with Pastor Marti and Jessica McGrail

I’m sure Ahab thought maybe Elijah had heard some thunder, or maybe he heard rain off in the distance. But no, Elijah didn’t hear it physically; he heard it inside-in his spirit. I love the fact that Elijah announced his dream. He spoke it out. Words give life to our faith. Sometimes it’s good for you to tell somebody else what God has put in your heart. Spoken words have creative power. You can prophesy your future. And your child may not be doing right, but it'd do you good to tell your friends the next time you see them, “Hey, you know what? My child’s turning around. My child's going to do great things.� Your finances may be kind of low, but you need to make some new announcements. “I am blessed. I have the favor of God. Whatever I touch prospers. My best days are out in front of me.� Elijah heard God's promise of rain, and he believed it. Then he announced his dream and he took it one important step further. He went to the top of Mount Carmel, and began to worship God. I believe he went up there and said, “God, thank You that it’s going to rain. Thank you that this drought is ending. Thank You that you’re changing things.� He sent one of his servants out to the other side of the mountain to see if he could see anything up in the sky, but there was nothing. Well, did Elijah get discouraged? Did he say, “God I thought You told me it was going to rain. I thought I heard the sound of abundance�? No, he just kept worshiping. He kept thanking God that the answer was on the way. The servant went out six more times and came back with the same negative report; nothing. It didn’t bother Elijah. He just kept thanking God. Finally, on the seventh time, the servant said, “I saw a little cloud up in the sky.� And it wasn’t long after that before the heavens opened up and Elijah saw the abundance of rain that God had promised. But think about his. He heard it down in the inside before he ever saw it on the outside. He spoke it before it came to be. He repeated God’s promise out loud as a done deal – and it was. God’s Word is that certain.