WHY WERE ELISHA'S PRAYERS ANSWERED SO QUICKLY?

Elisha’s prayers were answered immediately because his ministry served as a critical, high-stakes demonstration of God’s power and presence in a time of intense apostasy in Israel. Unlike other periods, this era required direct, supernatural, and often instant, divine intervention to prove that the Lord was superior to Baal and that Elisha was his true prophet. 

Key reasons for the immediate nature of his answered prayers included:

• Alignment with God’s Purposes: Elisha’s requests, such as calling for blindness upon the Arameans (2 Kings 6:18), were not selfish but aligned with God’s covenant purpose to protect, discipline, or reveal Himself.

• A "Double Portion" of Spirit: Having asked for and received a "double portion" of Elijah's spirit, Elisha operated with an extraordinary measure of spiritual authority and power.

• Bold, Expectant Faith: Elisha did not hesitate or doubt; he prayed with complete confidence that God was present and willing to act. He often spoke with the assumption that the miracle was already done (e.g., in the case of the widow's oil or the raising of the Shunammite's son).

• The Specific Need for "Signs": Because idolatry was rampant, God validated Elisha’s prophetic office through frequent miracles and immediate answers to show that the true God was still active in Israel.

• Intercession for Others: Many of Elisha's prayers were selfless acts of intercession—such as opening his servant's eyes to see the angelic army (2 Kings 6:17) or healing Naaman—which God answered instantly to display His mercy and protection. 

In contrast to some of Elijah’s prayers that required persistence (e.g., praying seven times for rain), the narrative of Elisha highlights the immediate, dramatic manifestation of God's power as the standard for his ministry. 

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ELISHA'S MIRACLES

Elisha, the successor to Elijah, performed a wide range of miracles recorded in 2 Kings (chapters 2-13), often focused on providing for the poor, aiding the faithful, and demonstrating God's power over nature, illness, and death. Key miracles include parting the Jordan River, purifying Jericho’s water, raising the Shunammite’s son, and healing Naaman. 

Key Miracles of Elisha

• Parting the Jordan River: Elisha strikes the water with Elijah’s cloak, and it divides (2 Kings 2:14).

• Purification of Water: Heals a contaminated water source in Jericho using salt (2 Kings 2:19-22).

• The She-Bears: Curses youths who mocked him, resulting in two bears attacking them (2 Kings 2:23-25).

• Water for the Army: Predicts a valley will fill with water without rain to save the army of Israel (2 Kings 3:16-25).

• The Widow's Oil: Multiplies a small amount of oil to save a widow's sons from slavery (2 Kings 4:1-7).

• Prophecy of a Son: Foretells that the Shunammite woman will conceive (2 Kings 4:8-17).

• Resurrection of the Shunammite’s Son: Restores the child to life (2 Kings 4:18-37).

• Purified Potage: Removes poison from a meal during a famine (2 Kings 4:38-41).

• Multiplication of Bread: Feeds 100 men with twenty loaves of bread (2 Kings 4:42-44).

• Healing Naaman: Commands Naaman to wash in the Jordan to cure his leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-19).

• Gehazi's Leprosy: Pronounces a curse of leprosy upon his servant, Gehazi, for greed (2 Kings 5:25-27).

• Floating Axe Head: Causes an iron axe head to float (2 Kings 6:1-7).

• Blinding the Arameans: Strikes a surrounding army with blindness (2 Kings 6:8-23).

• Prophecy of Famine End: Predicts the end of a severe famine in Samaria (2 Kings 7:1-20).

• Resurrection via Bones: A dead man is revived after touching Elisha's bones (2 Kings 13:21). 

Key Prayers/Prophetic Actions

• Requesting the Double Portion: Asked for a "double portion" of Elijah's spirit (2 Kings 2:9).

• Opening the Servant's Eyes: Prayed for his servant to see the heavenly army (2 Kings 6:17).

• Prophecy against Ben-Hadad: Foretold the death of the king and the rise of Hazael (2 Kings 8:7-15). 

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ELIJAH’S 8 MIRACLES

1. I Kings 17:1 NO RAIN FOR 3 1/2 YEARS

2. I Kings 17:14 MEAL AND OIL FAILED NOT

3. I Kings 17:22 RAISED THE DEAD – WIDOW’S SON.

4. I Kings 18:38-40 Mt. CARMEL. CLEANUP OF THE PROPHETS OF BAAL.

5. I Kings 18:41 RAIN RELEASED

6. II Kings 1:10 ANTI-GOD ARMY – FIRST 50 CONSUMED BY FIRE.

7. II Kings 1:12,14 SECOND JUDGMENT OF 50.

8. II Kings 2:8 JORDAN OPENED.

ELISHA’S 16 MIRACLES

1. II Kings 2:14 JORDAN RIVER OPENED.

2. II Kings 2:20 HEALED THE WATERS.

3. II Kings 2:24 42 CURSING MOCKERS DESTROYED.

4. II Kings 3:17 VICTORY THRU WATER IN A TRENCH.

5. II Kings 4:5 OIL FLOWED ON TO PAY OFF DEBTS.

6. II Kings 4:16 SON GIVEN TO SHUNAMITE.

7. II Kings 4:35 DEAD SON RAISED — SNEEZED 7 TIMES.

8. II Kings 4:41 POISONED POT PURIFIED.

9. II Kings 4:43 FOOD MULTIPLIED.

10. II Kings 5:14 NAAMAN HEALED OF LEPROSY.

11. II Kings 5:27 LEPROUS JUDGMENT ON GEHAZI

12. II Kings 6:6 THE AXE-HEAD (IRON) SWAM.

13. II Kings 6:17 SERVANT’S EYES OPENED TO SEE IN THE SPIRIT.

14. II Kings 6:18 ARMY DEFEATED BY BLINDNESS.

15. II Kings 6:20 ARMY’S BLINDNESS REMOVED.

16. II Kings 13:21 DEAD MAN RAISED VIA ELISHA’S BONES.