Where are you little cloud?

I sometimes wonder if we pray with a "I wish God would do _____" type mentality? When I think God wants us to pray big faith-filled mountain-moving type prayers...

In the last few days I have been reflecting on an account in the Bible where Elijah is moved by God to break the draught that ironically he prayed for three and half years earlier. (1 Kings 18)
Elijah sits on a mountain with his head between his knees and prays for what He believes God would like him to believe for. Then asks his servant to check for a sign of clouds, even rain, something to show his prayer had worked. Unfortunately he returns to say he can't see any indication God has answered his prayer, no cloud, not spits of rain, absolutely nothing.

So what does Elijah do at this point?
Does he then complain to God that prayer doesn't work?
Does he contact his closest friends for advice?
Does he give up and say "must have got that wrong" or "can't have been God's will"?

No he prays again and again until at the seventh attempt in one day his servant once again goes to investigate. And this time he comes back to Elijah with news of a tiny cloud on the horizon.
This seems to lift Elijahs faith and you can read about what happens supernaturally next.

But here is my point for you to think about today...
If James is correct and when he states:
17Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. James 5:17-18 NLT
Then what could happen if we don't give up, if we don't over think things, and keep praying again and again for what we are believing for?

To be honest I wrestle a bit with being equated with Elijah in any way, shape or form. Seriously I know who I am and I don't measure up to my imagination of him.
But scripture tells us we can pray, we can believe, and then we can see.
Jesus promised us that even with a small amount of faith mountains (seemingly impossible things) can move before our very eyes.

So what can you learn from this today?
I want to want to encourage you to avoid analysis paralysis, avoid rationalising faith, and join me praying for our own "I saw a little cloud" moments.

Something to think about...