There is great drama in Elijah’s story with ringside seats to watch Yahweh vs Baal. There are very few prayers asked and answered in such an immediate and dramatic way as those of Elijah.
Elijah, who was perhaps the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, ministered during the rule of Ahab who was perhaps the most evil king. Ahab was aided and abetted by his even more evil wife Jezebel.
Ahab did more evil that any king before him and did more to arouse God’s anger than any other. Ahab and Jezebel set up places of worship dedicated to the Baals, Canaanite fertility gods. The worship of the Baals included child sacrifice, self-harm and sexual fertility rituals – all abhorrent to God. Baal was a god of storms and rain. The prosperity of the kingdom depended on rain, so Baal was seen as the source of their material wealth and prosperity.
Elijah’s announcement of a drought was a direct challenge to Ahab and Jezebel, and to the spiritual supremacy of the Baals. Elijah said, “‘As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.’” (1 Kings 17:1)
After three years of drought the King and the kingdom suffered. This sets the scene for a showdown of biblical proportions. The God of Elijah vs the gods of the prophets of Baal.
The underlying question was, Who is the true God? Who should the people serve? Elijah challenged the people for wavering between two opinions and said, as we read, “If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.’ But the people said nothing.” (1 Kings 18:21)
The challenge was simple. Both Elijah and the prophets of Baal would prepare wood and a sacrifice, but not light the fire. Then … 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 Kings 18:24) The prophets of Baal prayed and called upon their god in vain. Nothing happened. But when Elijah prayed, “ … 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.” (1 Kings 18:38) When it comes to a showdown between gods there can only ever be one winner, for there is only ever One God.
You might say this is a wonderful story, but what does it have to do with me? Elijah had a wonderful answer to his prayer, but I am not Elijah! The bible itself explains, “Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” (James 5:17–18) Elijah was a human being just like us – just like you and just like me. While we would admire Elijah’s courage and faith, when all is said and done, he was an ordinary person. Ruth and Esther – big names in the Old Testament, yet ordinary women. Peter and Paul – big names in the New Testament, yet ordinary men. These are all human beings just as we are! They and we are ordinary people, who serve an extraordinary God.
When we talk about the power of prayer, it is not the person praying who is powerful, but the God to whom we pray. This is great news. It is liberating news! The power of prayer lies with God. Prayer is not a burden for us. In prayer we are not trying to whip up some answer by our effort and strength. Rather prayer is something we can lean into by faith. Prayer is putting our trust in God’s power to answer.
Therefore let us be a people of prayer, trusting in God who is himself the power of prayer, the hearer of prayers and the one who answers prayers.
Rev John Malcolm