A Country brought to its Knees so that it might turn to the Lord

Elijah was a man who prayed that his own country would be brought to its knees so that it might turn to the Lord. James informs us that before he ever stood before Ahab, and told him there would be no rain but according to his word, Elijah had earnestly sought the Lord in prayer that it would not rain, James 5:17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

Elijah would rather have famine that would bring great hardship, but would eventually cause the people to turn to the Lord, than for the nation to go on in short term prosperity but ultimately bring down upon themselves the judgment of God.

He realised that this people would never turn to the Lord until they felt the iron in their soul, until they were brought down to the very depths of deprivation, where food and water, the bare essentials of life, could not be easily found or provided.

He further realised that the Lord had already taught the truth that in order for a person, or a nation, who had rejected the Word of God to turn again to the Lord they need to put between a rock and hard place. A place so afflicting to the soul that they begin to consider the things of God, Deuteronomy 28:23,24. Consider the days of the Judges and the Kings of Israel and Judah. This truth is often illustrated in these times.

It is only by God doing this that a person, who has wrongly set their affections on the things of this world, will ever be brought to see the folly of their ways. For folly it is!