Popular Bible Verses from 1 Kings 18

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Answer me. LORD, answer me. Then these people will know that you are the one and only God. They’ll know that you are turning their hearts back to you again.”

When it was time to offer the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward. He prayed, “LORD, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Today let everyone know that you are God in Israel. Let them know I’m your servant. Let them know I’ve done all these things because you commanded me to.

Elijah went there and stood in front of the people. He said, “How long will it take you to make up your minds? If the LORD is the one and only God, worship him. But if Baal is the one and only God, worship him.” The people didn’t say anything.

The fire of the LORD came down. It burned up the sacrifice. It burned up the wood and the stones and the soil. It even dried up the water in the ditch.

All the people saw it. Then they fell down flat with their faces toward the ground. They cried out, “The LORD is the one and only God! The LORD is the one and only God!”

The seventh time the servant said, “I see a cloud. It’s as small as a man’s hand. It’s coming up over the sea.” Elijah said, “Go to Ahab. Tell him, ‘Tie your chariot to your horse. Go down to Jezreel before the rain stops you.’ ”

The power of the LORD came on Elijah. He tucked his coat into his belt. And he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

Elijah said to Ahab, “Go. Eat and drink. I can hear the sound of a heavy rain.”

“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. So he went up and looked. “I don’t see anything there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” So they went to him. He rebuilt the altar of the LORD. It had been torn down.

Then you pray to your god. And I’ll pray to the LORD. The god who answers by sending fire down is the one and only God.” Then all the people said, “What you are saying is good.”

Elijah got 12 stones. There was one for each tribe in the family line of Jacob. The LORD’s message had come to Jacob. It had said, “Your name will be Israel.”

At noon Elijah began to tease them. “Shout louder!” he said. “I’m sure Baal is a god! Perhaps he has too much to think about. Or maybe he has gone to the toilet. Or perhaps he’s away on a trip. Maybe he’s sleeping. You might have to wake him up.”

Elijah used the stones to build an altar to honor the LORD. He dug a ditch around it. The ditch was large enough to hold 24 pounds of seeds.