Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.—James 5:17-18 (NIV)

Housecleaning is my secret super power. Not because I’m so good at it, but because it powerfully affects my mood. It soothes my soul to create order from the chaos of a messy house. Seeing immediate results also restores my sense of well-being—especially when I’m surrounded by the messiness of life.

And lately life has been very messy—not just for me, but for so many of my loved ones. Medical challenges, financial troubles, or strained relationships have all taken their toll. There are no quick fixes, and no shortcuts to take away the pain. Over and over again I think: all I can do is pray.

I hate this about myself. Even after walking with the Lord for over forty years, I still think of prayer as some sort of “less than” remedy. I struggle to believe my prayers are effective. Especially when I don’t see immediate results, or when the answers don’t match my expectations.

In his letter James reminds us that our prayers are powerful and effective (James 5:16). Then to prove his point, he gives us this example of a prophet from the Old Testament:

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. (James 5:17-18 NIV)

James insists that the prophet Elijah was an ordinary person—no different from us. Yet his prayers yielded extraordinary results. A cursory reading of these verses might lead us to believe that through prayer we can control the weather (or achieve any other supernatural victory). But studying Elijah’s story gives us a better understanding.

When Elijah prayed that it would not rain, Ahab, the king of Israel, had begun to worship Bael, a pagan storm god (1 Kings 16:29-31). Elijah’s prayer meant to challenge those who turned away from the God of Israel. Because people believed Bael provided rain, a prolonged drought would send a strong message: Yahweh, the God of Israel, is the only one who controls the rain. 

After three long years, God promised Elijah that He would end the drought. But first Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Bael to a contest to determine which one—Yahweh or Bael—is truly God. In the powerful showdown that followed, Elijah proved that Yahweh is the sovereign God. All of the people fell down and confessed Yahweh as Lord (1 Kings 18:1-39). 

After the Israelites had repented, Elijah prayed for the rain that God had already promised. Scripture specifies that Elijah prayed seven times before the rain finally started (1 Kings 18:42-45). The number seven symbolizes completeness in the Bible. This indicates that Elijah continued to pray until he received God’s promise.

A messy life, or a delayed response, doesn’t mean our prayers are ineffective. Sometimes God uses hard seasons so He can refine our faith, just as the drought did for the Israelites. But God also promises hard seasons won’t last forever (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). At some point, He will bring relief. 

Elijah reminds us that a prayerful life is a powerful life. His faithful prayers aligned with God’s will and purposes. And he didn’t give up when the response wasn’t immediate. When we follow Elijah’s example, our prayers will also be powerful and effective.  

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for reminding us that Elijah was an ordinary man, just like us. Yet he understood the power of prayer. We know the same power is available to us. May we faithfully pray as he did and experience Your power at work in our lives. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.