Elijah prayed and the rain stopped for 3.5 years. Elijah prayed and it rained again.

Where is our powerful prayer? James tells us of Elijah and his prayer, then tells us why we do not have powerful prayer.

Why?

Because of us.

What impresses me most about this part of the account iof Joseph is Judah's growth. From lead on selling his brother to slavers, to now lead protector and chief negotiator.

Joseph and his brothers are almost reunited.

which had a spirit of an unclean devil.

In the Synagogue according to Luke 4:33 there was a man with an unclean devil.

In the church was a man with an unclean devil, Comfortably sitting there in the church until Jesus shows up.

What a tale is Joseph and his brothers. By far perhaps my favorite account just ahead of Daniel, Micah and Jonah.

In Sunday School they boil the account of Joseph to about 25 minutes, here we are on part 6 and still 2 more to go.

Reuben shows remorse, Joseph shows roughness, and Judah finally matures. A hard tale of grief relived, and con men being conned.

Ananias and his wife Sapphira, Simon the Sorcer they wanted a form of Godliness. They wanted to accolades, the back patting, the cheers of the people but had no idea the God they were trying perform for.

They were professing but not possessing.

God has been preparing Joseph, He has been preparing Joseph's place and now Joseph's testimony, Joseph's faithfulness will be repaid.

Egypt, Pharaoh and all the people of the land are about to be blessed because Joseph stood tall, stood firm in his testimony.

A nation blessed by one faithful man.

Joseph is not a child's story, Joseph is a man who stood tall and should be an example for all men in today's world.

Joseph in a dungeon is given charge, by Potiphar, over the baker and the butler. He comes in one morning, sees them sad and asks why.

That more than anything tells me who Joseph is. He is in a dungeon for 5 - 6 years and when he sees people sad he wants to fix it.

What a testimony.

When he finally gets out of the dungeon and is asked if he can interpret the dream, he does not scam Pharaoh and ask for this that or the other. No he says it is God not me that has the answers.

The saints need to hear of the grace and mercy of God.

The World needs to hear of the wrath and judgment to come.

WE need to hear of the judgment and wrath to come to remind us that their very souls are at stake!

The fear of God, Hell is a place of eternal torment, The Love of God that made an escape, they will go there if they chose to.

A good God will not send them there, but A Good God allows and honors their choice.

In prison God showed mercy on Joseph.

Now we might ask why didn't God show mercy by not letting him go into the pit, or into the prison or face false accusations.

Well he was in the pit for a lesson, he was in the prison to learn. He was a sojourner there getting ready for his place, While God got his place ready for him.

He was never intended to stay in the pit, or to stay in the prison they were stepping stones on the way to God's plan for his life.