Prayer: The Timeless Secret of High-Impact LeadersSample

Big Enough to Send Fire from Heaven

When I get to heaven, I look forward to meeting Elijah. He was a high-impact spiritual leader who was fearlessly bold when it counted. As you recall, he challenged hundreds of idolatrous pagan priests to a power duel. Both sides would prepare a sacrifice and the God who could answer by fire would be declared the winner and would be worshipped.

The Baal worshippers prayed all day to no avail. Baal was not a prayer-hearing, prayer-answering god.

Elijah raised the stakes by soaking down his sacrifice in water. He knew that no amount of water can dampen the flame of the living God. Then he prayed a big prayer.

At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” (1 Kings 18:36, 37)

God likes to answer big prayers. They reveal his power and give him glory. They spread his name and prosper his work. They also grow our faith. God answered Elijah’s big prayer with an even bigger answer: “Then 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. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!’” (vv. 38, 39).