Let it Be Known

I Kings 18

^…O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.” Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

This story is one of my favorites…

There was no rain for a long time, and the people were serving other gods.  Elijah was a prophet and he prayed.  In that prayer he asked God to show that he was God and to affirm Elijah’s obedience.  He started by repairing an altar that had been torn down.

After this first prayer, it says fire fell from heaven and consumed the offering and “licked up the water in the trench.”  This one prayer moved the hand of God to such a degree that all of the people witnessed his hand and declared “He is God, the Lord, He is God.”  

Immediately after this great response, Elijah slew all the false prophets.

We see again that God responds to obedience and to prayers that desire to see God’s name above all others.  This must motivate all of our prayers and desires.  

Our prayers are not to be made so that we can be puffed up; so that we can settle back and say we have all that we need, but they are to be made so that His name is lifted up and ALL OTHERS see and fall on their faces proclaiming him as Lord.

Come back tomorrow to see what happened next….