Charles Spurgeon spoke of four “certain signs and tokens for good which prayerful faith clearly perceives when an awakening, a genuine revival is about to come.” Christians should regard the following things as clouds, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea.
1. A growing dissatisfaction with the present state of things, and an increasing anxiety among the members of the church for the salvation of souls.
2. When this anxiety leads believers to be exceedingly earnest and importunate in prayer.
3. When ministers begin to take counsel one with another, and to say, “What must we do?”
4. When we shall see the doctrine of the individual responsibility of each Christian fully felt and carried out into individual action.
Beginning with obedience, Elijah exercised faith and prayer to God, administered confrontation and tests with people in sin, and focused on God’s promises and prevailing prayer for revival and transformation.
Obedience
Elijah of Gilead said to Ahab that as the Lord lives before he stood, no dew or rain would come except by his word. God told him that He would command ravens to provide and water to drink in the brook Cherith east of the Jordan. The ravens brought bread and meat in the morning and evening besides drinking water from the brook. After awhile the brook dried up because there was no rain (1 Kings 17:1-7). God provides physical and spiritual food as you obey Him instead of trusting human strategies.
Faith
The Lord told Elijah to go to Zaraphath in Sidon where He commanded a widow to provide for him. He asked for water and bread after finding her gathering sticks at the city’s gate for her last meal. He said the bowl of flour and jar of oil would last until the Lord brought rain. She obeyed God’s word through Elijah and her household ate for many days (1 Kings 17:8-16). God calls you to serve Him by faith in His word despite appearances.
Prayer
When her son died, Elijah carried him to his own bed, called to the Lord reminding Him of the calamity, stretched himself upon the child three times and asked that life would return to him. The Lord heard Elijah, life returned and he revived. The widow said she now knew he was a man of God and the word of the Lord in his mouth was truth (1 Kings 17:17-24). God rises up the physically and spiritually dead to life in answer to fervent prayer.
Confrontation
God told Elijah the third year to show himself to Ahab that He would send rain on the earth. Ahab called Obadiah who was over the household, feared the Lord greatly and hid 1oo prophets in caves to protect them from Jezebel. Ahab and Obadiah searched for grass to keep horses and mules alive. Obadiah asked what sin he committed that Elijah would allow Obadiah to be killed by Ahab since he could not find Elijah. Elijah told Obadiah that he would show himself to Ahab today. He said Elijah was a troubler of Israel when they met together. Elijah said Ahab forsook the Lord’s commandments and followed the Baals. Elijah said to gather all Israel at Mt. Carmel with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah who ate at Jezebel’s table (1 Kings 18:1-19). Prophets confront leaders about their sin.
Tests
Elijah asked Israel how long they would hesitate between following God or Baal. The people did not answer. Elijah said he alone was left a prophet of the Lord. They cut up an oxen and placed it on wood with no fire under it. He asked the prophets to call on Baal and Elijah would call on God. The God who answered by fire is the true God (1 Kings 18:20-24). Prophets question people and set up tests to provide evidence so they will follow the true God.
The prophets called on Baal from morning until noon and there was no answer. Elijah mocked them at noon saying they should call with a loud voice since he might be asleep and needed to be awakened. They cried with a loud voice and cut themselves until evening but no one paid attention (1 Kings 18:25-29). False gods do not deliver in a crisis.
Promises
Elijah told the people to come near as he repaired the Lord’s altar that he been torn down. He took 12 stones representing the tribes of Jacob to build an altar in the Lord’s name, made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two measures of seed. He had four pitchers of water poured on the wood and burnt offering three times after cutting the ox in pieces. Elijah said to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel that he did these things at His word and commanded an answer so people would know the Lord is God and turned their heart back again. The fire of the Lord fell, consumed the burnt offering, wood, stones and dust while licking up the water in the trench. The people fell on their faces saying, ”The Lord, He is God.” Elijah killed the prophets of Baal at the brook Kishon (1 Kings 18:30-40). Prophets claim His promises through prayer so people know He is God.
Prevailing Prayer
Elijah said to Ahab that there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower. Elijah went to the top of Carmel, put his face between his knees and asked his servant seven times to look toward the sea. The seventh time, a small cloud came up from the sea. Ahab rode his chariot, but Elijah outran him to Jezreel (1 Kings 18:41-46). God fulfills His word through fervent and continuous prayer.
If you want to initiate city transformation and revival, do the following:
1. Obey what God is saying to you concerning your city
2. Serve Him by faith in His word
3. Pray fervently to raise up the spiritually dead
4, Confront leaders about their sin
5. Question people and set up tests to provide evidence so people will follow God
6. Claim His promises through prayer so people know He is God
7. Pray fervently and continuously to fulfill God’s word
