August 8, 2020 CAC Living Water Daily Devotionals :- TOPIC : AMAZING TRUTH ABOUT PRAYER (2)
Saturday, August 8, 2020.- UNIVERSAL AND INTERNATIONAL INFINITY DAY
AMAZING TRUTH ABOUT PRAYER (2)
Read: 1 Kings 18:20-38
So Ahab sent to all the Israelites and assembled the prophets at Mount Carmel.
Elijah came near to all the people and said, How long will you halt and limp between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him! But if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.
Then Elijah said to the people, I, I only, remain a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.
Let two bulls be given us; let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood but put no fire to it. I will dress the other bull, lay it on the wood, and put no fire to it.
Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the One Who answers by fire, let Him be God. And all the people answered, It is well spoken.
Elijah came near to all the people and said, How long will you halt and limp between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him! But if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.
Then Elijah said to the people, I, I only, remain a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.
Let two bulls be given us; let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood but put no fire to it. I will dress the other bull, lay it on the wood, and put no fire to it.
Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the One Who answers by fire, let Him be God. And all the people answered, It is well spoken.
Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose one bull for yourselves and dress it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.
So they took the bull given them, dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, O Baal, hear and answer us! But there was no voice; no one answered. And they leaped upon or limped about the altar they had made.
At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.
And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with knives and lances until the blood gushed out upon them.
Midday passed, and they played the part of prophets until the time for offering the evening sacrifice, but there was no voice, no answer, no one who paid attention.
Then Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near him. And he repaired the [old] altar of the Lord that had been broken down [by Jezebel].
Then Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be your name.
And with the stones Elijah built an altar in the name [and self-revelation] of the Lord. He made a trench about the altar as great as would contain two measures of seed.
He put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood and said, Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and the wood.
And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
The water ran round about the altar, and he filled the trench also with water.
At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and that I have done all these things at Your word.
Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You, the Lord, are God, and have turned their hearts back [to You].
Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust, and also licked up the water that was in the trench.
MEMORISE: Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven. (Matthew 18:18)
EXPOSITION
Prayer is unique means through which man connects with God’s infinite resources and equally access God’s power. This is relevant to what the world celebrates today — Universal and International Infinity Day. Today’s dose of the Living Water presents to us the prayer exploits of Elijah. Elijah was a man of prayer. His prayer was so powerful that he was able to stand for God while he contented with over 400 prophets of Baal. He showed to the religiously confused people of his generation, who never knew whom to choose between Yahweh and Baalim, that Yahweh is the only living and powerful God. Every other god is fake and powerless. The New Testament later attests to his prayer exploit. Through his prayer life, he enjoyed free meal from the ravens, water from the brook, and helped to increase the supply of the window at Zarephath. The same Elijah ordered fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice that was soaked totally in water. How could fire come down from heaven at the call of a man? Only a godly and prayerful man could have done that.
Prayer is unique means through which man connects with God’s infinite resources and equally access God’s power. This is relevant to what the world celebrates today — Universal and International Infinity Day. Today’s dose of the Living Water presents to us the prayer exploits of Elijah. Elijah was a man of prayer. His prayer was so powerful that he was able to stand for God while he contented with over 400 prophets of Baal. He showed to the religiously confused people of his generation, who never knew whom to choose between Yahweh and Baalim, that Yahweh is the only living and powerful God. Every other god is fake and powerless. The New Testament later attests to his prayer exploit. Through his prayer life, he enjoyed free meal from the ravens, water from the brook, and helped to increase the supply of the window at Zarephath. The same Elijah ordered fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice that was soaked totally in water. How could fire come down from heaven at the call of a man? Only a godly and prayerful man could have done that.
Some truths about prayer:
1. A man that can bow before God can stand before man.
2. Prayer positions a righteous man as a god before other man. An example of Moses before Pharaoh.
3. By Prayer, man takes up God’s activities (that is as assigned by Him) on earth.
4. When there is a righteous man to pray, there is a Holy God to answer.
5. Prayer puts us in charge of heaven’s control room; whatever you bind or loose here, is bound or loose there in heaven, and Resultantly, on earth.
6. With prayer, you cannot be the prey.
7. Prayer makes man demonstrate God’s power.
1. A man that can bow before God can stand before man.
2. Prayer positions a righteous man as a god before other man. An example of Moses before Pharaoh.
3. By Prayer, man takes up God’s activities (that is as assigned by Him) on earth.
4. When there is a righteous man to pray, there is a Holy God to answer.
5. Prayer puts us in charge of heaven’s control room; whatever you bind or loose here, is bound or loose there in heaven, and Resultantly, on earth.
6. With prayer, you cannot be the prey.
7. Prayer makes man demonstrate God’s power.
What then do you have to do now? Arise and pray, as God honours the prayers of a righteous man.
August 8, 2020 CAC Living Water Daily Devotionals :- TOPIC : AMAZING TRUTH ABOUT PRAYER (2
![August 8, 2020 CAC Living Water Daily Devotionals :- TOPIC : AMAZING TRUTH ABOUT PRAYER (2]()
Reviewed by Muyiwa Abodunrin (Muyilight)
on
August 08, 2020
Rating:
No comments: