Elijah was a man who loved praying. Elijah lived in Israel when the spiritual life was very poor. Almost all the people had abandoned God. Led by a royal family who did not fear God, their national life was filled with violence, witchcraft, and even the of sacrifice of infants. They were ruled by a king called Ahab. He was married to a woman called Queen Jezebel. She led people to worship idols and practice witchcraft. ‘Baal worship’ became firmly established in the land. The queen persecuted the prophets of God, and they went into hiding. But Elijah prayed – he was passionate for God’s glory. He was a man just like us but he prayed powerful prayers.

Baal worship, led by the King and Queen, became the dominant religion. Baal worshippers believed that Baal was responsible for sending rain and giving good harvests. However, Elijah prayed that there would not be rain and God listened to him. Elijah went to King Ahab and told him that there would be no rain in the land – until he said so. God shut the heavens so that there was no rain and a drought started. The ground became as hard as iron. The top soil was so dry that the land became like a dust bowl. It didn’t rain in Israel for three and a half years.

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Elijah was forced to go into hiding. The king wanted to kill Elijah and encouraged all Israel to find him. God told Elijah to go to the Kerith Ravine in the area of Gilead (east of the River Jordan which is modern day Jordan). God helped him with a daily supply of bread and meat brought to him by ravens and he drank from the stream. He stayed there until the water dried up.

Then God sent Elijah to a widow in Zarephath to the north of Israel in the region of Sidon (modern day Lebanon). Her food was almost finished. She was about to make one final meal for herself and her son. They were facing starvation. When Elijah met her he asked her for a little precious water and bread. The widow explained to Elijah how little food there was, but he said, “Don’t be afraid. First make some bread from what you have and give it to me, because this is what the Lord the God of Israel says:

‘The jar of flour will not be empty and the jug of oil will not dry up until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”

The widow used the last of what she had, and she baked him some bread but after that there was always enough in the jug of oil, and more flour in the jar, for their next meal. They always had something to eat. God gave them their food.

One day the widow’s son died and she took him to Elijah. Elijah prayed to the Lord and the young man came back to life! She said, “Now I know that you are a man of God!”

Elijah called all the important people in Israel to meet him at Mount Carmel. He challenged the 500 prophets of Baal to a duel. It was Baal versus God who Elijah worshiped. The true God would be the winner! They both put sacrifices on an altar, but they did not set fire to them. They asked God to show He was the true God by burning up the sacrifice on the altar of the true God.

The prophets of Baal set up their altar with a sacrifice and called on the ‘god’ Baal to send fire on it, but nothing happened. Elijah mocked the prophets of Baal. He asked, ‘Is Baal on holiday?’ Although they cried out to Baal all day, nothing happened.

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Elijah built the altar of the Lord again using twelve large stones, and he put firewood on it. He placed a sacrifice on top of the firewood and threw water on it three times so that it was thoroughly soaked. The trench which was around the altar was also filled with water. Elijah prayed for God’s fire, and his prayer was answered. The fire of God came down and burned on the altar. The sacrifice was burned up, with the wood, the altar, the soil and the water! The people cried out ‘The Lord He is God, the Lord He is God!’ The people recognised that the God of Elijah was the true and living God.

Elijah said to King Ahab that this drought was about to end, and heavy rain was coming! Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel.  There he bowed his head and he prayed to God for rain.  Elijah asked his helper to look out over the sea. Then, Elijah’s helper went back seven times more to look for rain.  The last time, he saw a very small cloud, like a small hand rising from the sea. Soon after, the sky became black with clouds, the wind increased, and a heavy rain came on the land. God answered Elijah’s prayers.

Material sourced from 1 Kings 17 – 18 and James 5

Shortly after this, Elijah withdrew himself from public life.  Elijah was very unhappy, even though God had worked many wonderful miracles through him. How does God help to increase our faith and overcome disappointment?  Click here to receive our study guide.

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Photo of Nabi Hadr by Rob Bye on Unsplash

Photo of Oil by Roberta Sorge on Unsplash