ask God for wisdom because he gives generously; however, he then prefaces this promise in verses 6-8 by saying:

But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since he is a double-minded individual, unstable in all his ways.

Apart from faith, we won’t receive anything from God; it renders our prayers ineffective.

Lifestyle of Faith

With that said, Scripture not only demands faith—trust and belief in God—when we bring our requests before God but also lifestyles of faith. Elijah’s bringing the dead son to God was just one step in his continual walk with God. Hebrews 10:38 says, “my righteous one will live by faith.” A lifestyle of faith is also a prerequisite for powerful prayer. Moments or steps of faith when encountering the impossible should only be parts of a faithful life which God rewards. James taught the necessity of a faithful life to answered prayer by applying it to Elijah’s effective prayer life. In James 5:16-17, he said, “So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness. Elijah was a human being like us…”

There are two types of righteousness described in the Scripture. There is the righteousness that God gives us by faith in Christ so we can be saved and not punished for our sins. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.” But there is also practical righteousness, which true believers must demonstrate as an outworking of their faith in God. This is the righteousness James is talking about. In John 15:7, Christ said the same thing: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you.” Christ’s words abide in us as we read Scripture, study it, and obey it as a lifestyle. When this is true, we will find that our prayers are more effective. This happens, in part, because as Scripture saturates our hearts, we start to pray God’s will and not our own. Our prayers become selfless instead of selfish.

Living in sin, and therefore apart from faith, hinders the power of our prayers. In Psalm 66:18, David said, “If I had harbored sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” When living in sin, David’s prayers were ineffective. To the believers James wrote, he said, “You do not have because you do not ask; you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions” (Jam 4:2b-3). Their wrong heart motives hindered the effectiveness of their prayers, and sin does the same for us.

In considering Elijah’s response to the dead son, we cannot but be struck by his great faith. Since God is honored by faith and rewards those with it (Heb 11:6), it is no surprise that God commonly moves on behalf of those who trust him supremely.

Application Question: How can we grow our faith?

1. Our faith grows by knowing God’s Word. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes from hearing God’s Word” (paraphrase). The more we know what God says in his Word by reading and meditating on it, the more faith we will have. (1) By diligent study, we’ll know God’s promises, which we can pray in accordance with (cf. Phil 4:6-7, Matt 6:33). (2) And when praying about something we don’t have a promise on, we’ll know God’s character and will trust him when he responds with “No,” “Yes,” or, “Wait.”

2. Our faith grows through disciplined praying. Communication is essential for trust. If we are not communicating with a person regularly, we will be more prone to doubt his or her character. Likewise, when we are weak in prayer, our faith in God, especially when in trials, will be weak as well. Like the widow who had seen God’s miraculous provisions, we’ll be more prone to doubt God or get angry at him and others when encountering an unexpected difficulty.

3. Our faith grows as we repent of things hurting our relationship with God. Sin creates distance in our relationship with God and erodes trust. Therefore, to grow in our faith, we must continually repent of wrong attitudes and actions hindering our relationship with God. When we repent, God is faithful to forgive and restore our relationship (1 John 1:9).

4. Our faith grows as we develop a history with God. As God parts our Red Seas, provides refreshment in dry seasons, restores relationships, and resurrects dreams, we’ll be more prone to trust him in the various stages of life. Elijah had seen God shut the heavens, provide food through ravens, and multiply oil, so he could eat in a famine which strengthened his faith to pray for a resurrection. Likewise, as we walk faithfully with God, our faith will increase, which will allow us to experience more of God’s grace through prayer.

Are we growing in our faith?

Application Question: What are some ways that you have developed a history with God—watched him provide in drought, use bad for good, and use you in weakness, among other things? How has your history increased your faith? How is God calling you to practice and grow in your faith in this current season of life?

To Develop an Effective Prayer Life, We Must Practice Private Prayer

He said to her, “Hand me your son.” He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him down on his bed.

1 Kings 17:19

After being accused by the widow for the death of her son, Elijah took the boy away from the mother, went to his room, and laid him on a bed before God. Why did Elijah not simply pray there with the mom? Why did he choose to be alone? No doubt, because there is tremendous power in the practice of private prayer. In Matthew 6:5-6, Christ said this to his disciples:

Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Christ said there is a reward for those who endeavor in secret prayer when no one is watching. This doesn’t mean there is no power in public or cooperate prayer, because there is, especially when done with a right heart. But God especially rewards those who are champions when nobody is watching, when it’s just God and the person. God favors and rewards those who diligently seek him in the quiet place.

Have we developed the practice of private prayer? Do we have a place where we consistently go to block out distractions and meet with God alone? Do we go there commonly to rest in our Lord and bring our requests and fears before him? This is something God enjoys and rewards.

No doubt, this was a discipline that Elijah further developed while at Kerith Valley, the place of cutting. While there, he was isolated from the world and grew in the discipline of solitude with God. Often, God uses trials to help us develop or restore our private prayer discipline—our intimacy with him.

Example of Christ

Certainly, we see this discipline in Christ who would constantly leave the disciples and his ministry to go up on a mountain to pray (Mark 1:35). It is very easy to be busy serving God and not ever go to the mountain to be intimate with him. Christ not only constantly went to a mountain, but he even went to the wilderness to fast for forty days before beginning his ministry—undoubtedly, a season of intense private prayer (cf. Matt 4, Lk 4). God saw Christ’s discipline and rewarded him. Luke 4:13 says that Christ left the wilderness in the “power of the Spirit,” as he began his ministry. After this season of quality prayer, God began to use Christ to do the miraculous. He healed people, cast out demons, multiplied bread, and turned water into wine, all in response to his prayer and reliance on God (cf. Matt 12:28).

What about us? Have we developed the discipline of private prayer—including getting up early before our family, roommates, and neighbors to be with God? David practiced this, even as Christ did (Mk 1:35). In Psalm 119:147, he said, “I am up before dawn crying for help. I find hope in your word.”

When encountering this impossible situation, Elijah left the widow and went straight to his room to privately cry out to God; therefore, God rewarded him publicly. Have we developed secrecy in our prayer lives? Do we have a prayer closet? Certainly, we should pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17)—at all times and in all places—but Scripture also teaches the importance and power of being alone with God in prayer. Again, Christ said, “But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you” (Matt 6:6).

Application Question: Why is the practice of private prayer so important? Where is your prayer closet? How do you practice intimacy with God in prayer? How is God calling you to grow in this discipline?

To Develop an Effective Prayer Life, We Must Grow in Empathy

He stretched out over the boy three times and called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, please let this boy’s breath return to him.”

1 Kings 17:21

Interpretation Question: Why did Elijah stretch out over the dead boy’s body three times?

After taking the boy to the room, Elijah stretched himself out over the boy’s dead body three times. We don’t know how long the boy had been dead, but as one might imagine, his body was probably cold. Elijah’s lips would be pressed against his lips, his chest against the boy’s chest, and his arms against the boy’s arms. Elijah could feel his cold and lifeless body.

Why did he do this? What did this do to increase his capacity to pray for him? It seems this created a form of empathy for the boy. By touching the boy’s cold lifeless body, Elijah was entering into his pain. Likewise, if we are going to be effective in our prayer life, we must learn how to enter into people’s pain and feel what they feel.

Christ’s Ministry

Certainly, we get a picture of this with Christ before he raised Lazarus from the dead. He goes to the tomb and weeps (John 11:35). He saw the pain—the effects of sin and death—and wept. For Christ, in one sense, it made no sense to cry, as he was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. Why weep? In mourning for Lazarus before praying for him, Christ felt the sting of his death, the pain of losing him, and the mourning of others. Christ entered Lazarus’ pain and that of his family and friends. Only after this did Christ pray, leading to Lazarus’ resurrection.

However, this is not only true in how Christ related to Lazarus before his resurrection but also throughout Christ’s whole ministry. Why did Christ become a man? He became a man in part to relate to us so he could effectively minister to us, including through intercession (cf. Heb 7:25). It is the mystery of the incarnation. He became like us so he could understand us and be our interceding high priest. Consider these verses:

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death.

Hebrews 2:14-15

For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.

Hebrews 4:15-16

So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Hebrews 7:25

No doubt, this is the very reason many of us struggle with prayer. We only know our own problems and pain and, therefore, struggle with interceding for others. Empathy—a holy burden—is very important for being an intercessor. For this reason, we can trust that this is one of the major reasons God allows trials into our lives. He does this to break us down and make us weak so he can empower us (2 Cor 12:7-9), but he also does this to make us empathetic, so we can feel and relate to the pain of others and pray.

This is one of the reasons that people with the gift of mercy are such good intercessors. These people have a God-given ability to enter into the pain of others and care for them. This gift continually brings them to their knees in prayer for others and also to their feet to serve them.

Application Question: What should we do to develop empathy, so we can feel others’ pain and effectively pray for them?

1. To develop empathy, we should touch those who are hurting.

Oftentimes, the best thing we can do is go to a hospice or a mission trip and touch the sick, the poor, and the hurting. By doing this, we start to develop a holy burden for a person or community that helps us faithfully pray for and serve them.

In Ecclesiastes 7:4, Solomon said, “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of merrymaking.” The heart of the wise—referring to those who love God and follow him (cf. Prov 9:10)—is in the place where people are hurting. It is there that they learn to love God and others better. However, the fool, who doesn’t acknowledge God (cf. Ps 14:1), only focuses on his pleasure instead of serving others in their pain. There is great wisdom in the house of mourning—it is good for us to go there. It is where we gain both wisdom and empathy.

2. To develop empathy, we must walk with the Lord.

Ephesians 2:4 says God is “rich in mercy.” Because of this, in the Gospels, we commonly see Christ having “compassion” on the hurting. Matthew 9:36 says, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Therefore, to grow in empathy, we must continually walk with God—the merciful one. As we abide in prayer, the Word, worship, and service, we will become more like him. In Philippians 1:8, Paul said that he actually longed for the Philippians with the “affection of Christ.” As Paul walked with the Lord, he gained his heart, and we can do the same by walking faithfully with the Lord as well.

3. To develop empathy, we must pray specifically for it.

In Romans 12:8, “mercy” is called a spiritual gift. And in 1 Corinthians 12:31 and 14:1, we are continually encouraged to desire greater gifts. Certainly, as James says, we have not because we ask not (4:2). Being merciful to others is not a gift that many pray for, but it is a gift that will enable us to both serve others and effectively pray for them. So we should pray for God to remove our hardened and often self-consumed hearts and give us soft, merciful hearts like his—ones that empathize with others, serve them, and pray for them.

Application Question: Why is empathy so important for intercessory prayer? What’s the difference between empathy and mercy? How have you experienced empathy by being with someone who was struggling or simply different from you? How is God calling you to grow in empathy so you can pray more effectively?

To Develop an Effective Prayer Life, We Must Practice Persistence in Prayer

Then he called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, are you also bringing disaster on this widow I am staying with by killing her son?” He stretched out over the boy three times and called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, please let this boy’s breath return to him.”

1 Kings 17:20-21

It must be noticed that Elijah called out to the Lord twice in verses 20-21. He called out to the Lord, stretched out on the boy three times, and then called out to the Lord again. What can we gain from that? Elijah practiced persistence in prayer. We will see this again when he prays for rain in 1 Kings 18:41-45. In that narrative, he prays seven times as he waits for a rain cloud to show up.

Certainly, we see the practice of persistent prayer throughout Scripture and commands for us to do the same. With Christ, right before he was betrayed, he went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray for three separate hours. During each hour of prayer, he prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but yours be done” (Lk 22:42). Also, in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, Paul shared how he prayed three times for God to remove his thorn in the flesh. He said, “I asked the Lord three times about this, that it would depart from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness...” In both circumstances, God said no; however, with Elijah, God was pleased to answer his prayer. Either way, persistence is an important step to developing a powerful prayer life.

God desires us to be persistent in prayer. Persistence shows that our petition is genuine and important to us. Many people lift a prayer to God and then they never bring it back up. Sometimes, our lack of consistency shows that we are not truly concerned or only mildly concerned with what we are bringing before the Lord.

In Luke 18:1-8, through a parable about a persistent widow bringing her request before a judge, Jesus emphasized the importance of persistence in prayer to his disciples. The text says:

Then Jesus told them a parable to show them they should always pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. There was also a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but later on he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people, yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out by her unending pleas.’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says! Won’t God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay long to help them? I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

In training his disciples, Jesus said that they must be like this widow by praying and not giving up. In fact, he implies that people who pray persistently will be in short supply when he returns to the earth (v. 8). He ends the parable by saying, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” The implied answer is “No.” People who demonstrate their faith by persistently praying will be in very short supply. Sure, some people will pray, but there will be very few “persistent intercessors” who turn the world upside down like Elijah and the disciples did.

We see another example of persistent prayer in the story of the Canaanite widow who approached Christ about healing her daughter who was demon-possessed in Matthew 15:22-28. In response, Christ first said nothing (v. 23), and then eventually he said “no,” because he was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. However, she persisted in asking Christ, and then Christ said, “Woman, your faith is great,” and he healed her daughter (v. 28). She was not willing to give up, even when Christ seemed uninterested in healing her daughter by being silent, or when he essentially said no. This is “persistent prayer” that God enjoys. Persistence is the fruit of great faith—faith that won’t give up regardless of circumstances.

In fact, God looks for people who will pray persistently and deploys them to pray over strategic targets. In Isaiah 62:6-7, God said this:

I post watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they should keep praying all day and all night. You who pray to the Lord, don’t be silent! Don’t allow him to rest until he reestablishes Jerusalem, until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth.

God strategically calls men and women to persistently pray over difficult situations, people, and nations. He commands them to give him no rest until he accomplishes his will on the earth. Unfortunately, sometimes he cannot find people to persistently pray. Ezekiel 22:30 says, “I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one.”

What is God calling us to continually cry out over, like Elijah? What is he calling us to persistently pray over to accomplish his will in the land? For many of our prayer assignments, we may never see the results in this lifetime. We will faithfully pray, God will eventually take us home, and he will call someone else to continue in prayer until he accomplishes his will. Christ told the disciples they were reaping where others had sown and done all the hard work. In John 4:37-38, Christ said, “‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap what you did not work for; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.” One day, the sower and reaper will rejoice together in heaven (John 4:36). Amen!

Are we willing to pray persistently? God looks for willing intercessors and puts them to work.

Application Question: Why is persistence in prayer so difficult? Is there something you feel God has called you to persistently pray for in the past? If so, what, and how have you seen the fruit of those prayers? In what ways is God calling you to pray persistently in this season?

To Develop an Effective Prayer Life, We Must Practice Fervency in Prayer

Then he called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, are you also bringing disaster on this widow I am staying with by killing her son?” He stretched out over the boy three times and called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, please let this boy’s breath return to him.”

1 Kings 17:20-21

The last principle we learn about developing a powerful prayer life from Elijah’s ministry to the dead boy is the need for fervency. Where do we see this? As mentioned, twice in the passage, it says Elijah “called out to the Lord” (1 Kgs 17:20-21). It can also be translated as “cried out” (NIV). This not only represents persistency but also fervency. It is clear that Elijah passionately prayed for the dead child. He was fervent, no doubt inspired by his entering into the widow’s pain and touching the child’s dead cold body.

We see the importance of fervency throughout Scripture. In James 5:17, it was used of Elijah’s prayer life. It says, “Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and there was no rain on the land for three years and six months!” Elijah not only prayed fervently for this child but also for it to not rain and then later for it to rain in Israel. His prayer life was characterized by fervency.

We also see this with Christ’s prayers. Consider how Hebrews 5:7 describes them before his death: “During his earthly life Christ offered both requests and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his devotion.” This probably refers to Christ’s prayers in Gethsemane before he went to the cross. Though he asked for God to take away the cup of suffering, he clearly discerned God’s will was for him to die, and therefore, he prayed fervently to be resurrected, and his prayers were heard (Lk 22:39-46).

In addition, Scripture uses similar language about the early church praying for Peter to be released from prison. Acts 12:5 says, “So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly praying to God for him.” In fact, in James 5:16, the KJV says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Interpretation Question: What does it mean to pray “earnestly” or “fervently”?

First, let’s consider what it is not: (1) It is not vain repetitions. Matthew 6:7 says, “When you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard.” Christ commands us to not “babble repetitiously” or use “vain repetitions” (KJV) like the heathens. This means we should not use rote, mindless prayers like many of us do when praying for our meals or even when quoting the Lord’s Prayer. (2) Also, praying with fervency doesn’t necessarily mean praying long prayers. We won’t be heard for our many words. Though persistence in prayer is important, Elijah prayed for fire from heaven in 1 Kings 18:36-37 with a short, quick, effective prayer, while the pagans had prayed for hours and received nothing. (3) It is also not conjured up emotions to act like we are passionate. Some will pray in a loud manner and it will be fervent; some will pray in the silence of their heart and it will be fervent.

Therefore, what is fervent prayer? Fervent prayer is simply genuine prayer that includes effort, sacrifice, and focus. It is prayer that fully engages a person’s mind, will, and emotions. It is focused prayer and not drifting prayer. It is God-exalting and not self-exalting.

Most prayers are not fervent; they are rote and casual, and often lack a truly engaged heart and mind. There are lots of prayers that are not effective because they are not earnest. To develop a powerful prayer life, our prayers must be fervent—engaging our mind, will, and emotions.

Application Question: What is fervent prayer? Why does prayer often lack passion and instead become rote, dry, and lifeless? How can we develop more fervency in our prayer lives?

Conclusion

As we consider Elijah praying for the first resurrection in Scripture, we learn principles about having effective, powerful prayer lives. This is important because when God sought to bring revival in Israel, he found a man of prayer. Prayer taps into the power of God to bring about truly great works. Likewise, when Jesus sought to reach the world, he raised up the apostles to be men committed to prayer, even more than ministry (Acts 6:6). In order to be used greatly by God, we must be people of prayer—not talent, ambition, wealth, or influence, which many expect—but people of prayer.

How can we develop a powerful prayer life which God can use greatly to display his grace to a lost and needy world?

1. To develop an effective prayer life, we must develop strong faith. Faith includes taking steps of faith as we bring problems and impossible situations before God. But it also includes a continuous faith walk with God where we practice righteousness and integrity, even when encountering difficulties. God looks for faith and rewards those who continually approach him with it (Heb 11:6).
2. To develop an effective prayer life, we must practice private prayer. Elijah went to his prayer room when tragedy struck. Where do we go? Have we developed a vital, private prayer life? We need to practice stepping away from busyness and blocking all things out to be with God. There is power in private prayer. Those who continually approach God in the secret place, he rewards in the open.
3. To develop an effective prayer life, we must develop empathy. Elijah stretched his body over the dead boy. He felt the boy’s lack of a heartbeat, cold lips, and lifeless body. We will never truly grow in intercession unless we develop empathy—a deep understanding and care for the needs of others. Maybe God is calling us to touch the leper and interact with struggling people to develop a love and care for them. In addition, he might be using various trials in our life to do the same—to help us feel and empathize with the suffering of others.
4. To develop an effective prayer life, we must practice persistent prayer. Twice, Elijah prayed to God for healing, and as we’ll see later, he prayed seven times for rain (1 Kgs 18:42-45). Likewise, we must continually bring our requests before God, even when there is no change or things get worse. There is power in persistent prayer.
5. To develop an effective prayer life, we must practice fervency in prayer. Fervency is an urgent passion for God to move. Elijah fervently cried out for the boy’s life. Christ fervently prayed until he sweat drops like blood. What are we fervently praying about?

Again, Ezekiel 22:30 says God is seeking for people to stand in the gap—people who will pray, and because of those prayers, he will move mightily to save people. Are we willing to allow God to develop us into effective intercessors? Lord, according to the riches of your grace, use us!

Application Question: What stood out most in the reading and why? What questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Prayer Prompts

• Pray for God to forgive us for our lack of praying, lack of spending time alone with him, and lack of caring enough about others to sacrifice sleep, work, and entertainment to petition for them and serve them.
• Pray for God to give us a heart and passion to pray. Pray that God would give us supernatural empathy for our family, our church, our co-workers, and our nations, and a passion to see them blessed and healed.
• Pray that we as individuals and as a church would grow greatly in prayer this year. Pray that we would not neglect our private prayer, corporate prayer, and seasons of especially devoted prayer.
• Pray for those who are dead in their sins to be resurrected to a new life—those who have rejected God to turn back to him and be saved. Also, pray for strongholds hindering the gospel and God’s will for families, workplaces, governments, and nations to come down, so God can bring transformation and healing.

Copyright © 2022 Gregory Brown

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