Life of Elijah: Prayer for Revival 1 Kings 18:36-46 (Sermon 11)

From Mount Carmel we find FOUR PRINCIPLES about a pattern for true revival:

Firstly: God demonstrates the FAILURE of man-made religions (v 25-29)

Secondly: God EXPOSES his people’s SIN & CALLS them to REPENTANCE(v 30-32)

Thirdly: God forces his people to LOOK to HIM ALONE for true revival (v 32-35)

Fourthly: God DRIVES his people to PRAYER (v 36-38)

Remember Elijah’s challenge:

"You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord.

The god who answers by fire, he is God" (1 K 18:24).

Elijah’s challenge was simply this:

• Which god has the power to answer prayer?
• Which god has the power to send down FIRE from heaven?

The thing that marks Elijah out as a special person is that he was a MAN of PRAYER!

James says that Elijah was: "A Man JUST LIKE US" (James 5:16)!

• He possessed human frailties, just like us; He was an ordinary human being, just of us.
• However, Elijah was a man who "PRAYED EARNESTLY" (James 5:17)

When he prayed, there were supernatural results.

We will look at FOUR POINTS concerning Elijah’s Prayer for FIRE on Mt Carmel;

FIRSTLY: Elijah came to God on GOD'S TERMS (v36)

Note the time of Elijah’s prayer (1 K 18:36):

Elijah came to God at the time appointed by the Lord himself.

• This was the very time when the sacrifice was offered in the temple at Jerusalem.
• By waiting until the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah acknowledged his

fellowship with all people who worship the true God.

• Elijah was reminding people about their responsibility to collectively seek God’s will.

This was a reminder of how far these people had strayed from God’s will.

- The people had neglected to meet with God at the regular times of sacrifice & worship.

• They wanted to worship both Baal & Yahweh as and when they pleased - on their terms.
• By calling the people to the altar of Yahweh at the time of the evening sacrifice,

Elijah was saying: Come before the Lord God, Yahweh, on his terms & his terms alone.

We learn from the timing of Elijah's Prayer that there is NO ACCESS to God

and NO ANSWER to PRAYER unless we come to God ON HIS TERMS:

Elijah came to the altar at the appointed time & in the appointed way, with his sacrifice.

Likewise, we must come to God in Prayer in the appointed way.

Remember what John the Baptist said about Jesus:

"Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29)

The writer to the Hebrews declares:

"Day after day every priest stands & performs his religious duties; Again & again he

offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this Priest had

offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God …

There is no longer any sacrifice for sin" (Heb 10:11-18).

The FIRST thing to note about coming to God ON HIS TERMS is this:

We must come to God through FAITH in the SACRIFICE of Christ.

We cannot truly pray until we come to God through faith in the Person & Work of Christ

Remember what Jesus said about the way to gain access to God the Father (John 14:6):

"I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Remember what the Apostle Paul said about the way to draw near to God the Father:

"You who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ

… through him we have ACCESS to the Father" (Eph 2:13 & 18).

Remember what the writer to the Hebrews said:

"Since we have a Great High Priest … Let us approach the throne of grace with

confidence …We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the

blood of Jesus" (Heb 4:14-16 & 10:19).

The SECOND thing to note about coming to God ON HIS TERMS, is that

we can ONLY PRAY in the NAME of the Son & the POWER of the Holy Spirit:

Jesus said his disciples:

"I will do whatever you ask IN MY NAME, so that the Son may bring glory to the

Father. You may ask me for anything IN MY NAME, and I will do it … You did not

choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father

will give you whatever you ask IN MY NAME" (John 14:13-14; 15:16).

The Apostle Paul reminds us that we must also pray in the POWER of the Holy Spirit:

"Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers" (Eph 6:18).

We are looking at FOUR POINTS concerning Elijah’s Prayer for Fire on Mt Carmel;

FIRSTLY: Elijah came to God on GOD'S TERMS;

Elijah prayed: "At the time of the evening sacrifice" (18:36)

In our own day, we can only gain access to God through the sacrifice of Jesus;

We can only pray in the Name of the Son & the Power of the Holy Spirit.

SECONDLY: Elijah's Prayer had a firm Biblical basis:

• Elijah didn’t give this challenge by fire because he thought it was a good idea.
• He didn’t call down fire from heaven so that he could see a spectacular fire works display

Elijah gave this Challenge by Fire for ONE REASON ALONE:

He chose TRIAL by FIRE because it is a Biblical principle.

• He knew that God had SENT DOWN FIRE from heaven to CONSUME SACRIFICE on a number of important occasions in the past.
• On each occasion God was testifying to his own truthfulness;
• On each occasion God was testifying to the legitimacy of his appointed Office-bearers.

1. God sent fire from heaven when the Aaronic Priests first began their ministry:

"Moses & Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed

the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from

the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering" (Leviticus 9:23-24).

When Aaron & Moses stood BLESSING the people, God sent fire from heaven:

• God SENT FIRE in answer to their PRAYER.
• God SENT FIRE as a token of the ACCEPTANCE of their SERVICE:

God was telling the people – These are my appointed Leaders.

- God SENT FIRE as a sign of his MIGHTY POWER:

God was telling people – You must worship the Lord and him alone!

2. God sent fire from heaven in the time of Gideon:

• God called Gideon to save Israel from the hands of the Midianites (Judges ch 6).
• Gideon felt weak & helpless and asked God for a sign of his PRESENCE & POWER:

Gideon asked for a SIGN so God SENT FIRE to consume his sacrifice.

• Then Gideon said: "Ah, Sovereign Lord! I know that you are the True God."
• God left Gideon in NO DOUBT that he would help his servant defeat the Midianites.

1. God sent Fire from Heaven when David needed to know God’s Sovereign Power:

• David had ordered a census of Israel because Satan had tempted him to do it.
• Because of David’s sin, the Lord sent a plague on Israel, when 70,000 men fell dead!

David repented of his sin and built a sacrificial altar on the threshing floor of Araunah:

"He sacrificed burnt offerings & fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and

the Lord answered him with fire from heaven" (1 Chronicles 21:26).

• God SENT FIRE as a SIGN that he accepted the Burnt Offering for SIN.
• God SENT FIRE as a SIGN that he accepted the Peace Offering,

indicating the renewal of FELLOWSHIP with his PEOPLE.

• God SENT FIRE as a SIGN of his PRESENCE & PROTECTION.

1. God SENT FIRE in the days of Moses, Gideon & David for the SAME REASON:

- God’s people were in great need of understanding his POWER & PRESENCE!

• They needed to know that: "The LORD – he is God!"
• They needed a demonstration of the Power of their Sovereign God!

In Elijah’s day, precisely the SAME ISSUE was before God’s people:

• Who was Sovereign Lord in Israel? Was it Yahweh or Baal?
• Was Elijah a TRUE SERVANT of the Living God or was he a false prophet?

- Elijah called the people to a TRIAL by FIRE because it is a Biblical principle.

- It was in accordance with the REVEALED WILL of God.

1. In our own day, we must PRAY according to the REVEALED WILL of God.

We must cry out with the Psalmist David:

"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God" (Psalm 147:10).

We must pray the way Jesus taught us to pray:

"Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Mtt 6:10)

We must PRAY the SAME WAY as Jesus did:

"My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work" (John 4:34).

"I seek not to please myself but him who sent me" (John 5:30).

Even when facing the agony of the cross Jesus prayed: "Father, if you are willing,

take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42).

James tells us about the MAJOR STUMBLING BLOCK to answered:

"You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive,

because you ask from the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your

pleasures" (James 4:2-3).

There are two sides of the coin of prayer stated by James.

On one side of the coin, the Lord God says:

"You do not have, because you do not ask"

• This is a truly tremendous assertion of the glorious liberality of a Heavenly Father

who will withhold no good thing from his children who walk uprightly (Ps 84:11).

• It is an assertion about God the Father and God the Son joining together to

"graciously give us all things" (Romans 8:32).

On the other side of the coin, the Lord God says:

"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask from the wrong motives"

• Our gracious God has a Divine desire to give us all things.
• However, it is imperative that we have the right motives when asking him for something.
• We will not receive what we want if we ask with a self-centred attitude.
• We must ask for things which are according to the will of God and for his glory, and

not for our own good pleasure and self-centredness.

Jesus laid down a specific condition for answers to prayer:

"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things (what you eat,

what you drink, and what you wear) will be given to you as well" (Mtt 6:33).

• Prayer is answered when we have our priorities right.
• However, when we pray with no thought of God's kingdom & glory, with no longing for an increase in holiness, our prayer will not be answered.

We are looking at FOUR POINTS concerning Elijah’s Prayer for Fire on Mt Carmel

FIRSTLY: Elijah came to God on GOD'S TERMS (v36)

SECONDLY: Elijah's Prayer had a firm Biblical basis

Elijah prayed for FIRE from HEAVEN because it was commanded in Scripture.

We must PRAY according to the REVEALED WILL of God.

We must pray from right motives and not self-centredness.

We must pray like Jesus did - "Not my will, but your will be done."

THIRDLY: Elijah's Prayer came from the right MOTIVATION (v36-37)

Elijah prayed: "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac & Israel, let it be known today that

you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all things at your

command. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you,

O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again" (1 K 18:36-37).

Elijah's MOTIVATION is made absolutely clear in the CONTENT of his Prayer

• His motivation is summed up by the phrase "Let it be known today"!
• He was concerned that THREE THINGS should be MADE KNOWN to all Israel.
• Every one of them was motivated by the Glory of God!

1. Let it be known that you are the TRUE God

"O Lord … let it be known today that you are God in Israel … Answer me, O Lord,

answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God." (v36-37)

Every step Elijah takes springs from a TOTAL CONVICTION that the Lord is God:

• He demands that people make a clear choice between Yahweh & Baal:

"If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."

• He calls King Ahab and the whole nation to witness this Trial by Fire.
• He compels them to witness the failure of the man-made god, Baal.
• He pours water on the altar, so there will be no doubt that Yahweh has sent the Fire.

This is the major lesson Christians and non-Christians alike need to learn today:

• There is only One True & living God !
• He alone is the Sovereign Lord in our own nation and every other nation on earth!
• Whether people want to believe it or not - God is Sovereign in Heaven and on Earth!

This must be OUR PRAYER today:

"Let it be known that you are God in Sunderland & the whole of the British Isles."

"Let it be known that our God Reigns!"

"Let it be known that he is exalted in our Nation!"

"Let it be known that God has his rightful place in the life of our Nation once again!"

Elijah's Motivation is made absolutely clear in the Content of his Prayer (v36-37)

1. Let it be known that I am your servant & have done all things at your command

- Elijah had already addressed God as: "The God of Abraham, Isaac & Israel".

• Now Elijah prays - Let these people know that you are the God of your servant Elijah!

Elijah is reminding the people:

- I first came to King Ahab to declare the Word of the Living God, saying:

• I went to the Brook Kerith at the command of God (1 K 17:2-5).
• I went to the home of the widow of Zarephath at the command of God (1 K 17:7-10).
• I went back to Ahab a second time at the command of God (1 K 18:1-2).

Do you see the SAME MESSAGE each time?

• I am a servant of the Living God!
• I am compelled to obey his commands - I can do no other!
• I must serve him & him alone.

Elijah now calls the people to Mount Carmel with the SAME MESSAGE (1 K 18:21-22)

"How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but

if Baal is God, follow him; I am the only one of the Lord's prophets left."

• I am the only prophet of the Lord God left, but Baal has 450 prophets!
• You choose this day whom you will serve; But as for me, I will serve the Lord!

Elijah proved his choice on Mount Carmel

• He repaired the altar of the Lord (v30).
• He poured water on the altar to prove that Yahweh alone has power to send fire (v33).
• He prayed at the time appointed by God - the time of the evening sacrifice (v36).
• He prayed that these people will know that the Lord, he is God (v37).

The MESSAGE we preach in our OWN DAY is the unchanging message of Elijah:

We are servants of the Living God who preach the Word of the Living God.

We preach the Way of Salvation because it is God's will, not the word of man.

We should have the same attitude to God's Word as Peter did (Acts 5:27-42):

"The High Priest said: 'We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name.' …

Peter replied: 'We must obey God rather than men!' Day after day … they never

stopped teaching & proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ"

We should have the same attitude as Paul did:

"We preach Christ crucified … We do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as

Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake" (1 Cor 2:23-24; 2 Cor 4:5)

Elijah's MOTIVATION is made absolutely clear in the CONTENT of his Prayer

• His motivation is summed up by the phrase "Let it be known today"!

1. Let it be known that you are the TRUE God.
2. Let it be known that I am your servant & have done all things at your command
3. Let it be known that you are turning their hearts back again (v37)

• Elijah did not seek to take the credit for the results of this miracle on Mount Carmel.
• The fire came down from heaven and the people shouted out:

• Elijah wanted people to know that the Revival on Mount Carmel was all the work of God
• Elijah wanted people to know that the Lord God alone has the Power to turn people's hearts from wickedness & apostacy to holiness & worship.

The Apostle Paul had the same attitude (Romans 1:1 & 16; 1 Cor 3:6-7):

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of

everyone who believes; I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow"

All THREE POINTS in Elijah's Prayer had one thing in common.

First and foremost, Elijah's Prayer was motivated by the Glory of God.

• He wanted God to be glorified by the people acknowledging the fact that

"The Lord, he is God!"

• He wanted the whole Nation to declare that Yahweh is the One True God!
• He wanted them to confess that Baal is an imposter, a false god made by men's hands..
• He wanted the whole Nation to declare the Glory & Power of the Living God!

We must ask ourselves: How much of our praying is for the Glory of God?

• Could it be that we are not seeing Revival in our time because our motivation is wrong?
• Could it be that we are seeking Revival for our own self-interest?
• Could it be that we want an easy life, free the problems created by a godless society?

We should have the SAME MOTIVATION as Elijah did:

Elijah prayed for Revival so that God's Name would be glorified.

We are looking at FOUR POINTS concerning Elijah’s Prayer for Fire on Mt Carmel;

FIRSTLY: Elijah came to God on GOD'S TERMS

SECONDLY: Elijah's Prayer had a firm Biblical basis

THIRDLY: Elijah's Prayer came from the right MOTIVATION

Everything he did & everything he prayed was for the Glory of God!

FOURTHLY: Elijah's Prayer was a FERVENT PRAYER (v37)

• Take note of the Fervency & Intensity of Elijah's Prayer.
• Take note of how he pleaded with the Living God:

Revival prayer is always fervent prayer!

• Revival prayer does not consist of empty pious platitudes and repetitious jargon.
• Revival prayer does not consist of simply going through the motions of a prayer meeting.
• Revival prayer is always Passionate & Fervent Prayer.

This is the kind of Prayer which Elijah prayed!

James says of Elijah's Praying (James 5:16-17):

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful & effective. Elijah … prayed earnestly"

- It is so easy to say that we want Revival;

It is a very different matter to seek Revival by earnestly praying for Revival.

• It is easy to ask God for Revival in a glib kind of way;

This is the kind of prayer which God commanded through Jeremiah (29:12-13):

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not

to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and

come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when

you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the Lord."

This is the kind of prayer which the Psalmist David prayed (Ps 42:1-2):

"As the deer pants for the streams of water, so my souls pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the Living God. When can I go and meet with God?"

On the other hand, the lack of such prayer, is the reason why God does not bless us:

"Woe to them, because they have strayed from me … I long to redeem them but

they speak lies against me. They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail

upon their beds" (Hosea 7:13-14).

Throughout Church History, times of Revival have been marked out by people

who have had a ZEAL for Fervent Prayer which is Motivated by God's Glory:

Many scholars have written books about the characteristics of a true Revival:

• Every single one of them emphasizes the need for PRAYER:

Colin Whittacker, in his book on Great Revivals, says:

"The history of revivals, both ancient and more recent, clearly indicates one

overriding factor common to all of them – Prayer. Nothing was accomplished of

any significance except that the people of God first got serious about the matter of

seeking God … A major characteristic of Holy Spirit Revival is an absorbing

concentration on Prayer – if Prayer plays a vital part in the promotion of revival it

also remains a constant factor throughout its course; while its neglect is one of the

major reasons for its decline."

Thomas Phillips, in his book on The Welsh Revival, says:

"I am persuaded that the means blessed of God to create and carry on the revival in

most places, if not in all, is PRAYER. You can trace its origin and progress, in

every locality, to prayer."

He quotes a Rev Roberts, who said:

"The first symptoms of the work appeared in a revival of the spirit of prayer. The

Church over which I preside resolved to hold prayer meetings every night, to plead

with the Lord for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit … These meetings were attended

with unusual power … The house of prayer became a delightful resort. We all wished

to pray. We all delighted to pray. We were all impelled to pray, by an unseen Power.

Those who had, a few weeks before, very little inclination for prayer meetings, and

very seldom attended them, now flocked to them, and are among the foremost in

promoting the work."

We have looked at FOUR POINTS concerning Elijah’s Prayer for Fire on Mt Carmel;

FIRSTLY: Elijah came to God on GOD'S TERMS (v36)

Elijah prayed: "At the time of the evening sacrifice" (18:36)

In our own day, we can only gain access to God through the sacrifice of Jesus;

We can only pray in the Name of the Son & the Power of the Holy Spirit.

SECONDLY: Elijah's Prayer had a firm Biblical basis

Elijah prayed for FIRE from HEAVEN because it was commanded in Scripture.

We must PRAY according to the REVEALED WILL of God.

We must pray from right motives and not self-centredness.

We must pray like Jesus did - "Not my will, but your will be done."

THIRDLY: Elijah's Prayer came from the right MOTIVATION

Everything he did & everything he prayed was for the Glory of God!

FOURTHLY: Elijah's Prayer was a FERVENT PRAYER (v37)

Revival prayer is always fervent prayer!

Earnest prayer is the prayer of a righteous man which is powerful & effective.

Throughout Church History, times of Revival have been marked out by people

who have had a ZEAL for Fervent Prayer which is Motivated by God's Glory: