Sound of Abundance of Rain
I Kings 18:41-46
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And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound
of abundance of rain.
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So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of
Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between
his knees,
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And 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.
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And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth
a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto
Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
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And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with
clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to
Jezreel.
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And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and
ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
• Here we see Israel is being ruled by a wicked king named Ahab.
o He has not only led Israel away from God into Idolatry but he
has also married a woman named Jezebel.
o Together they led the children of Israel into deep rebellion and
false worship.
• God raised up a prophet that would not be shaken.
o God raised up a man that would not compromise.
o And God sent him to confront this spirit of wickedness and
false religion.
o Elijah confronted Ahab and the false prophets of Baal and
called fire down from heaven.
• Now the people have repented and the false prophets have all been
destroyed.
• In our text the Prophet, the man of God has prophesied the rain is
coming.
o The drought is over.
o He tells Ahab don't worry be happy the rain is on its way.
o So Ahab goes up to eat and drink, But Elijah goes away by
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himself along with his servant and throws himself down to the
earth and begins to pray.
He sends his servant out to look toward the sea to see if there is
any evidence of a change coming, to see if there is any sign of
the rain coming.
His servant comes back with a bad report…
 An empty report…
 A negative report…
 He comes back with nothing.
 He reports to the man of God, there is nothing.
Six times the servant leaves the man of God to wrestle with
God while he scans the heavens for a sign.
Six times the report comes back the same, there is nothing.
 There was no mistaking his words…
 They were clear, they were sharp, and they were to the
point.
 There is nothing.
• No doubt these words had an effect on Elijah.
o But a true man of faith is not shaken by what they see or don't
see.
o Instead of being discouraged, and giving up, Elijah turns up the
heat…
 He presses his request…
 He intensifies his prayer….
o He takes the negative report as a challenge to the Word of God.
o God had told him to appear before Ahab and he would send the
rain.
 He stands on the Word of God…
 And the Bible says: he prayed fervently.
 Fervently means white hot.
 Finally on the 7th time his servant returns with a side
note.
 There is still nothing…
 But I saw a little cloud the size of a man's hand rising up
out of the sea.
• The poor servant was ready to hear those familiar words go look
again.
o Instead Elijah jumps up off his knees and sends his servant a
different direction with a new order a new instruction.
o He says go tell Ahab to hitch up his chariot and get down off
this mountain for there is the sound of the abundance of rain.
 There is the sound of a down pour, a deluge, an
extremely heavy hard rain.
• And this is the word that has God put in my spirit…
o I am here to tell someone today…
o In the place where you may have said there is nothing there
shall come forth an abundance.
o I don't know who I'm talking to, and I don't know what that
means to you, but you do.
o Somebody has heard those words (there is nothing) not once,
not twice, not 3 times, but over and over again.
 There is nothing…
 There's no money…
 There's no hope…
 There's no way…
 There's no love…
 There's no chance…
 There's no change…
 There's nothing left…
 There's nothing we can do…
 Those words are meant to signify the end.
 In other words:
• You can quit praying now….
• Quit confessing…
• Quit believing….
• Quit hoping…
• Quit expecting…
• Quit dreaming…
• Quit looking…
• Quit praising…
• Quit marching…
o But I came to tell you…
o Because in the same place where they said there is nothing shall
come forth and abundance.
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Don't quit…
Don't quit believing…
Don't quit confessing God's Word….
Don't quit marching around the walls…
o Because in the same place where they said there is nothing shall
come forth and abundance
 They may mean your doctor…
 They may mean your banker…
 They may mean your lawyer…
 They may mean your husband…
 They may mean your wife….
 Or they may mean your prodigals, who have said to you
I'm never going to serve God so quit wasting your time
praying for me.
 They may even be religious people around you, who are
telling you to give up on your dream, they say there's
nothing, it's never going to happen.
 They may be your circumstances that stand in total
absolute contradiction to your faith.
o But I remind you it always gets the darkest just before the
dawn.
 Warfare surrounds the birth of a miracle.
 A woman never comes closer to dying then when giving
birth.
 Just before your break through you will fight your
greatest battle.
• Let me say it like this:
o Your abundance is just beyond nothing.
 You say I can’t see nothing…
 I don't feel nothing…
 I don’t have any evidence…
o I may not have any evidence from a natural perspective, but
I’ve got confidence, (God’s Word is true)
o You're in the perfect position for a miracle.
• Peter fished all night and caught nothing…
o But with one word from Jesus he went from nothing to
abundance...
 He went from nothing to overflow…
 From nothing to too much…
o He had to call his partners to bring their boat and both boats
were overloaded and began to sink.
• Someone needs to know today, it's closer than you think.
o Your miracle…
o Your healing…
o Your breakthrough…
 It's closer than you think…
o You're on the brink of a breakthrough…
o Why do you think hell has been fighting you so hard?
o I know you can't see it, but God's been working in the dark.
 God works the night shift.
o He does his best work in the night seasons of your life.
o Even when you can't trace his hands you can trust his heart.
o And whether we can see it or not, all things work together for
your good that love the Lord and are called according to His
purpose.
 The good the bad and the ugly.
• Isaac was dwelling in a land stricken with famine.
o That means no rain…
 Severe drought…
 No crops…
o It was a desolate place, and horrible conditions.
o He thought he needed to go to another place…
 Look for better conditions…
 Look for a better environment…
 Look for better weather…
 Look for better ground…
o But God said no.
 Stay here and sow your seed here where there is nothing.
o No doubt Isaac was criticized and ridiculed…
o No doubt they called him a fool for wasting his seed sowing in
a drought stricken land.
o But Isaac obeyed the Lord and sowed his seed in that land
where there was nothing and there came forth and abundance.
 He reaped in the same year a hundred fold in the very
same place.
• I want to tell somebody who is looking for a better place…
o You may be looking for a better environment…
o You may be looking for more favorable circumstances.
• I want to tell you hold on…
o God is going to bless you right where you are.
o In the place where they said there is nothing, shall come forth
an abundance.
• I know it's hard to keep marching when there is no visible evidence of
change.
o I know it's hard to keep tithing and sowing your seed when
you're in a financial famine.
o I know it's hard to praise God for healing when your body is
wrecked with pain.
o I know it's hard to stay positive when everything you see is
negative.
o I know it's hard to believe for rain when you've been in a long
drought season.
• I know by the Spirit I'm talking to some people who have been in a
long drought season.
o Drought means scarcity…
o Drought means lack…
o Drought means deficiency…
o Drought means emptiness and dryness…
o Drought means no water…
o Drought means a shortage of want…
o Drought means a shortage of need…
• It may be a spiritual drought…
o Maybe you haven't felt God in a long time, and your spirit is
dry and empty.
o It may be a drought in your finances.
o It may be a drought in your marriage…
 Maybe you're running on empty and you may feel like all
the love is gone, and there's nothing left.
o It may be a drought in your health…
 You've been in a long hard battle and you're exhausted
and worn out and you don't feel like you can fight one
more day, your empty.
• I came to declare to you tonight by the word of the Lord.
o The drought is breaking.
o There's a drought busting anointing in this place.
• Somebody needs to lift your hands right now and thank God that the
drought is breaking.
o I hear the sound of the abundance of rain.
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I've heard all the negative reports…
I've heard all the discouraging words…
I've heard all the dream killers and faith assassinators…
I've heard the dry bones talking about how to dry they are and
how hopeless it is…
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I've heard the weather report…
No relief in sight….
There's no rain in the forecast Elijah…
They say the drought continues Elijah….
• But I'm like Elijah tonight – I'm tuned in to a different frequency and
I'm hearing heavens forecast and heavens forecast is predicting heavy
amounts of rain.
o Heaven's forecast is predicting flash flooding, you are in the
warned areas tonight.
• Elijah was standing in the place where he heard the words there is
nothing, now turns around and says, I hear the sound of the abundance
of rain.
o In other words, it's already been released in the heavens, it’s on
its way.
• Let me pause here to tell somebody, it’s on its way.
o Look at your neighbor and say, “It’s on its way.”
o It's closer than you think.
o Heaven's radar has already located it.
 It’s in your county.
 It’s in your town.
 It's in your neighborhood.
 It's coming down your road.
 It’s coming to your house.
• I don't know who I'm talking to tonight, but God told me to tell you
the drought is over.
• The anointing is changing your season right now.
o That yoke destroying, burden removing, anointing, is in this
house right now.
• The servant comes back the 7th time, he says, “I don't know what this
means but I see a little cloud the size of a mans hand.”
o Elijah knew what it meant…
 It meant my prayer has been heard…
 Your prayer has been heard…
 The answer is on it’s way…
o God told me to tell somebody tonight – your prayer has been
heard, and the answer is on its way.
• Your prayers have not been in vain…
o Your praise has not been in vain…
o Your sowing has not been in vain….
o Your tithing has not been in vain…
o Your faithfulness has not been in vain…
o Your obedience has not been in vain….
• God is getting ready to reward you.
o Blessings are coming your way.
o Abundance is coming your way.
o Joy unspeakable and full of glory is coming your way.
o Your tears of sorrow are getting ready to turn into tears of joy.
• You may be standing in the middle of the desert and you may be
staring at nothing but sand…
o Or you may be standing in the middle of the valley of dry bones
with nothing but death and desolation and emptiness and
confusion all around you.
o But let me remind you that it was in Ezekiel’s bone yard that
the wind of God began to blow and put back together
everything that had been stolen and had been broken was raised
up into mighty army.
• Let me say it one more time.
o In the place where they said there is nothing, shall come forth
an abundance.
• Somebody in this house – you've been in a drought, but the drought is
breaking.
o The rain is falling.
o The wind is blowing.
o The anointing is flowing.
• Who am I talking to tonight?
o How many will do something crazy tonight???
o How many will do like Elijah and start acting like it's already
done.
o Start praising him like you believe heaven’s weather report.