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God Answered Elijah's Prayer

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Bible verse : 1 Kings 18:37-38 (NIV)

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."
Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

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Ahab, the king of Israel, did not serve God but served idols.
Elijah, who was a prophet, went to King Ahab and proclaimed it. “I serve the God of Israel. As the LORD lives, I swear. There will be no rain or dew in this country for several years until I give the order again.”

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God did not let it rain in the land of Israel for three years and six months, just as Elijah prophesied. Israel suffered greatly from drought. King Ahab searched all over the country to catch Elijah, but they couldn't find him anywhere.
It was because God kept Elijah firmly.

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God decided to send rain again on the land of Israel and told Elijah.
“Go and meet King Ahab, and soon I will send rain on the land.”
Elijah left to meet King Ahab as God commanded.

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Elijah met Obadiah, Ahab's courtier, and told him to tell King Ahab that he was here. This Obadiah was a very good servant of God who saved 100 prophets when Queen Jezebel tried to kill all the prophets in the land of Israel.

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Obadiah told King Ahab where the prophet Elijah was.
Ahab hurried to meet the prophet Elijah. As soon as he saw Elijah, Ahab said, “Are you the one who troubles Israel?”

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After hearing Ahab's words, Elijah echoed them back.
“It is not I who is bothering Israel, but you, King Ahab. This pain has come because you forsaken the commandments of the Lord God and served Baal.”
Having said this, Elijah made a suggestion to Ahab. “Gather all the Israelites to Mount Carmel. And bring also the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at the table of your queen Jezebel.”

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Elijah suggested a prayer contest to determine which god was the true god.
Ahab accepted Elijah's suggestion and gathered all the people and the prophets of Baal and Asherah to Mount Carmel. Many Israelis also gathered to watch this prayer match. Elijah said to the people gathered there.
"How long will you hesitate, unable to choose? If the Lord is God, follow the Lord; if Baal is God, follow him." But the people did not answer him a word.

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Elijah told the people how to prove who was the true god.
 1) Each person slaughters a cow on the altar to sacrifice to their god.
 2) Pray to each god to send down fire from the sky.
 3) The God who rains down fire from the sky is the true God.
   The people who heard  Elijah's proposal replied that they would do as Elijah
   suggested.

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Elijah spoke to the prophets of Baal. “You are outnumbered, so start first.”
The prophets of Baal placed an ox on the altar and began to pray, just as Elijah had said. From morning until noon they cried out, “Baal, answer me.” When there was no response, they even danced around the altar. But Baal did not respond.

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Elijah mocked the prophets of Baal. “Call your god with a louder voice.
You don't know if your Baal god is doing other things or going to the toilet. Perhaps he has gone on a trip or is sleeping, so you will have to wake him up.”
The prophets of Baal prayed by piercing themselves with swords and spears according to their custom of worship. But Baal did not respond.

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Elijah When it was the prophet's turn, Elijah told all the people to come closer.
Elijah began rebuilding the altar of God that had fallen down.
He gathered 12 stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel to complete the altar.
He also dug a ditch around the altar to fill with water.

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He piled wood on the altar and cut the ox on it. The dug trench was flooded three times with four water buckets to fill the trench with water.
When it was time for the sacrifice (meal offering), he prayed to God.
[Lord, 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. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.]
Elijah prayed earnestly.

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After Elijah's prayer was over, a great fire came down from heaven toward the altar and consumed the offering and the wood sheaf.
All the water that had filled the trench evaporated. All the people who saw this fell on the ground and said, “Jehovah he is God! Jehovah, he is God!” Elijah proved to all the people that only Jehovah God is the true God.

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At the top of Mount Carmel, Elijah buried his face between his knees and prayed earnestly for God to end the drought in Israel and send rain.
Then, after Elijah's prayer, heavy rain began to fall in the land of Israel, where not a single drop of rain fell for three years and six months.
God answered Elijah's prayer.

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Prophet Elijah's prayer on Mount Carmel proves that only God is the true God who answers prayer. The greatest privilege we have as children of God by believing in Jesus is to be able to pray directly to God, the true God.
We are the happiest people in the world because we have God, the true God, as our Abba, Father.
If you encounter difficult things, please remember Elijah who prayed on Mount Carmel. If you believe in God's answers and pray like Elijah did, God will answer your prayers.

(This is the sample conclusion provided by CTM. Please feel free to change the conclusion to best suit the listeners of your sermon.)