“Elijah was a man of like nature with ourselves and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit.”
The miracles attributed to those through whom the plan of the Almighty is worked are truly blessed unto them through the gift of strong prayer; I say not that anyone who prays with enough faith will gain whatever it may be for which they pray, as that would lead unto the destruction of the very righteousness that the Lord purports, but if something remains within the bounds of His holy will, then it will be completed. Elijah prayed according to the Father and His desires, wherein it should be found that it did not rain for years upon years in Israel; I know not if Elijah truly desired this outcome, but he was moved or commanded to offer prayer in such a manner, and therefore, he obeyed the prodding of the Almighty unto obedience. I personally believe that the greater degree of sanctification that a man achieves, the greater effectiveness his prayer will hold; not because the Lord values the words of those sanctified over others to a greater degree, but rather that the closer one draws unto the Almighty, the greater the understanding of that inscrutable will becomes unto that man.
When one comes to a greater understanding thereof, it becomes a much simpler matter of praying for the things within that grace; when one is young in Christ, barely understanding the meaning of mortification and repentance, the searchin out of the will of God remains a task seemingly reserved for those who have a more complete knowledge of the Most High. Indeed, comprehending His will aside from the acting of repentance and knowledge unto holiness would seem to be a task unworthy for those still struggling to overcome the temptations of the evil one; this is not based upon any Scripture, but the devil would like to confuse Christians into a failure to seek out the truth of the Lord; if one does not understand the completeness of His perfection, neither will they understand that will nor will sufficient strength be rendered unto them in their pursuit of righteousness. Therefore, Christian, you may see that when one is new in Christ, this is likely to be the most dangerous position in all of Christendom; for they know not yet right from wrong, their prayers might be confused and muddled even unto them because they know not for what they should pray.
At this same time, the devil is working incredibly hard to confound the mind thereof through his lies and deceptions: if he had his way, if he could work his will, then the Scriptures would remain a muddled mess thereunto and the truth of holiness would forever and ever be lost to men. However, Christian, this is one of the most blessed and guaranteed things for which we might pray: as Solomon prayed therefor, so we should ask the Lord forever and always to bestow wisdom and insight upon our weak minds. This is a gift that the Most High will never rescind nor will He ever deny. As He stated to Solomon: “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches of the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word.” This is the promise of the Lord: that whenever we ask Him for insight into a matter, it will be granted thereunto. There is no portion of the plan of God that does not involve His children coming to a greater understanding of the events therein surrounding, for this would be to hide knowledge from someone who desperately requires it, to mask the dangers of wretchedness and thereby make it more difficult for a Christian to overcome the evil one.
I insist unto you that everyone who asks for wisdom will be granted this gift: the truth that escalates therefrom will not necessarily be the facts that your flesh desires to witness, but it is guaranteed to be whatever is most beneficial to the ascension of your soul unto sanctification. As Elijah prayed that it might not rain and it was granted unto him, so we should pray that the Lord grant us blessedness in wisdom for the furtherance of our mortification; indeed, even the greater level to which we understand the promised of the Almighty, this will also give us a greater ability to sway the minds of the lost unto the way of salvation: this would lead, in turn, to a greater number of men praying that the Lord ought to give them wisdom, and then a cascading effect of salvation would wash across those with whom we pray. For the Lord of Hosts used the drought in Israel to challenge the reign of Ahab and Jezebel that they might repent of their idol worship and turn unto the truth of God; if this did not effect the minds of those wicked rulers, then the goal was also to convince others within the bounds of Israel that the Lord of God, not one of the Baals.
And herein lies the power of God: that He is sovereign and able to do all things, prove in many and numerous ways that He is the Lord of Hosts, and that there is none beside Him in wisdom, power and might. Therefore, Christian, why should you hesitate in asking this most wonderful God for the wisdom unto repentance and mortification that you might work in His service to the very perfection of your ability? Indeed, seeking out the wisdom from your brothers is an excellent source of understanding for tricks to overcome the battles in this world, but true strength of mind comes only from the Most High; your brothers are well and able to build you up in strength and mental fortitude against the temptations of the evil one, but to truly overcome these one must come to a greater understanding of the Lord God Almighty; if one does not comprehend the depths and wonderful grace of His holiness, then repentance cannot be effected in strength because the goal thereof remains murky. Unto repentance, ask the Lord to reveal His perfection and holiness that you might understand the absolute wretchedness that is purported by the devil: by this you will come to a greater knowledge of righteousness and your wisdom unto repentance will grow tenfold.