Forming Foundations of Faith - God is our Provider
READ
Elijah and the Prophets of Baal - 1 Kings 18:20-39
Here’s what happens.
Ahab is one of the bad kings of Israel. He marries Jezebel and they worship Baal, a false god and proceed to kill all the good prophets. Elijah stands up to them and challenges the prophets of the idol Baal to a duel. Each will build an altar and ask their god to light the sacrifice on fire. The prophets of Baal dance and cry out, but their idol doesn’t respond. Elijah douses his altar with water and still God shows his mighty power by licking up the water with flames.
Memory Verse “No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).
DISCUSS
1. Describe what you remember about the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal.
2. Why do you think Elijah made such a spectacle of this event?
3. What was he trying to prove?
4. Who was Elijah’s audience?
5. What are the powers or false idols that are common in our society today?
6. What are the powers or false idols that you struggle with?
7. What do you do, or what can you do this week to focus more on God’s love and less on those challenges.
PRAY
Let us pray
“Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” [1 John 5:21](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/1%20John%205.21)https://biblia.com/bible/esv/1%20John%205.21
Father, You are so glorious and merciful. You created every good thing, and still You would choose to redeem me and make me Your treasure. There’s nothing I could do to deserve this mercy in Christ, yet You lavish it upon me in ways too great to fully comprehend.
And yet my sinful heart draws me away from You to other things—sometimes subtly, and sometimes deliberately. This idolatrous world, my weak flesh, and our cunning enemy entice my heart to set my affections on aspects of Your creation instead of loving and honouring You as Creator. Why would I turn to an object of wood or stone or flesh or plastic or metal that cannot speak or heal or feel or understand or save? Because my sin blinds me to spiritual reality and makes me a fool.
Lord, rip off the blinders! Untangle the webs of sin that have encapsulated my heart and drawn me from You! Forgive me for my gross spiritual adultery and have mercy on me, a sinner!
Loving and sovereign Lord, don’t leave me in this wretched place, but give me a pure and undivided heart that comes before You in awe at Your power, majesty, glory, and mercy. Keep me from trying to quench my thirst with filthy water from broken cisterns, rather continually draw my heart to Christ, the all-satisfying wellspring of Living Water. Make serving idols so despicable and so unsatisfying to my soul that I would quickly confess the smallest step toward sin and run with all my might to the cross in worshipful repentance.
Keep me from worshipping the many good gifts You have given me instead of thanking and worshiping You for them. Keep me from the smallest hint of idolatry and remind me during temptation that to choose an idol is to reject grace and grieve Your Spirit. Remind me that the wicked worship of money, sex, power, family, [possessions](https://www.kevinhalloran.net/jesus-is-better-than-materialism/), or [work](https://www.kevinhalloran.net/five-lies-i-believed-about-faith-and-work/) is both worthless and tragically foolish, like trying to quench my thirst with a gallon of saltwater. Discipline me in your grace when I stray, and convict me by Your Spirit.
Lord, You know that even on my best days I sin against You. From my disappointment, fix the eyes of my heart continually on the grace You poured out on the cross. May that cross take away all shame and free me to worship You by drawing near in joyful repentance and fully hoping in the beautiful restoration You bring in Christ. More than anything, bind my wandering heart to You in joyful worship, knowing that for this reason I was created.
We pray all of these things in the mighty name of Jesus,
AMEN.