James 5:16b The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Early church tradition tells us James, the half-brother of Jesus, spent so much time kneeling in prayer that his knees became thick, leathery, and calloused, like the knees of a camel in the desert. The sincere prayer from a sanctified heart brings great rewards.
Elijah was a man of prayer. His prayer brought famine, fire and flood in the land. He prayed for famine to get the attention of the wicked king and the wayward people and turn their lives back to the Living God. He prayed fire on the sacrifice to bring penitence, repentance and salvation. He brought flood to drench the parched land and lives with the goodness of God. The humble and ardent prayer of the blameless opens the flood gates of heaven. Elijah had calloused camel’s knees!
A powerful prayer is not loud, long or laborious. They are soft, succinct and sincere. To bring fire down from heaven Elijah only prayed about 60 words in less than 30 seconds. The heavens opened and the fire fell on the sacrifice! The secret of his short yet significant prayer is that ‘he was a man of prayer’. He did not just pray thrice a day; he did not pray when he needed a miracle; he did not pray only when he was desperate – He was a praying man. The Lord God immediately responded to Elijah which means this was God’s idea and God’s will. Elijah stood on Mt. Carmel and called for a revival meeting. He summoned the people, King Ahab and the false prophets of Baal and Ashtaroth at the direction of the Lord. The fire falling revival was God’s idea, not Elijah’s excellence. Elijah just executed God’s plan.
To a man/woman of prayer, God will download his secrets and strategies. Calloused camel’s knees of prayer turn us into a praying man/woman with whom God confides His ideas, secrets and strategies.
Camel’s Knees:
- Secrets: The LORD confides in those who fear him (Psalm 25:14a).
- Strategies: The Lord will give us strategies to redeem, restore and bring revival to the nations.
- Significance: The Lord will make us influential and significant for His name’s sake.
The praying calloused camel’s knees will bring down fire from heaven.
Prayer: Jehovah Tsidkenu, God my righteousness, make my knees like the Old Camel’s Knees. Amen.
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