Big Idea: God’s purpose for you is established in His provision for you. 1 Kings 16:30, 33 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. 33 …Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 1 Kings 17:1 1 Now Elijah… said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 1 Kings 18:1 1 After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.” 1 Kings 18:17–19 17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. 19 Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” One person with God is the majority. 1 Kings 18:20 20 So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 1 Kings 18:21 21 …“How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. 1 Kings 18:26–29 26 And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. 27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention. Sincerity and passion are not signs of spirituality. False gods promise what only the One true God provides. 1 Kings 18:36–37 36 …“O Lord, 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. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” The power of prayer does not reside in the words that are spoken but in the God who the prayer is spoken to. Knowing God personally beats seeing God miraculously. 1 Kings 18:39 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.” Jesus gives you freely what every other god demands from you. Joshua 24:15 15 …choose this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Next Week’s Text… Matthew 4