1 KINGS 18:20-39
So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. 21 Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal, follow him.” But the people didn’t answer him a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23 Let two bulls be given to us. They are to choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The God who answers with fire, he is God.”
All the people answered, “That’s fine.” 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god but don’t light the fire.” 26 So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound; no one answered. Then they danced around the altar they had made. 27 At noon Elijah mocked them. He said, “Shout loudly, for he’s a god! Maybe he’s thinking it over; maybe he has wandered away; or maybe he’s on the road. Perhaps he’s sleeping and will wake up!” 28 They shouted loudly, and cut themselves with knives and spears, according to their custom, until blood gushed over them. 29 All afternoon they kept on raving until the offering of the evening sacrifice, but there was no sound; no one answered, no one paid attention.30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near me.” So all the people approached him. Then he repaired the Lord’s altar that had been torn down: 31 Elijah took twelve stones—according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel will be your name”— 32 and he built an altar with the stones in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons. 33 Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. He said, “Fill four water pots with water and pour it on the offering to be burned and on the wood.” 34 Then he said, “A second time!” and they did it a second time. And then he said, “A third time!” and they did it a third time. 35 So the water ran all around the altar; he even filled the trench with water. 36 At the time for offering the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah approached the altar and said, “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that you are God in Israel and I am your servant, and that at your word I have done all these things. 37 Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that you, the Lord, are God and that you have turned their hearts back.”
38 Then the Lord’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said, “The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God!”
HEAR:
In a time of divided hearts, when many people were worshiping false gods and giving them credit for the work of the One True God, we see that through recognizing the power of God, Elijah called on Him to do an incredible work. As a result, God made Himself known among a faithless generation, and all who witnessed His glory bowed down before Him.
Listen to the Holy Spirit and think about:
In what ways do you have a divided heart? Where are you trying to split your devotion between both God and man (v.21)? Repent of this and ask that God would give you an undivided heart.
Where can you rebuild Altars of The Lord in your daily life? Ask that God would reveal to you things that you may use to reconstruct an Altar so that He may reveal Himself to the people around you. (vv.30-32)
Are you doubting the capability of His power? Ask for a fresh revelation of God’s power so that you may proclaim His name and deeds in boldness.(vv. 33-38)
RESPOND:
Leonard Ravenhill writes. “To the question, ‘where is the Lord God of Elijah?” we answer, “where He has always been-on the throne!” But where are the Elijahs of God? We know Elijah was “a man of like passions as we are,” but alas! We are not men of like prayer as he was!” Elijah was a man who unapologetically called upon God, and trusted that He would respond.
Respond to God:
Ask God to raise up a generation of Elijah's to call upon His name to reveal His power to Boston. Pray that we would have the boldness and trust to call upon the name of God.(v.24)
Pray that we would see Altars for the Lord be constructed across the whole city(vv.30-33). Pray that these Altars would give an opportunity for all to lay witness to the incredible power of God.
Intercede on behalf of the lost, asking God to reveal Himself in a unique and undeniable way(v. 38). Pray that every person in this city may lay witness to the Power and capability of God and that through seeing it they may confess of His goodness. (v.39).
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