1 Kings 17:21 – Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.”
In 1 Kings 17, God leads Elijah to a place called Zarephath where he meets a widow and her son. By God’s power, Elijah does not one but two miracles in the lives of this family, the second of which is raising the son from the dead in the Bible’s first resurrection.
The curious thing is that it says Elijah stretched himself out on the boy not once, not twice, but three times as life returned to the boy. He wasn’t healed the first time or even the second but on the third time, the boy came back to life.
What circumstances are there in your life, your family or friends’ lives, or the life of someone you know that you feel like you’ve prayed for and wish God would’ve answered like simply rubbing the lamp and hoping a magic genie comes out?
God can do anything at any time in any place under any circumstances and as 1 John 5:14 says, “if we ask anything according to his will he hears us”. Prayer is meant to build our relationship with God and if you’re praying for something healthy and holy, God wants to answer our prayers because He loves us.
Even in this story of Elijah, God doesn’t answer the prayer until the third time. God wants to hear from you. Don’t get frustrated. If your prayer hasn’t yet been answered, pray again.
Is there anything you’ve prayed for that you need to pray for again (and maybe again)?
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