Marcus Mecum - How to Be a Rainmaker
If you got your Bibles turn with me to James 5 and also 1 Kings 14. James 5 and 1 Kings 14. I’ll get to the end of that verse. It says, «The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. And Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain: and it did not rain». So, he prayed for a drought. I think a drought is a great imagery for fasting. How about you? Dry things up, give things up, shut things off, turn things off. But then it says, he didn’t just stop there. He prayed again in verse 18 and the heaven gave rain and the earth produced fruit.
When you hear of the word drought it seems negative, kinda like fasting. A lot of times people hear it, it’s like drudgery. It’s like a negative thing. Droughts are not positive. Famines, dry places, deserts, are not something we think about in a positive way. Yet, we see God’s people, throughout the scriptures, are led to dry places. We see most of the miracles or many of the miracles, and you can look at it on your own. But many of the great miracles that we preach about and talk about throughout all of scripture happened in the dry places. So, God obviously uses these places that we would consider negative, these seasons that we would consider not the best or the most positive. But we have to remember even though the gospel is good news, and it is good news, it’s bad news first. It’s death, burial, then resurrection.
So, we love to pray for resurrection, do we not? We love to pray for God’s blessing, and God’s favor, and God’s provision. We love to pray for all of the good things. But every now and then you’ve gotta begin with praying for some of the things that aren’t so nice to our flesh, right? Crucify your flesh every day. Crucify? That don’t sound very positive to me, does it to you? Die daily? I must decrease, less of me, so there can be more of him. On and on, we could walk through the scripture, or we could get to this statement by Elijah that he prayed for a drought. And for three and half years there was a drought across Israel. And we can see as we look at this text that there is divine purpose in life’s droughts.
In 1 Kings 17, the very first place we see the great prophet Elijah, probably, I guess arguably maybe, the greatest prophet in the scriptures. The first place he reveals himself is in chapter 17. The first few words out of his mouth where he declared a drought. He said, «It’s not going to rain,» and it did not rain. What a grand introduction that must have been. What kind of favor must have followed a preacher like Elijah? What do you think the crowds might have been with someone who says, «Hey, the next three and a half years are gonna be horrible, are gonna be terrible. They’re gonna be difficult. They’re going to be tough». He declares a drought, but the bigger reason is why?
Well, in 1 Kings 14, it explains to us what led to this drought. In verse 8 it says that, «God tore the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it to Jeroboam. 'and yet you have not been, '» speaking of Jeroboam, «As my servant, David, who,» listen to this, «Kept all my commandments, who followed me with all of his heart, to do only what was right in my eyes: but you have done more evil than all who were before you, for you have gone and made yourself other Gods and molded images to provoke me to anger, and have cast me behind your back». In other words, what this scripture is saying here is David kept God out front. Wherever God went, David followed. When God gave a commandment, David said, «Yes».
With all of his heart, he kept his eyes, the Bible says, on God. And wherever he moved, David moved. Wherever God led, David was led, 'cause God was out front. But then, the next verse says this man by the name of Jeroboam takes God and he puts him behind his back. It sounds subtle, but he’s just making the announcement. «I’m going to do it my way. You get in the back seat». And that spirit, that attitude, «God, I don’t want you out front. I want you in back». He eventually dies and his son Nedab comes on the scene. And the Bible says that Nedab did more evil than his dad did. And you continue to follow generation after generation of kings that were the descendants of Jeroboam. You begin to see it intensifies, and intensifies, and intensifies. And from one to the other to the other, they get evil in the sight of God. It was Baasha, and then it was Elah, then it was Zimri, and Omri. All of them did evil in the sight of God.
Finally, Ahab shows up and the Bible says that he did more evil than all who were before him. And when you ask, «Well, what was the evil? What was their sin»? The Bible announces it was the sin of Jeroboam. Again, the sin of Jeroboam is he just put God behind his back, not out front, behind his back. He didn’t want God in the driver’s seat. He didn’t want God to ride shotgun. He wanted God to get in the backseat. And by the time the Ahab generation shows up on the scene, maybe God was in the back of the bus, but more likely, he wasn’t even in sight because he had been so far removed from their lives. And so, this is the spiritual condition of Israel. Things had gone too far. Things had gotten out of control. And Elijah shows up and he says, «There’s only one way to deal with this. I’m calling a drought».
And fasting in many ways cause a drought. It says to the things in your life that have gotten out of control, things that have just gone too far, things that have happened that cause God to not be out front, but you’ve moved him in back. Maybe it’s just been distractions. Maybe it’s been busyness. Maybe life has hit you. Maybe something that is unfortunate took place in your life, and as a result, God has found his self in your backseat. God’s found himself behind your back. And fasting is when you call a drought and you say, «God, it’s not okay that you’re back there. It’s not okay that you’re not a priority. I want to get my focus back. I wanna make you a priority again. I want to put you out front again. I wanna put you first in my life because I cannot go into this year without you leading my life. I need you leading my decisions. I need you leading my feelings. I need you leading my relationships. I need you out front».
And sometimes, to get God back in the driver’s seat, what you and I have to be willing to do is call a drought. Dry up the disobedience. Dry up that angry spirit. Dry up the mediocrity. Dry up the addiction. Dry up the carnality and the negativity. Dry up my worldliness. Dry up my unforgiveness. Dry it all up. If there’s any attitude that puts you in the backseat instead of out front where you belong, dry any of that up as I move forward into this next season. Romans 13:14 says, «Make no provision for the flesh». The message translation says, «Don’t buy groceries for your flesh». Isn’t that good? And so, you have to call a drought sometimes on your flesh.
Several years ago, I heard a story about California central valley, one of the nation’s most fertile farmlands. And what they had to do was they quit pumping water to this farmland because of an endangered two-inch minnow. And this minnow was vital to the ecosystem. And so, their response, immediate response, was to shut off the water to these crops. Two thirds of California’s crops come from this land. It at one point was the most plush, fertile land in America, but now, it was completely dried up for a bit. And 60,000 jobs were at stake over a two-inch minnow. Whether you’re a fan of the story or not, I like the point. And the point is this, that a little minnow was endangered and so they had to go to an extreme move and turn everything off. And fasting in many ways is just like that. It’s turning everything off. And it’s not always a major thing. It’s not always a big thing.
You maybe be saying, «My life is okay. My life is going we», it’s a subtle thing where God moves from out front to be put in back. Sometimes it’s almost unrecognizable but you can hear it in your statement. «God gets it. He understands. He knows my heart». You’re doing it your own way. You’re letting your feelings lead you. You’re letting the recent opinion that you heard move you this way. Like the Bible says, «Tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrines». Just boom, boom, just all over the place. Can’t stabilize. Just because God’s just not out front. «Oh, he’ll forgive me. He’ll get over it. It’s fine. It’s not a big deal». Little things, small things, not major things, sometimes it’s a little minnows that are endangered.
The small things, like giving God the first part of your year. The small things like saying, «I am gonna fast. I am going to feel it. I am going to go the extra mile in this next season. My prayer time has», it’s just a little thing. It’s just a little minnow. Opening up the Bible and reading the scriptures, it’s just a little minnow. Can you be saved and get to heaven without all that? Of course. Just a little thing to say, «I’m gonna be in God’s house». Just a little thing to say, «I’m gonna use my gifts». Just a little thing to say, «I’m gonna honor God with the first fruits of all my increase». Just a little thing to say, «God, I’m gonna to care. I’m gonna love, and I’m gonna give my best to you».
Just a little thing. Just a little thing to say, «I’m gonna choose right relationships». Just a little thing and fasting cares about the little things. It brings the small things back up, the small disciplines. The little minnows that are endangered, that are vital to your walk with God. Just small things, just things that are easily overlooked. Maybe it’s even things no one even knows about. They’re under the surface things. They’re in the unseen places, but they’re small. But yet, if you’re not careful, it can lead to a great danger in the greater ecosystem of your walk with God. And so, fasting declares a drought for a divine purpose. God has a greater purpose for you than just allowing all of these things to add up and God gets further and further in the back. God desires to be out front again and so, you call a drought. You turn off one area and you turn on another.
Isaiah 58 says, «God will guide you continually and satisfy your soul in the drought. Your waters will not fail». That is the fasting chapter. Isaiah 58, God said, «Hey, you’re gonna be in a drought, but I’m gonna satisfy you and I’m gonna provide for you in that drought». So, let’s look at what happens when Elijah. He shows up on the scene. He declares a drought. And then seven things happened before what we read in James 5 happens, it rains again. Seven things happened. Seven things that I believe you can expect during your fast.
Number one, you will be supernaturally sustained. Verse 2 through 6 of chapter 17, the Bible says Elijah is led to the brook Cherith. He calls the drought, and God supernaturally leads him to this brook. God changes his food source. Ravens come and drop food down to Elijah. And the brook Cherith is located in a very dangerous, wild valley. The word Cherith means to slay. It means to cut. It means to pierce. And so, in order to be supernaturally sustained, you have to drink from those kinds of fasting waters. You have to be willing to kinda go down, not into the safe places. 'cause it’s a little bit of a dangerous thing when you really step out in your faith, when you really say, «God, I’m not gonna hold back on you». You find yourself having to drink from those wild waters.
And all of a sudden, the cutting begins. God begins to pull out that blade of fasting and he starts cutting the compromise. He starts cutting at the comforts of your life. He starts to pierce that pride. He starts to pierce your plans. He starts to slay self. He starts to slay our need for safety. And when you’re in a fast, it will lead you to the places that cut, and pierce, and slay. You see, fasting leads us to wild places. Fasting is not for the average church goer. Fasting are for those who say, «God, I wanna drink from the extreme waters of fasting». And in those places, God refreshes you like no other place. In those places, you’ll drink from the living water that’s only found when you go into the unchartered places that prayer, and fasting, and consecration will take you.
The second breakthrough that you expect is you’ll experience supernatural guidance. The next thing that happens is God leads Elijah to the widow of Zarephath. The first thing she says to him is, «I’m gonna make a cake and then me and my son are gonna die». This is a hopeless woman. This is a woman who has no future in her mind. She’s thrown in the towel. It’s over. And so, fasting will increase your sensitivity to go places you would never go. Fasting increases your sensitivity to reach out to people you normally would not. It opens your heart to the oppressed. Isaiah 58:7 and 8 says, «This is kind of fasting God chooses to loose the chains of injustice, to untie the cords of the yoke so the oppressed can be free and break every yoke».
Fasting is not just about giving up food. There is a purpose in it. And the purpose is, God will supernaturally guide you to places and people that are oppressed, and hurting, and hopeless. Many of the things we do as the church were birthed, the burden was beginning to be given in the fast. We knew what God’s heart was. We knew that there are people that were hurting. We know what the scripture says. But sometimes it’s like, you can’t do everything all the time immediately. It takes time to get. But during the fast, God begins to say, «Okay. Now it’s time to begin to meet this need».
We knew God’s heart was for the incarcerated. We knew God’s heart was for the addicted. We knew God’s heart was for the abortion vulnerable. We knew God’s heart was for the unborn. We knew God’s heart was for the broken and for the young. And we knew all of this, but yet it was in the fast that God gave us ideas and then the strategy begins to unfold throughout the year. And the fast, when we do it, it leads up to those hopeless places, and those hopeless people, those people that don’t think they have a future, those people that don’t think they have a chance. Maybe it’s a family member for you that’s just in a hopeless place. Maybe it’s somebody, a ministry of some type. Maybe it’s someone random that you run into on the street.
Maybe it’s some mission’s thing overseas. But you, if you’ll be sensitive to it and ask for it, you will experience supernatural guidance. What if every person that’s listening to this message decided to find the widow from Zarephath? If we all found someone that was hopeless, if we look during this fast and say, «God, use me to find one widow out there, one person that’s in a hopeless place, that’s in a place that they’ve given up». We would see tens of thousands of lives restored just by the people that are listening to this right here. And I’m saying Gods wants to raise up a church, not corporately only. Yeah, corporately we should be led. But individually, you should have supernatural guidance.
Number three, you will see supernatural miracles specifically with your children and family. The widow of Zarephath tragedy had hit. She’s holding her son. He breathes his last breath and dies in her arms. Brokenhearted, she brings the boy to Elijah, and she lays the boy in Elijah’s hands. Elijah stretches over the boy three different times. And then the Bible says he came back to life. It was in this drought that God raised dead things to life. So, during this fast, bring God the lifeless things. The widow gave her son to Elijah. What things are you carrying? What things are you burdened by that have broken your heart?
Give them to God in this fast. Let God stretch out over them. And make a decision, «God can do more with it than I can». Let God bring life into the lifeless situations. Let God begin to speak life into the areas of your family that the enemy has just spoken defeat and there’s no chance, and there’s no future. It’s dead. It’s gone. It’s over. Give that thing to God and make the announcement to hell that, «My family during this fast, I’m gonna draw all that bloodline. My children, my marriage», draw that bloodline in every way that you can. And like Joshua announced, «Me and my house, me first then my house, we shall serve the Lord». Supernatural miracle is coming to families in 2024 in Jesus' name.
Number four, you will see supernatural boldness. I love this part of the story. Elijah is going to confront Ahab and it’s during the drought. Bold. He’s gonna go and confront the king that has slaughtered every prophet in his mind in all of Israel. And as he’s walking to confront this Ahab, he finds a believer by the name of Obadiah. And Obadiah had hid 100 prophets in two caves and he’s been taking them food and water. He loved God. He loved God’s work. He was doing what he knew to do using his influence, his resources to protect and to provide for the things of God. But when Elijah sees him, he invites him to go confront Ahab with him, and Obadiah pulls back and says, «No, I can’t do that».
Stricken with fear, stricken with intimidation, worried about what would happen to him, what will he do with him. Elijah boldly says, «No, we’re going together. We’re going to do this together». And he confronted not only Ahab, but he confronted the weakness and the fear in his life. And as a result, Obadiah, Elijah together, go up and they confront Ahab, and they begin the process of turning the nation back to God. And this is the key that I want you to see. Your boldness is contagious. Your boldness will get on the other people around you. Your boldness has a way, just like fear spreads. That’s why all you hear about on the news, all you hear about everywhere is fear, fear, fear, fear. Everything you look at everywhere, it’s all fear, fear. Why? 'cause it spreads. It’s contagious.
Well, we need some people that will be just a little bold at some point and let that spread too. Let that courage spread. Come on, we need a revival of boldness. Just done being intimidated. Done being worried. Done living with that spirit of fear ruling our lives, our minds, our feelings. Can’t get joy in the day because we’re worried about tomorrow. And the Bible already says today has its worry, enough worries of its own. Why are you worried about all that? Does God not take care of the lilies? Does he not take care of the sparrow? What makes you think as his son or daughter, he’s not gonna take care of you? Live boldly. And the worse it gets out there, the bolder you should get on the inside. My God is the source, and I can live boldly for him.
When you read the Book of Acts, the reoccurring theme is boldness. Acts 4, the apostles pray for boldness to speak God’s word in the face of threats knowing that as they would speak God’s word, death was possible. And those prayers turned into prophecies. Isn’t that the best part? That you’re not just asking, at some point that prayer is a prophecy. You’re beginning to speak over your future, that, «I’m gonna live boldly in Jesus' name».
Number five, you’ll have supernatural focus. Elijah asked, «How long will you waiver between two opinions»? In other words, «How long are you gonna stay double-minded»? At some point, you have to get supernatural focus.