25th.: Elijah’s Prayer for the Widow’s Son
Drought.(1st Kings 18:18).
No water. Little food.
During this time, God told Elijah to stay with a widow in Zarephath (1st Kings 17:9).
While Elijah stayed with the widow, sickness took the widow’s son's life.
Because her son died, the widow took it that God was angry at her for her sins (see 1st Kings 17:18).
Elijah took the body into a separate room and asked the Lord,
O Lord my God. Have thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? …
I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.” (1st Kings 17:20,21b).
God had commanded that this widow show hospitality to Elijah during the drought.
Elijah began his request by stating that the son was dead, and adding the question,
‘Was God going to repay her kindness, by taking her son’s life?’
Not dwelling on the complaint, Elijah then asked God to restore the son’s soul to the body.
If we have a complaint against the Lord, state the complaint.
But go on with the request, keeping in mind that the Lord has the prerogative to say ‘No’..
In this case, God brought the son back to life.
“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples. And they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (1st Cor. 10:11)