Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit. (James 5:17-18)
As you celebrate Thanksgiving today, what are some moments where you have seen God’s provision or an answered prayer? Many of us have stories of how we saw God answer a prayer but, in the moment, we had no guarantee if it was going to work out or not. We had to wait for God to answer the prayer and trust the timing of His provision. At every point, the outcome was out of our control, but we chose to turn to God, who is in control.
When Elijah prayed, God answered His prayer, but it was never Elijah who controlled the weather or made the miracle happen, he simply called on the God who does miracles. James gave this reminder not to make much of Elijah but of the effectiveness and hope there is in going to God. When things seem hopeless, we can go to our God in prayer knowing confidently that He hears us even while we accept that the outcome is out of our control. On this Thanksgiving Day, we can praise God for His provision in the small things and big things, knowing that even as we pray, He brings all things together. This also takes the pressure off us—we are no longer trying to get it all right but those who surrender are trusting in a God to act just as we need.
- What are some things God has brought together in your life this year? How have you thanked Him for that?
- What are some of the things you are still waiting for God’s provision on? What has been hard about waiting?
- Pray and thank God for all the different ways you have seen Him provide this year.
