Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.
“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.
“There is nothing there,” he said.
Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”
The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”
So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”
Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

• 1 Kings 18:41-46

“Moody’s life and ministry is a compelling exception to the rule. His entire evangelistic strategy was prayer. That’s it. In an oft-told legend, many before me have recounted that Moody famously carried a list of a hundred names in his pocket every day of his adult life—one hundred friends who had no relationship with Jesus. Moody’s labor of love was secret, hidden prayer on their behalf. He pleaded with God to reveal himself to each of them in a way they could perceive and receive as eternal love. He prayed by name for their salvation.
“When he died, ninety-six of the names on that list had become answered prayers. A 96 percent success rate in prayer is not bad. I’d take those odds any day of the week. But it gets better. At Moody’s funeral, the four remaining names were each in attendance. Those four friends were, independently, so moved by the memorial service that they all came to faith-—at his funeral!
“So just for the record, how did a shoe salesman with a fifth-grade education become one of the most influential evangelists in recorded history? Prayer.”

• Tyler Staton, Praying like Monks, Living like Fools

Rev. Staton went on to say that he gave his church a challenge to do the same thing.  Nine months later, he told the story again and asked how many were still doing it.  One person raised their hand. Why is that one thing so hard to do that most of us fail in doing it?

The point of the Scripture above, which was used by Rev. Staton, is that if we love someone, and we want them to go to heaven, we should pray as Elijah did for the rain.  Elijah prayed once and he got the fire that consumed the sacrifices on both altars.  Elijah prayed seven times before the rain came.  And without the Holy Spirit, we cannot save anyone. We cannot save anyone, period. God does that.  D. L. Moody prayed for one hundred souls by name.  He made it personal; it was not “everyone on my block.”  He then kept at it for his entire life, and all one hundred souls came to know the Lord.  And for each one, he needed the Holy Spirit (the rain, the living water) to work in the person’s life.

We need to pray for the spiritual lives of those that we know.

It is not judging; it is loving them enough to ask the Holy Spirit to work within their lives.  If they are already saved, then that is a bonus.

Lord, guide me. Help me to create my list and stick to it.  Help me pray for people’s souls, by name.  In Your name I pray.  Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.