October 19
1 Kings 18
The prophet Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.
INSIGHT
The confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal is one of the most exciting chapters in the Bible, with fire raining down from heaven — consuming meat, water, and stone! Then after Baal worship is defeated, it rains, signifying an end to that judgment. Elijah prays, "Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again" (v. 37). God does not punish His children for sin but rather chastens them in the hope that they will repent and return to Him.
Let us praise the Lord in the words of this psalm:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly (2 Samuel 24:10).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- The leading of the Lord in your life
-- Opportunities for personal evangelism
-- Whatever else is on your heart
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore
(Psalm 121:5-8).
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