The Power of Prayer to Strengthen Our Faith (I Kings 18.26, 28, 36-37)

“O Baal, answer us!” … Then they cried aloud… “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”

Background

After three years of drought, God told Elijah to go back home and speak to King Ahab again. The King was worshiping foreign gods, and the meeting did not go well. So Elijah challenged Ahab to assemble all of his Ba’al priests for a showdown on Mount Carmel. Not only do the priests of Ba’al assemble, but a large crowd of Israelites joined them, too. Who can resist a good fight?

Elijah addressed the crowd. He does not berate them for their unfaithfulness, but tells them it is time to make a choice. If God is truly the god, worship Him alone. If not, quit straddling the fence and worship the foreign gods alone. (It was common practice among pagans to worship as many gods as possible, to “cover all the bases” and make sure not to leave any god out. That is not faith—it is self-protection.)

Elijah proposes a “contest.” Both he and the priests of Ba’al will both prepare and present an offering—an animal sacrifice—for each of their respective gods. But instead of setting the sacrifice ablaze, they would “call on the name” of their respective gods to bring down fire upon the sacrifice. The true god would be the one who listened and brought down fire. The onlookers thought this was a fair test.

Since there were more of them, Elijah invited the priest of Ba’al to go first. They tried for half a day, but to no avail. Ba’al did not answer. Elijah built an altar, using twelve stones which represent Israel. To make sure it was not a trick nor illusion, he soaked the wood, sacrifice, and altar in water. God’s response is to rain down fire without delay. Not only is the sacrifice consumed with fire, but the wood, stone, dust and every bit of water surrounding it.