Go Again
“So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.”1 Kings 18:42–44 (KJV)
After the fire fell on Carmel, Elijah climbed to the top of the mountain to pray for rain. “he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees.” Then he sent his servant to look.
“Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.” Nothing. Go again. Nothing. Go again. Six times the servant came back with the same report.
Then: “it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand.” Small, but enough. Elijah didn’t wait for the storm. He told Ahab to get his chariot ready.
James says, “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are.” He was ordinary, and he kept praying. If you’ve looked toward the sea and seen nothing, go again.
Count it yourself
Elijah told his servant to “Go again seven times” (1 Kings 18:43), and the little cloud came “at the seventh time” (18:44).
What have you stopped praying for because you kept seeing nothing?
Lord, teach me to pray like Elijah and keep going back. Help me watch for the little cloud. Amen.