A God Who Acts
Backgrounder on 1 Kings 15-19:
From 1 Kings 15 onwards show
the two nations of Israel & Judah
in spiritual decline. Prophet Elijah
courageously faces a heathen
Israelite king and 850 pagan
prophets of Baal, prayed
persistently for rain, only to flee
for his life from Queen Jezebel.
Lord, You are A God Who Acts:
And Elijah came to all the people
and said: How long will you falter
between two opinions? If the Lord
is God follow; but if Baal follow him.
I alone am left a prophet of the Lord
but Baal’s prophets are 450 men…
Elijah prayed: O Lord, answer me!
Answer me so these people will
know that You, O Lord are God
and that You have brought them
back to yourself. Immediately
the fire of the Lord flashed down
from heaven and burned up the
young bull. It even lick up all the
water in the ditch! And when
the people saw it, they fell on
their faces & cried out: The Lord
is God! (I Kings 18:2-4, 37-39).
Lord, you are the one true God
and we praise You! Thank you
for going to such great length
to demonstrate your power and
to bring people back to You.
Those great lengths led your
only Son to the cross because
of your great love for mankind.
Show yourself powerful so that
people be amazed by your power
and be moved by your love. Amen.
Lord, we will pray persistently:
Then Elijah said to Ahab: Go up,
eat and drink; for there is the
sound of abundance of rain.
So Ahab went up to eat and drink.
And Elijah went up to the top of
Carmel, then he bowed down and
put his face between his knees.
And said to his servant: Go up
now, look toward the sea. So he
went up and looked and said:
There is nothing. And 7 times he
said: Go again… Now it happened
in the meantime that the sky
became black with clouds & there
was a heavy rain (1Kgs 18:41-45).
Lord, yr Word in James 5:16 says
the earnest prayer of a righteous
person has great power and
produces wonderful results.
Grant us the faith & persistency
of Elijah: that when he prayed
earnestly that no rain would fall,
none fell for 3 and half years!
Then when he prayed again,
the sky sent down rain.
Lord, fill our hearts with your
desires so that when we pray
out of the overflow of our heart,
we are praying Your will and
your heart’s desires. Amen.