The Prayer of the Righteous

1 Kings 17-19 Elijah is a mighty prophet of God. His prayers reach heaven and are answered with a mighty response. He prays over a child, and his life is restored; he prays over a sacrifice, and it is consumed. How about mine/yours? Do our prayers reach heaven? The psalmist reminds his reader that if one has sin in their heart, God will not listen. [Ps 66:18] This is the case of the wicked and false prophets of Baal.

Listen in to the dialog between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, whose demonstration and futility are viewed by his followers. There is no response from heaven to those, even with all their bloodletting, and Elijah uses that to mock them. Perhaps Baal is on a long journey, or he is indisposed. But, after many an hour, Elijah steps up to the platform and calls upon the true God, Yahweh. Then, all of heaven listens and responds and demonstrates the power of prayer. Truly, the prayer of the righteous has great effectiveness. [James 5:16]

The result was that the people fell down and said, “The Lord is the true God!” [1 Kings 18:39] Is this your response when you see the power of God in answer to prayer?