Prevailing Prayer
“And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.” – 1 Kings 17:7
“And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.” – 1 Kings 17:7
“Lord, I’ll trust You no matter what!”
Several months before saying that prayer, I had quit my job as a shipping clerk in a furniture factory to move to Chehalis, Washington, where my wife was needed to be the church organist. I found a part-time position relieving those on vacation at the Northern Pacific Railway. The first job was as a janitor in the train depot, and then as a baggage handler on the night passenger trains running between Seattle and Portland.
The position was full time during the period when most of the employees took their vacations, but then became quite sporadic, down to three days during the month of December. It was during the lunch hour, working the last vacation job, that I stopped in my tracks on the floor and prayed the prayer above.
Possibly Elijah prayed that same type of prayer as he watched the brook getting drier and drier day after day. But God told him what to do next and kept providing for him until the drought was over. The Lord also continued providing for my family. A few weeks earlier, He had unmistakably answered when we had no money and the rent was due. It had been my understanding that I could not apply for unemployment benefits in Oregon because I had voluntarily quit my job instead of being laid off. But I applied anyway, and the very day the rent was due, I received a small check from the Oregon Employment Service. The amount just covered the $30 rent and other bills, with less than one dollar remaining.
Then the Lord answered again. The railroad operates on a strict seniority basis, and in less than a month, a permanent position opened up. I worked for the railroad for many years, and today, many years later, I receive a railroad retirement check each month. Yes—for the rest of my life.
My wife and I have made it a priority to do what we felt God wanted us to do, even when it was not easy. We have found that the same God who undertook for Elijah, and so many others mentioned in the Bible, is still able and willing to undertake for us. God has never let us down.
Are you in a desperate situation where you feel like you are running out of options? Does it seem like the “brook” is drying up? Trust God even when things are difficult. Hold on in prayer and He will not let you down either.