Elijah was a human

“Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and there was no rain on the land for three years and six months!”

James 5:17 NET

Have you ever thought that God couldn't use you because you thought "I have so many problems, and I have done some really stupid things that there is no way God could use me or answer my prayers." Look at what James said in chapter 5, verse 17. He said Elijah was a human being like us. In another translation it says Elijah had a nature just like ours. What James is trying to point out is that Elijah was an ordinary human, and that means with being human, problems come along. Yes, Elijah was a prophet...BUT he was also human which meant he wasn't perfect. It meant he flew off the handle at times, it meant he said some bad things at times, it meant he hurt people at times, it meant a lot of things...yet God still worked through him. I used to think God would not answer my prayers because I got angry, or I said or did some stupid things, or I lied about something to get my way. But when I realized that God already knew that about me and yet still chose me to be His, I started praying to God with surety that He heard me and was going to answer me. Now this doesn't give me license to do bad things, I want to make that clear. We should always strive to do better and correct our bad behavior. However, what it does mean is that God answering my prayers and working through me is not dependent on my nature, its all dependent on Him!

Take Away: the next time you feel like you can't pray to God because of something you do, remember the Elijah was just like us, and God worked through him...then go in prayer!