DAY 14

ELIJAH & THE BIG FIRE
The Lord is the one and only God! The Lord is the one and only God! -1 Kings 18:39

PAUSE
During the days of the kings of Israel, there were many bad kings, and only a few who followed God’s commands. God would send messengers, or prophets, to guide His people back to Him. One of these prophets was Elijah who lived during King Ahab’s reign. King Ahab was not a good king. He  and his people did evil things in the eyes of the Lord, including worshipping idols. King Ahab wanted his people to worship a false God named Baal, and this made God very angry.

The people were in a time of drought and were very thirsty. So, God sent Elijah to King Ahab and his people with a message. Elijah said, “Stop praying to Baal. Turn your hearts back to God!” However, the king and his followers did not want to listen to Elijah. So, Elijah built an altar with stones and put sticks on it and challenged the king and prophets of Baal to do the same.  They both would pray for their God to send fire to the altar.  So, the prophets of Baal built their altar and prayed their god would send fire, but nothing happened. They prayed all morning, yet still, their god did nothing.

Elijah built his altar with 12 stones and put sticks on it. He even poured water on the sticks and all around the altar. When Elijah prayed, God immediately sent fire to burn at the altar. The fire burned up the altar, the stones, and even the water around it. King Ahab and his prophets were amazed and began worshipping the one true God. Then God sent a heavy rain to give water to the earth during a drought. 

God sent fire and rain. God even changed King Ahab’s heart. There is no doubt that even though many people were choosing to disobey God at this time, God was still at work and had a plan. He would one day bring Jesus from this group of people, and just as God changed King Ahab’s heart, Jesus would one day turn the hearts of God’s people back to Him.

DISCUSSION
What power to influence people toward or away from God do leaders have? Do you have that sort of influence in anyone’s life? Idols in Elijah’s time didn’t deliver when prayed to them, because idols never do. In what ways do today’s idols fail to deliver what we think they will?

PRAY
Thank You, God, that You are the one true God. Thank you that you are in charge of the world, and nothing is too difficult for you. Thank you for reminding us of that and listening when we pray.

FAMILY ACTIVITY
Let your children make necklaces from string, such as yarn, and “O” shaped cereals to help them remember that there are no (zero) gods besides the one true God.