The Most Ironic Prayer in the Bible

I was listening to a sermon by my old pastor, Lew Bennett, on the FBC Bassett Podcast today.  Pastor Lew mentioned something that I never caught before:

The Most Ironic Prayer in the Bible.

He was preaching on Elijah’s depression from 1 Kings 19.  He mentioned the irony of Elijah’s prayer in vv. 3-5.  Elijah’s depression was so bad that he not only wished he was dead, he actually prayed that God would kill him!  Now, we know that God did not grant his request.  Rather, He encouraged him and gave him many more years of powerful ministry.  But, fast forward a few years to 2 Kings 2.

Enter the irony…

In this well-known scene, Elijah is taken up into God’s presence in a chariot of fire.

So, as it turns out, God did the exact opposite of Elijah’s request.  Elijah prayed to die that day, and in the end, Elijah never died! Now, Pastor Lew’s main point was about winning the bout with depression, and I’d recommend you listen to the sermon.  But this point wouldn’t let me go.

How often do we pray out of desperation and ask God for something that is way off target?  We look at our present situation with our finite vision and knowledge and we cry out to God with some request that is all wrong for us.  God looks at our whole life all at once with His infinite vision and knowledge and gives us what He knows to be best.

You’ve probably heard the old adage about God’s three answers to prayer: yes, no, and maybe.  This is so true!  Sometimes we ask things of God that are all wrong for us.  What if God had granted Elijah’s request that day and killed him?  Think of all the ministry Elijah would’ve missed, the great works of God, and in the end, he would’ve missed escaping death itself!

Brother or sister, do not lose hope in the midst of difficulty.  Do not assume that just because things are bad now, they won’t ever improve.  Know that God’s wisdom far outreaches our own, and He knows what is best for us, even when we’re at our worst.  Pray in faith and hope that God will bring you through the trial, the pain, or the loss.

Do not pray in hopeless desperation, but rather, pray in faith, knowing that God listens and God cares.

Originally at Words of Reason