Why did Elijah pray seven times?

Question

Elijah makes the statement

“And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18:36‬ ‭

(What things? Commanded no rain for 3 1/2 years or how to build the altar or both?)

When it came to the heavens giving rain again Elijah prays seven times.

“So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. And he said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." And he went up and looked and said, "There is nothing." And he said, "Go again," seven times.” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18:42-43

Why was it necessary to pray at all even? Once ought to have been enough surely! God said He would do it.

“And it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.”” ‭‭I Kings‬ ‭18:1‬ ‭

Answer 1

After many days the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.” (1 Kings 18:1) [ESV]

While a literal reading suggests all that is necessary for rain, is for Elijah to show himself to Ahab, the events which follow show that is an incomplete understanding of the word of the LORD. Obviously when Elijah first shows himself to Ahab, there is no rain, nor is rain part of the discussion:

¹⁷ When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” ¹⁸ And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the LORD and followed the Baals. ¹⁹ Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table.” (1 Kings 18)

The "word of the LORD" which Elijah received must have included the instructions to arrange the confrontation on Mount Carmel with the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. Also, it is clear Ahab attributes the drought to Elijah, not to the LORD. For Ahab, Elijah is the cause of the drought. For Elijah, Ahab's leadership is the reason the LORD caused the drought. In other words, if rain came just as a result of Elijah appearing to Ahab, Ahab would continue to see this national disaster as something from Elijah, not as something from the LORD in response to Ahab's leadership of the nation.

The underlying cause of the drought was Ahab's actions: abandoning the commandments of the LORD. The proper way to bring the drought to an end should have come from Ahab. He should have turned away from the Baals and to the LORD; he should have rid the land of the prophets of the Baals and of Asherah. That is to say, in the same way Ahab's wrong actions caused the LORD to respond by withholding rain, Ahab's right actions would have caused the LORD to give rain.

The point is the LORD does act in response to a leader's actions. When Ahab fails to respond, despite the events on Mount Carmel, Elijah has the opportunity to take matters into his hands. Notice the LORD simply tells Elijah, "I will send rain upon the earth." He doesn't say when He will do that. Obviously it did not happen immediately after the fire at Mount Carmel.

After ridding the land of the false prophets, Elijah could have simply "called it day" and wait for the rain which was sure to come. However, Elijah knows the LORD responds when a leader demonstrates they are committed to following the commandments of the LORD. What Elijah does next can be seen as something to cause the LORD to send rain right away, in response to Elijah.

The phrase, "I will send rain upon the earth..." recalls the first time the LORD sent rain:

For in seven days I will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the ground every living thing that I have made.” (Genesis 7:4)

In addition, the waiting period Noah is repeated two more times:

He waited seven more days and then sent out the dove again from the ark. (Genesis 8:10)

He waited another seven days and sent the dove out again, but it did not return to him this time. (Genesis 8:12)

Elijah knows seven days is the normal time to wait for rain, and it is the normal time man can wait. So rather then wait seven days for the rain which is sure to come, Elijah sends his servant seven times to look for rain. Elijah's actions demonstrate he knows the normal wait time for rain and for relief is seven days. By sending his servant to look for rain seven times on the same day, Elijah causes the LORD to respond and send the rain that day.

Answer 2

According to Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers:

Go again seven times.—From this delay of the answer to prayer Elijah’s example became proverbial for intensity and perseverance in supplication (James 5:17). The contrast is remarkable between the immediate answer to his earlier prayer (see 1Kings 18:36-37) and the long delay here. The one was for the sake of the people; the other for some lesson—perhaps of humility and patience—to Elijah himself. When the answer does come, it fulfils itself speedily. The “little cloud” becomes all but immediately (for so “in the mean while” should be rendered) a storm blackening the whole heavens, borne by a hurricane from the west.

Answer 3

The truth here is not Elijah praying seven times or sending his servants seven times or waiting for seven days .

The questions here are: Did God send the rain as he promised? Did the little cloud they saw later become a great and heavy rain that filled the land?

The answer is yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Our God is a promise and never fail God and what he say he will do he will do no matter the time. And we should know that God's time is the best, therefore the rain came at God's time and that was the best.

Answer 4

There is reason to mention Elijah's dramatic prayer to raise the widow's son back to life (1Kings 17:17-24) I think this is a great prayer and part of the line of divine intervention through prayer in His ministry. God shows that not only does he have power over the elements, He also has power over all human life.

Answer 5

wouldn't it be time better spent praying for rain in places that have droughts and people are starving NOW? in present time .. ??? than all this discussing the details of something that happened a few thousand years ago, the ACTUAL indisputable truth of which will never actually be completely 100% clear as everyone has their own take on what it all really means !!!

Answer 6

The text doesn't say Elijah prayed seven times, as others have already said. However, James 5:18 does tell us he prayed for it to rain, and it did.

When God instructed Elijah to present Himself to Ahab , He promised to send rain soon. Interestingly, there are no recorded instructions for Elijah to pray. This leaves us with a mystery, a question mark over why he felt compelled to pray.

But again, James 5:16 gives us a clue; it tells us the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was certainly a righteous person, and this is why he is used as an example in the following two verses (James 5:17-18).