Freedom in Surrender: Live God’s Great Purpose for You

Free Indeed!

Beware of Bitterness

Mandates for Men: Serve Others

There Is No Law Against These Things

The Familiar Stranger

2 Thessalonians

Josh's Test - Oct 3

The Treasure I Married: A 3-Day Marriage Plan

Desperate Prayers for Hope in Hard Times

New International Version

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
   <div class="book bk1KI">
      <div class="chapter ch18" data-usfm="1KI.18.16+1KI.18.17+1KI.18.18+1KI.18.19+1KI.18.20+1KI.18.21+1KI.18.22+1KI.18.23+1KI.18.24+1KI.18.25+1KI.18.26+1KI.18.27+1KI.18.28+1KI.18.29+1KI.18.30+1KI.18.31+1KI.18.32+1KI.18.33+1KI.18.34+1KI.18.35+1KI.18.36+1KI.18.37+1KI.18.38+1KI.18.39+1KI.18.40+1KI.18.41+1KI.18.42+1KI.18.43+1KI.18.44+1KI.18.45+1KI.18.46">
         <div class="p"><span class="verse v16" data-usfm="1KI.18.16"><span class="label">16</span><span class="content">So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. </span></span><span class="verse v17" data-usfm="1KI.18.17"><span class="label">17</span><span class="content">When he saw Elijah, he said to him, &#8220;Is that you, you troubler of Israel?&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v17" data-usfm="1KI.18.17"></span><span class="verse v18" data-usfm="1KI.18.18"><span class="label">18</span><span class="content">&#8220;I have not made trouble for Israel,&#8221; Elijah replied. &#8220;But you and your father&#8217;s family have. You have abandoned the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content">&#8217;s commands and have followed the Baals. </span></span><span class="verse v19" data-usfm="1KI.18.19"><span class="label">19</span><span class="content">Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel&#8217;s table.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v19" data-usfm="1KI.18.19"></span><span class="verse v20" data-usfm="1KI.18.20"><span class="label">20</span><span class="content">So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. </span></span><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="1KI.18.21"><span class="label">21</span><span class="content">Elijah went before the people and said, &#8220;How long will you waver between two opinions? If the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content"> is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="1KI.18.21"><span class="content">But the people said nothing.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="1KI.18.21"></span><span class="verse v22" data-usfm="1KI.18.22"><span class="label">22</span><span class="content">Then Elijah said to them, &#8220;I am the only one of the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content">&#8217;s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. </span></span><span class="verse v23" data-usfm="1KI.18.23"><span class="label">23</span><span class="content">Get two bulls for us. Let Baal&#8217;s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. </span></span><span class="verse v24" data-usfm="1KI.18.24"><span class="label">24</span><span class="content">Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content">. The god who answers by fire&#8212;he is God.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v24" data-usfm="1KI.18.24"><span class="content">Then all the people said, &#8220;What you say is good.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v24" data-usfm="1KI.18.24"></span><span class="verse v25" data-usfm="1KI.18.25"><span class="label">25</span><span class="content">Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, &#8220;Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.&#8221; </span></span><span class="verse v26" data-usfm="1KI.18.26"><span class="label">26</span><span class="content">So they took the bull given them and prepared it.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v26" data-usfm="1KI.18.26"><span class="content">Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. &#8220;Baal, answer us!&#8221; they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v26" data-usfm="1KI.18.26"></span><span class="verse v27" data-usfm="1KI.18.27"><span class="label">27</span><span class="content">At noon Elijah began to taunt them. &#8220;Shout louder!&#8221; he said. &#8220;Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.&#8221; </span></span><span class="verse v28" data-usfm="1KI.18.28"><span class="label">28</span><span class="content">So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. </span></span><span class="verse v29" data-usfm="1KI.18.29"><span class="label">29</span><span class="content">Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v29" data-usfm="1KI.18.29"></span><span class="verse v30" data-usfm="1KI.18.30"><span class="label">30</span><span class="content">Then Elijah said to all the people, &#8220;Come here to me.&#8221; They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content">, which had been torn down. </span></span><span class="verse v31" data-usfm="1KI.18.31"><span class="label">31</span><span class="content">Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content"> had come, saying, &#8220;Your name shall be Israel.&#8221; </span></span><span class="verse v32" data-usfm="1KI.18.32"><span class="label">32</span><span class="content">With the stones he built an altar in the name of the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content">, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs</span><span class="note f"><span class="label">#</span><span class="body"><span class="fr">18:32 </span><span class="ft">That is, probably about 24 pounds or about 11 kilograms</span></span></span><span class="content"> of seed. </span></span><span class="verse v33" data-usfm="1KI.18.33"><span class="label">33</span><span class="content">He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, &#8220;Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v33" data-usfm="1KI.18.33"></span><span class="verse v34" data-usfm="1KI.18.34"><span class="label">34</span><span class="content">&#8220;Do it again,&#8221; he said, and they did it again.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v34" data-usfm="1KI.18.34"><span class="content">&#8220;Do it a third time,&#8221; he ordered, and they did it the third time. </span></span><span class="verse v35" data-usfm="1KI.18.35"><span class="label">35</span><span class="content">The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v35" data-usfm="1KI.18.35"></span><span class="verse v36" data-usfm="1KI.18.36"><span class="label">36</span><span class="content">At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: &#8220;</span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content">, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. </span></span><span class="verse v37" data-usfm="1KI.18.37"><span class="label">37</span><span class="content">Answer me, </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content">, answer me, so these people will know that you, </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content">, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v37" data-usfm="1KI.18.37"></span><span class="verse v38" data-usfm="1KI.18.38"><span class="label">38</span><span class="content">Then the fire of the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content"> fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v38" data-usfm="1KI.18.38"></span><span class="verse v39" data-usfm="1KI.18.39"><span class="label">39</span><span class="content">When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, &#8220;The </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content">&#8212;he is God! The </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content">&#8212;he is God!&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v39" data-usfm="1KI.18.39"></span><span class="verse v40" data-usfm="1KI.18.40"><span class="label">40</span><span class="content">Then Elijah commanded them, &#8220;Seize the prophets of Baal. Don&#8217;t let anyone get away!&#8221; They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v40" data-usfm="1KI.18.40"></span><span class="verse v41" data-usfm="1KI.18.41"><span class="label">41</span><span class="content">And Elijah said to Ahab, &#8220;Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.&#8221; </span></span><span class="verse v42" data-usfm="1KI.18.42"><span class="label">42</span><span class="content">So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v42" data-usfm="1KI.18.42"></span><span class="verse v43" data-usfm="1KI.18.43"><span class="label">43</span><span class="content">&#8220;Go and look toward the sea,&#8221; he told his servant. And he went up and looked.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v43" data-usfm="1KI.18.43"><span class="content">&#8220;There is nothing there,&#8221; he said.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v43" data-usfm="1KI.18.43"><span class="content">Seven times Elijah said, &#8220;Go back.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v43" data-usfm="1KI.18.43"></span><span class="verse v44" data-usfm="1KI.18.44"><span class="label">44</span><span class="content">The seventh time the servant reported, &#8220;A cloud as small as a man&#8217;s hand is rising from the sea.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v44" data-usfm="1KI.18.44"><span class="content">So Elijah said, &#8220;Go and tell Ahab, &#8216;Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v44" data-usfm="1KI.18.44"></span><span class="verse v45" data-usfm="1KI.18.45"><span class="label">45</span><span class="content">Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. </span></span><span class="verse v46" data-usfm="1KI.18.46"><span class="label">46</span><span class="content">The power of the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content"> came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.</span></span></div>
      </div>
   </div>
</div>

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
   <div class="book bkISA">
      <div class="chapter ch45" data-usfm="ISA.45.21">
         <div class="q1"><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="ISA.45.21"><span class="label">21</span><span class="content">Declare what is to be, present it&#8212;</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="ISA.45.21"><span class="content">let them take counsel together.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="ISA.45.21"><span class="content">Who foretold this long ago,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="ISA.45.21"><span class="content">who declared it from the distant past?</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="ISA.45.21"><span class="content">Was it not I, the </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">Lord</span></span><span class="content">?</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="ISA.45.21"><span class="content">And there is no God apart from me,</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="ISA.45.21"><span class="content">a righteous God and a Savior;</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="ISA.45.21"><span class="content">there is none but me.</span></span></div><div class="b"><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="ISA.45.21"></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="ISA.45.21"></span></div>
      </div>
   </div>
</div>

How Prayer Really WorksSample

The High Stakes of Prayer

Scripture

About this Plan

Related plans