從列王紀上十五章開始一直到列王紀下，都是同一模式。作者交錯著記錄以色列及猶大兩國諸王的興亡錄，並追溯兩國靈性低落的事件，間而提到先知(如以利亞)、國王(如亞哈)對國家靈性復興與衰微的功過。
        今天我們要看的以利亞，這位既神祕又富人性的先知，如何一夫當關的面對四百五十位拜巴力的假先知，又如何膽怯的逃避惡王后耶洗別的追殺。

        你常有不利己的禱告嗎？
        雅各書中(五：17，18)，以利亞被視為一個禱告人物的典範，他不是超人，而是和我們有一樣性情的人。他有疲倦、灰心的時候，有時也會憂心忡忡，但他的第一個反應，就是禱告中把困難交給上帝。
        他禱告生活中最突出的，首推他常有不利己的禱告。他求三年不下雨，結果連他自己賴以存活的溪水都乾涸了！他明知會激怒耶洗別，卻仍求天火降下燒盡木柴；他不斷的禱告：「上帝啊，我在這裡，求祢用我作大事。」
        檢視你的禱告生活，你是怎樣禱告的？「主啊，拯救那位鄰居。」或「主啊，求祢使用我拯救那個鄰居。」「主啊，安慰那個破碎的家庭。」或是「主啊，求祢用我安慰那個家庭。」想想你今天所面對的情形，並向上帝做一個對自己不方便的禱告。

小談慢跑的熱誠……
        為了保命，以利亞從迦密山一路奔到耶斯列，再奔往別示巴──距離約一百一十英哩！當以利亞「起來逃命」(19：3)時，他是絲毫不敢掉以輕心的。

我們不能一面過著失敗的生活，一面又期盼禱告有力。

English

        Chapter 15 begins a pattern that will extend throughout the rest of 1 and 2 Kings. The writer flip-flops in his account between the nations of Israel and Judah, first describing the reigning power in the North, then moving to the South, and so on. He traces the parallel stories of two nations in spiritual decline, taking time occasionally to highlight a prophet (-such as Elijah) or a king (such as Ahab) who contributes significantly to the spiritual rise or fall of one of the nations. Today's reading centers around the mysterious (yet very human) person of Elijah, the prophet who courageously faces a heathen Israelite king and 850 pagan prophets of Baal, only to flee for his life from the murderous Queen Jezebel.

        How often do you pray the prayer of inconvenience?
        In the book of James (5:17-18), Elijah is held up as a model of prayer. He was no "super saint" but rather "a man subject to like passions as we are." He got tired, discouraged, and anxious on occasion, but his first reaction was to take it to God in prayer.
        But the remarkable thing about his prayer life was how often he prayed inconvenient prayers. He prayed for a drought, then watched as God answered his prayer ... and dried up his only source of water! He prayed for fire from heaven, knowing it would make him a marked man in Jezebel's eyes. His constant prayer was, "God, do something great ... and I'm available if You need me."
        Examine your prayer life. Which do you pray: "God save my heathen neighbor," or "God, use me to help lead that neighbor to You"? "God comfort that heartbroken family" or "God use me to bring comfort to that family"? Take a situation you are facing today, and write out your own prayer of inconvenience to God.

And Speaking of Jogging Enthusiasts . . . —
        With his life on the line, Elijah ran from Mount Carmel to Jezreel to Beersheba—a distance of about 110 miles! When Elijah "went for his life" (19:3), he took no chances.

We cannot expect to live defectively and pray effectively.