Pulpit To Pew

THE PRAYER OF THE TIRED
By: Rev. Arnel Tan

“Then he went alone into the desert, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” 1 Kings 19:4 (NLT)

All signs of fatigue and depression are on the red alert for Elijah! It’s a combination of physical and emotional and spiritual breakdown. Listen to his prayer and you will know that something is about to explode. Actually, Elijah’s prayer is a combination of a lot of emotions poured out before the Lord. Is it alright to pray this way? Honestly it’s more than all right I think we too must come to the point in our lives that we can honestly tell God where we are and what we feel! Prayer like these somehow allowed him the necessary breathing holes.

God is so gracious that he did not reprimand His servant from being honest. I have a feeling that we are to transcend our own superficial kind of praying into something like this. God knows how we feel, it’s really about us to humbly admit that things are not fine all the time even in the service of the King! Having expressed his in most feelings to God allowed the prophet to release something heavy in his soul pouring all it’s venoms into the presence of God. I see a whole lot of grace here from God.

God knows his request is foolish and his view is so selfish and yet He lets him. A bitter man cannot listen to reason. As I read the book of Psalms I see a lot of raw prayers expressed before the Lord. More than a therapy there’s a lot of truth that we need to learn from the prayer of Elijah, especially ministers who display all obvious signs of fatigue. Before we explode let’s learn to express. Pray!

God hears prayer and prayers lodged before the throne of grace must not be underestimated, for all you know this is the only way out of your valley of tiredness. Here’s the lesson, God is not unaware of our make up, He is our Maker remember? From adolescent to midlife and menopause down through our sunset God designed it that way. So that hotshot prophet and multi talented ministers might see who they really are! It is in this time fatigue that we really understand the real essence of what we preach. We are really desperately praying! Elijah’s prayer is revealing but pay more attention to whom did he address his prayer. And don’t miss it was in this posture of prayer that he found help and recovery! I think it’s about time that we try praying our tiredness to God Himself and discover that our rest is in God alone! I have a feeling that there are more Elijahs out there that need to pray the prayer of the sick and tired.