He Reigns Series

When Elijah gathers the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Ashram to Mount Carmel for a showdown of faith, he is up against a powerful human enemy.

Elijah calls upon God to answer (18:30-38 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” 32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs[a] of seed. 33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.” 34 “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again. “Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. 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.)

The fight to connect with God here is so vivid. It involves:

-Belief that God hears and acts upon our prayers.

-Willingness to test God and take Him at his word.

-Focus on God, not on our own desired outcomes.

3. RETURN TO THE KING (1 Kings 18:39)

“All the people saw it happen and fell on their faces in awed worship, exclaiming, “God is the true God! God is the true God!” (MSG)

Return in Praise (2 Thessalonians 1:12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”)

Return in Prayer. God is not at our command, but we are at His! He responds mightily to our humble prayers.

-James 4:10 "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

-1 Peter 5:6 “… clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time."

-Isaiah 66:2 … 'This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.’"

Return with Perseverance - stay with God no matter what!

4. EXPECT GOD TO ANSWER (1 Kings 18:41-46)

Elijah is boldly speaking here - after 3 years of drought!

1 Kings 18:41-43 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. 43 “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”