When faced with trials, unbelievers, like the widow in 1 Kings 17, often shake their fists at God. Sometimes, they make one of God’s people, even someone close to them, the target of their anger. The widow asks Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” In today’s devotional, Dr. Michael Youssef digs into Elijah’s response to the death of the widow’s son.
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[00:00:00] You are listening to My Devotional, the daily devotional from Dr. Michael Youssef and Leading
[00:00:06] The Way.
[00:00:08] An Intense Prayer by Dr. Michael Youssef
[00:00:12] When faced with trials, unbelievers like the widow in 1 Kings 17 often shake their fists
[00:00:20] at God.
[00:00:21] Sometimes they make one of God's people, even someone close to them, the target of their
[00:00:27] anger.
[00:00:27] The widow says to Elijah, What do you have against me, man of God?
[00:00:32] Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?
[00:00:36] Elijah responds the way every Christian should.
[00:00:39] He does not return the anger, but goes to God in prayer, relying on God's power to change
[00:00:45] the circumstances.
[00:00:47] God then uses Elijah to achieve the first resurrection in the Bible.
[00:00:52] God does this historical miracle in the home of a Baal-worshiping widow in the lowliest of
[00:01:00] places.
[00:01:01] It's the lesson that when we pray and depend on God's power, He will pour His resurrection
[00:01:06] power on the people and plans in our lives.
[00:01:10] Elijah's intensity in prayer for the boy was effective as he literally puts his entire being
[00:01:17] into intercession.
[00:01:18] God honors this type of wholehearted devotion in prayer.
[00:01:23] Elijah also does not hesitate to ask God, Lord my God, you have brought tragedy even on
[00:01:30] this widow I am staying with by causing her son to die.
[00:01:34] Asking God why is not wrong.
[00:01:37] Gideon did it when he faced the Midianites.
[00:01:39] Job asked why when tragedy struck his life.
[00:01:43] Even Jesus cried out to his father from the cross, why?
[00:01:48] Yet they all knew that God is all-powerful and can restore health, life, and victory.
[00:01:55] With their son's resurrection, the widow finally comes to know God.
[00:02:00] She responds, now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your
[00:02:05] mouth is the truth.
[00:02:07] Does Elijah's intensity in prayer inspire you?
[00:02:12] Let's pray together.
[00:02:13] God, help us to pray with the kind of intensity with which Elijah prayed, believing that you
[00:02:19] will answer.
[00:02:21] Help us to devote more time, passion, and purpose to our prayer lives.
[00:02:26] We pray this in the name of Jesus.
[00:02:28] Amen.
[00:02:30] If today's devotional encouraged you, we'd love to hear about it.
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[00:02:39] My devotional is a ministry of leading the way with Dr. Michael Youssef.
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