Good morning!
Greetings in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. (James 5:17-18)
Elijah the prophet served God in 9th century BC. While Ahab was the king of Israel, there was a severe famine. Ahab sent out people to go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys. The search team spotted Elijah, and brought him to Ahab.
When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” (1 King 18:17-19)
Ahab called Elijah a troublemaker. Then Elijah answered “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baal.” Elijah challenged Ahab to gather all Israel at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah.
When all Israel gathered at Mount Carmel, Elijah directly asked the Israel people, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” (1 King 18:21) But the people were completely silent. How sad Elijah was! The people were totally confused, and could not tell between the true God – the LORD and Baal, an idol, which is a mere object of human creation.
Driven by God, Elijah asked to bring two bulls: one for Baal, and the other for the God. Then he challenged the 450 Baal’s prophet to call their god to bring fire on their bull. They called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no answer. Elijah questioned the Baal’s prophets why there was no sign from their god. Throughout the afternoon, the prophets cried out louder while performing their rituals even cutting themselves. There was no sound, no answer, and no response.
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. (1 Kings 18:30-32)
Elijah, then, made a trench around the altar, and asked pouring four jars’ water on the altar, the bull and the wood on the altar. Not just once, twice and three times. The water flowed down all sides of the altar and filled the trench.
And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that 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 hearts back.” (1 Kings 18:36-37)
After his prayer, fire from the LORD fell from the sky. It consumed the offering, the wood, the stones, and the dirt, and licked up the water in the trench. What a scene it was! When all the people saw this, they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and said, “The Lord is the true God! The Lord is the true God!” (1 King 18:39) Now, the people could see that the LORD is the true God.
Elijah ordered to seize the false prophets of Baal, and the people seized them. All of the false prophets were killed. Then Elijah told Ahab, “Go on up and eat and drink, for the sound of a heavy rainstorm can be heard.” Elijah prayed, and God answered. God opened the heaven, and gave the precious rain to the people of Israel.
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, but when Elijah earnestly prayed to God, God answered by sending fire from heaven and setting fire on the altar flooded with water. The fire also licked up the water in the trench around the altar. Through prayer, Elijah could prove the 450 Baal’s prophets were false prophets, and made the Israelites turn back to God. After the victory, he prayed for rain, God also open up heaven, and watered the land suffering from the three year’s drought.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)
Our Heavenly Father loves to hear our prayers. He wants for us to seek through prayer. He patiently waits for our knocking prayer because He is ready for us in order to give the best that He has already prepared for us. Pray earnestly with faith and experience God, Our Loving Father.