“So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees.” (1 Kings 18:42 ESV)
The context of the above verse suggests Elijah was praying as he “put his face between his knees,” and that’s very likely exactly what he did, but my curiosity is heightened because no other place in Scripture does it say Elijah prayed in that position. Just prior to this in verse 36, after the prophets of Baal made complete fools of themselves begging their lifeless idol to send fire to burn up their sacrifice, the Bible says that “Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed.”
In verse 41, just before he bowed and put his face between his knees, he told Ahab, the wicked king, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!” Remember, in 1 Kings 17:1 Elijah had told Ahab that it wouldn’t rain “…until I give the word.” Now he’s telling him the long, costly drought is about to end.
Is Elijah begging God to send rain? I don’t think so. The Lord has already given him assurance that rain is on the way. So, why the unusual posture? Because there are times and seasons when words can’t convey what’s on our heart. There are times the longing of our soul places us in a posture of prayer that gives illustration to the posture of our heart.
Elijah’s soul is celebrating! He’s so relieved because of God’s faithful victory over the prophets of Baal, there aren’t words to convey his gratitude. Couple that with God’s faithfulness in sending rain at exactly the right time and we have the recipe for inexpressible joy. So, why did Elijah keep asking his servant to check the sky? My sense is it was a matter of timing. Elijah just wanted to know when he should leave. He wanted to drain every ounce of joy and celebration from those moments. And, as the next verses described, he left right on God’s schedule.
How does all of this relate to us? Have you ever been on a spiritual mountain top? I have. Your heart is so full, your gratitude so heightened you don’t have words to express how you feel. All you know is that God has done something extraordinary, something you’d never experienced or felt before. His nearness is so real it’s like you could literally touch Him.
In my mind’s eye I see Elijah praying with his whole being and so forcefully aligned against the forces of evil he had no shadow of doubt the Lord would bring rain. It wasn’t a question of “if,” only a question of “how soon.” Is that your attitude when you pray? Are you so focused on the trustworthiness of God’s word to answer you pray with full expectation? Why would we pray any other way? To pray without expectation is to waste our breath.
What if instead we chose a position of worship that expressed to the Lord our complete confidence in Him without uttering a word? What if our very being reached out in awe and exaltation of our Savior, not asking for anything, but offering everything we have, are, or ever hope to be? What if instead of whining about what He hasn’t done, we worshiped Him with praise, honor, and offered Him thanksgiving for all He’s going to do for which we haven’t even thought to ask?
Might it move the heart of our Heavenly Father and put a smile on His holy face if we prayed in line with Paul’s words in Ephesians 3:20: “Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” without uttering a word!
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 