“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years, and six months it did not rain on earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain and the earth bore its fruit.” – James 5:17 (ESV)

One thing I love about the word of God is the details intentionally provided within a story. In the above scripture, it would have been easy to just say Elijah was a man who prayed fervently; yet there was intentionality to say “he was a man with a nature like ours.”

Rest there for a moment and think about the importance of this small yet powerful detail of scripture. As I reflected here, I believe the Lord gave us that detail as a reminder of how personal His word is to us. If you’re anything like me, it can sometimes be easier to read the Word as a collection of stories instead of reading it like the living and active manual that it is for us.

I am thankful for the gift of this detail to remind us how Elijah was no different than we are. He was an ordinary man like us. There was nothing special about Elijah that made him stand out amongst others yet He believed. He had the faith to say a bold prayer and God met him in his place of need.

How can we apply this scripture in our lives today?

1. We can never underestimate the power of prayer
2. We can remember that God isn’t intimidated by our bold prayers
3. We can never discredit ourselves
4. We can remember the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us

I am thankful for this Scripture to be reminded that Elijah as ordinary and imperfect as he was prayed boldly and humbly to God and because of this example, we have the opportunity to partner with God in the same way.