Elisha’s Prayer

Elisha (אֱלִישָׁע, ʼElišaʻ, ʼĔlîšāʻ, “My God is salvation“, Ἐλισ[σ]αῖος,Elis[s]aîos or Ἐλισαιέ,Elisaié) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, a prophet and a wonder-worker. Also mentioned in the New Testament and the Quran, Elisha is venerated as a prophet in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Amongst new religious movements, Bahá’í writings refer to him by name. His name is commonly transliterated into English as Elisha via Hebrew, Eliseus via Greek and Latin, or Alyasa via Arabic, and Elyesa via Turkish. He is said to have been a disciple and protégé of Elijah, and after Elijah was taken up in a chariot of fire, accepted as the leader of the sons of the prophets.

We have collected some of the best prayers of Elisha to use in request to God. May these prayers for safety bring you comfort and peace of mind. May these prayers for strength encourage your spirit and strengthen your faith.

"Elisha's Spring" (Ain es-Sultan) in Jericho (2012). The fountain is supposed to be the waters which Elisha healed, referred to in 2 Kings 2:19–22.

“Elisha’s Spring” (Ain es-Sultan) in Jericho (2012). The fountain is supposed to be the waters which Elisha healed, referred to in 2 Kings 2:19–22.

Elijah’s Prayer for the Widow’s Son 1 Kings 17:20-22

20 Then he cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?”

21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”

22 The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived.

Elijah’s Prayer at Mt. Carmel 1 Kings 18:36-39

36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

Elisha’s Prayer 2 Kings 6:15-18

Elisha Intervenes for his Servant

Fear gripped Elisha’s servant when he saw the huge army that was confronting them. He cried out to Elisha. Elisha then made a puzzling statement revealing to his servant that there were more with them than with the enemy. Elisha prayed, asking God to open his servant’s eyes so he could see what was not visible to the human eye. It may be possible that there are invisible forces around today that we cannot see.

15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.

16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

Elisha’s Intervention for the Shunammite

As described in the account of Elijah and the widow women a similar and equally unusual account of a child being brought back to life is written concerning Elisha the prophet and a Shunammite lady he had befriended. Elisha, as did Elijah, stretched himself over the child two different times. The first time he did this the child became warm. After that Elisha got up and walked around the house and then went back and stretched himself over the child again. It was then, after the boy had sneezed seven times, that he opened his eyes. A person has to ask themself, “Was there some significance in the fact that the child sneezed seven times?”

Elijah prayed three times before the child came back to life and Elisha prayed two times before the child came back to life. Both men taught us persistence in prayer.

“And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD. And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.” (II Kings 4:32-37)

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