“But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands” (Jonah 3:8).
The Lord directs our attention to the Old Testament prophets. “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (James 5:10-11). He points to their patient suffering in order to obey him. He notes Job as an example of suffering affliction and patience in that suffering. Then He notes Elijah, another prophet who is a great example from which to learn.
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 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. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (James 5:16-18),
Elijah was subject to discouragement like all of us. When Jezebel sent messengers to tell Elijah she planned to kill him, he was greatly discouraged. He prayed to God, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers” (1 Kings 19:2-4). Why would not being better than his fathers discourage him? The Lord did not “hear” that prayer to let him die. We know the Lord expects us to be better than men around us (Matt. 5:46-47). We read that at another time Elijah tried to intercede to God against the children of Israel, but God did not listen to his words (Rom. 11:2-4). Why? Elijah did not know there were still 7,000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal; he lacked information about the whole picture that God possessed and so the Lord would not hear his intercession against Israel.
God would not hear Jonah’s intercession against Nineveh (Jonah 4:9-11), because Jonah lacked pity on the souls who had repented. He told Jonah there were 120,000 (probably children) who did not know their right hand from their left. Jonah knew the hearts of the people of Nineveh that they would repent if given a chance. That was why God had sent Jonah to them in the first place.
In order to have our prayers heard, the rules say that our request must fit into God’s work—not our own (1 John 5:14-16). We need to plead with God for each other (James 5:16). We need to pray earnestly and fervently, that we all might be healed spiritually and definitely rejoice at the conversion of every soul. Knowing this should make it much easier to pray for our enemies.
–Beth Johnson