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<br><a href="https://www.brooklyntabernacle.org/devotional/20200204/waiting-expectantly" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="tx-link">Waiting Expectantly </a><br>Devotional for Today, February 4, 2020<br><br>“And Elijah <b>said </b>to Ahab, ‘Go, <b>eat </b>and <b>drink</b>, for there <b>is </b>the sound of a heavy rain.’” (1 Kings 18:41 NIV)<br><br></p><div>Wicked king Ahab <b>had led</b> the people into idol worship, and God <b>sent </b>his judgment by sending a drought //that<b> would last</b> three and a half years. During that time, the prophet Elijah <b>challenged </b>the prophets of the false god Baal; and when the people <b>saw </b>the demonstration of God’s power, they <b>cried out</b>, “The Lord—he is God!” (1 Kings 18:39). <br></div><div><br></div><div>As a result, God <b>prompted </b>Elijah to inform the evil king that there<b> would be</b> rain in the land once again. Everyone <b>found </b>it hard to believe, including the king, but that <b>didn’t deter</b> Elijah. Instead he <b>went </b>on a mountain, <b>put </b>his head between his knees and <b>began </b>to pray. <br></div><div><br></div><div>He then <b>told </b>his servant to go and check to see if there <b>was </b>a sign of rain, but there <b>was </b>no sign; <br></div><div>he <b>told </b>the servant to go again, and again there <b>was </b>no sign. <br></div><div>Elijah <b>told </b>him to go back again and again—seven times—until finally a small cloud <b>appeared</b>, the size of a man’s hand. And then it <b>got </b>dark; and finally, the rains <b>came</b>.</div><br><div>Why <b>did </b>Elijah <b>tell </b>his servant to go back again and again to check and see if [what God had said] <b>had come</b> true? Because when you’<b>re praying</b> and you <b>believe </b>God and you’<b>re standing on </b>his Word, you <b>have </b>a spirit of expectancy! You <b>know </b>in your heart that something<b> is going to happen</b>. <br></div><div><br></div><div>* stand on ; Be <span class="hvr">based</span> <span class="hvr">on,</span> <span class="hvr">depend</span> <span class="hvr">on,</span> </div><div><br></div><div>You<b> don’t buckle</b> under the pressure of having to wait. You <b>don’t give in</b> to the temptation of thinking, “Oh no, God <b>isn’t going to come through</b> this time!” Rather, you <b>assume </b>a posture of readiness in the expectation that God’s going to do it! <br></div><div><br></div><div>* come through ; <span><span>succeed in surviving or dealing with</span></span></div><br><div><b>Are </b>you <b>standing on</b> a promise from God’s Word and <b>waiting </b>for the Lord to come through for you? <br></div><div><b>Are </b>folks around you <b>telling </b>you that it <b>will never happen</b>? The Psalmist said to the Lord, “In the morning I <b>lay </b>my requests before you and <b>wait </b>expectantly” (Psalm 5:3). <b>Let </b>that <b>be </b>your prayer today as well!</div><br><div>Read 1 Kings 18:16-46 to learn more about Elijah on Mount Carmel.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><br></div>
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