The miracle of KNOWING your God

“At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac , and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

“Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!” (1 Kings 18:36-38)

Elijah’s story is told in 1 Kings 17 to 2 Kings 2:11.

This was a prayer of a major prophet called Elijah. Allow me to do a short profiling of this great servant of God. Elijah was the first in a long line of important prophets God sent to Israel and Judah. In particular Israel, the northern kingdom, had no faithful kings throughout history. Each King was wicked, leading people to worship the pagan gods. God called prophets to try rescue Israel from its moral decay and spiritual decline. These prophets played an important role in both nations, encouraging the people and the leaders to turn back to God. If you read the entire Elijah’s ministry as recorded in the Holy Bible, you will find a man who was sent to confront, and not to comfort. He boldly spoke God’s words to a King who often rejected his message. Elijah accomplished amazing miracles through God, by simply responding to the miracle of being able to KNOW God. He predicted the three- year drought, was used by God to restore a dead child to his mother (the widow at Zarephath) and represented God in a showdown with priests of Baal and Asherah.

I am fascinated by the confidence that Elijah had in his God, it shocks and challenges me at the same time. He is recorded for saying these unflinching words to king Ahab, “As surely as the Lord God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give my word!” True to his words, there was no rain and a drought ensued much to the chagrin of queen Jezebel who believed her Baal gods were responsible for rains and bountiful harvest. How boldly do I declare God’s words over a ‘baal’ gods kind of situations?

There was a frustration that Elijah had with his people, and he was damn tired of seeing them following dead pagan gods. He knew he served the only true living God and beside Him there is no other. He wanted his people to acknowledge the true God, whom his life was committed to. This frustration is what led to the mighty showdown between him and the Baal prophets.

Elijah had a great plan on how his people will know the true God, he asked for the King to call all the Baal and Asherah prophets along with the people of Israel to Mount Carmel. There would be a sacrifice involving two bulls, one for the Elijah and the other to be done by the 450 Baal prophets. The plan was however to offer the sacrifice without setting the fire on it. Each would prepare an altar and call on the name of their god. The god who would answer by setting fire to the wood is then to be declared the true God. Elijah let the Baal prophets take the first turn, and so they did their rituals, called on their god until Elijah started mocking them. They raved all afternoon until the time of evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply and certainly no fire response!

Then Elijah called on to the people to gather around, he prepared an altar for his God and made it more exciting by digging a trench around the altar that could hold 3 gallons of water then had 4 large jars full of water poured over the offering and wood. All this he did to show the mightiness of his God. He then cried to God to prove himself before his people, so that they can know he is the true God. We read how immediately after his prayer a fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the bull, the wood, the stones, the dust and even licked up all the 3 gallons of water in the trench! On seeing this people fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is GOD!”

Is there anything too difficult for the God you have committed your life to? In our daily walk of salvation we meet with situations that need to know whom we serve, the question is whom do I serve? If we call on the God we serve to prove Himself to that stubborn situation, will He prove that ‘Yes, I am your God!’ Have I responded to the call of knowing and having a CONSTANT relationship with my Lord? 

I have been in situations where I have been mocked for my belief in God, because of what society has described as an ‘ideal life’ by people very close to me. I have been asked not once nor twice, why can’t that God you pray to and serve ‘show’ Himself in you? Their look is always puzzling, as if to question but what kind of God really do you serve? It is in such moments that I am grateful that I have an experience and a relationship with God, because I can count on the many times I cried to God and depended on Him solely, and He came through. It occurred to me if I did not take that step to get closer to God and know him, these very mocking words from my people would have send me downhill and cast doubts in my spiritual walk. 

Take a step further my dear brother and sister, a step of faith, devote more into His HOLY word and stay in close relationship with Him. Your personal relationship with Him will cause you to disgrace any ‘baal’ situation showing up on your way. You shall call on His name and He shall hear you!

1 John 5:4 &5; For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the son of God.

Dear reader, nothing is too difficult or impossible for God. God is looking for me and you to win the battle against homesexuality, poverty, fornication , addictions, pornography  name any battle you are faced with here and know that through Jesus as a child of God you are a winner. Do not keep on postponing the time for walking with him, He is calling you and has a great plan that only you can accomplish through Him.

Lets pray together;

Dear God, I accept that Jesus Christ is your son whom you sacrificed so that I can have a relationship with you, know you and have eternal life. Please forgive my sinful nature as I accept Jesus as my Lord and savior. I am now born again and I stand to inherit the heavenly riches that you have promised your beloved children. It is in Jesus mighty name that I pray.

Amen.

If you are now a new believer and wondering what next, after this prayer; find a fellowship of believers and join them as I pray God's guidance to order your steps. If you are in Nairobi and its environs, allow me to invite you to my home church Purpose Centre where we are Raising Kingdom Champions, located along Mombasa road, opposite Sameer Buisness park. We have 2 services every Sunday ; 1st service 8.00 am to 10.00 am ,2nd service 10.30 am to 12.30 pm. Welcome to the Kingdom of God!

Blessed month of July!