he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”
Ancient Jewish Historian. 1 Kings 19:4. Hi, it’s Nathan, and this is Day 19 of 30 Days of Prayer. A suicidal prophet. Yep. Elijah has had enough. You’ve been there—even if just briefly. That moment when it felt like your world had fallen into such disrepair that recovery was impossible and death a welcome reprieve. Perhaps you didn’t talk to God about it like Elijah did. Yet his desperate, death-by-God prayer, can be an inspiration to all of us. Reminding us, that even the most broken, desperate—even angry prayer—is heard kindly by God. And out of the greatness of his heart he responds with what we most desperately need at the moment. In this case, Elijah received a personal visit from God—and a new mission. In the end, this very human prophet was ultimately got to ride a chariot of fire into heaven. You and I may not have the privilege of a chariot ride to heaven—but we can have the privilege of experiencing God’s personal presence even in our darkest times and in response to the most disturbing of prayers.
