The Oil Seller

Friday, April 6, 2018

She was a widow. We do not know her name. Her husband, who was a prophet, had died and left her with a debt she had to pay. The creditor demanded that she give him her two sons as slaves since she couldn’t pay the debt. She panicked at the thought of losing her two sons and cried out to the prophet Elisha for help. She acted out of a strong faith and heeded Elisha’s advice.

He told her to go to her neighbors and borrow a lot of pots and pans. After she had done that, she closed the door of her house behind herself and her children. She began to pour out the little oil she had into the pots, but the flow of oil never stopped until she ran out of containers! She was able to sell the oil and pay off the debt. I call her the Oil Seller. When she went to her neighbors to borrow pots, she was in fact announcing her faith publicly! But as she filled the pots with oil, she was receiving the blessing privately. (Read the story in 2 Kings 4:1-7.)

We need women like her in the Muslim world—women of faith, who hear from God and do his will.

Prayer

Almighty God in heaven, thank you for this courageous woman. She cried out, she stated her case, she obeyed, she acted, she received and she was delivered from the grip of the debtor. How merciful and compassionate you are, Lord! I ask you to give to your Church women who have come out of Islam and put their faith in Jesus—women of faith and action, just like that oil seller.

Help them overcome fear, intimidation and uncertainty through faith. May they overcome the world because they believe that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 5:5). Enable them to become examples and models for their children, families and others “in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

I pray for other prayer warriors. It is possible that you are about to do a miracle in their lives. Help all of us to bring you our empty pots. May your unending flow of oil fill us. For the sake of Jesus, my Lord, amen.

Promise

Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:6, NIV).