"And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain..."

"Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit" (Jam 5:16-18).

Why did Elijah pray that it rain not? And after God held back the rain for three and a half years in answer to Elijah's prayer, why did he pray again for God to end the drought? Elijah prayed for it not to rain because the people of God had turned away from the Lord to worship idols. Elijah wanted them to repent of their idolatry and turn again to God. Therefore, he prayed for the rain to cease. During the drought, Elijah had a contest with the false prophets of Baal, which demonstrated who the true God was when fire from heaven fell in answer to his prayer. As a result, the people began to turn to God. Afterwards, Elijah prayed for rain and God sent showers of blessings.

Like in Elijah's day, barrenness in our lives could be the result of idols in our hearts. Do you have idols in your heart? Have you allowed something or somebody take the place of God in your life and as a result your spiritual life has become unfruitful? Idolatry was not just an Old Testament problem. The Apostle John exhorted the believers in his day, "Little children, keep yourselves from Idols. Amen." (1 John 5:21). In Idolatry Condemned, Martyn Lloyd Jones wrote, "How am I thus to guard myself from idols?" He then gives three principles. The first "thing we must always do is remember the truth about ourselves." That is we are a child of God’s and "if we are of God and belong to God, then we must live for God, and we must not live for any of those other things." The second principle is "I must remember the true nature of idols." An idol is only temporary but God is eternal. We must remember that an idol, no matter what it is, is transitory! The third principle is "remember the truth about God and live in communion with Him." Jesus said, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my father glorified that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples" (John 15:7-8). If we allowed the things of this world to compete with our affections, devotion and love for God, we will not be fruitful.

The underlying motivation for Elijah's earnest prayer concerning rain was not about going on a picnic or even to end a famine. What was behind Elijah's prayer was a desire for revival to break out among his people. He desired for his people to turn back to God. Is your life spiritually barren and unfruitful? Repent of the idols in your heart and pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit to rain down upon you and make you fruitful to the glory of God.