# 1 Kings 17 #soap ## Title: Does Prayer Matter? ## Scripture: (1 Kings 17:21-22) He stretched out over the boy three times and called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, please let this boy’s breath return to him.” The Lord answered Elijah’s prayer; the boy’s breath returned to him and he lived. (NET) ## Observation: When people hear that God is sovereign and His will is set, a question almost always bubbles to the surface regarding prayer. Why should I pray if God is already going to do what He is going to do? First of all, this reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of prayer. Prayer is not an “asking” session. We’re not crawling up on Santa’s lap and giving him our grown-up Christmas list. Prayer is about fellowship with God. Secondly, the reason we ask God for things is because He tells us to. Thirdly, yes, God’s will is sovereign. However, we have no idea what He will use to enact His will. He gives us the dignity of partnering with Him. It might be our prayer that He uses as His “means” for a miracle. God already had planned to heal the young man in the story. But, the text also says that God healed the boy when He heard the prayer of Elijah. We have no idea what God is going to do other than knowing the principles of His Word. Therefore, we pray and trust God to do the best thing. ## Application: Never stop praying. ## Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for giving us the chance to talk to You at all times.