“The Secret of Answered Prayer” - 1 Kings 18:30-40

• “And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.” (v.35)

1. Restoring worship-based prayer.

• “Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come near to me.’ And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down.” (v.30)

• “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” (v.21)

• “They limped around the altar that they had made.” (v.26)

• “And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them.” (v.28)

• “Worship-based prayers seeks the face of God before the hand of God.  God’s face is the essence of who He is.  God’s hand is the blessing of what He does.  God’s face represents His person and presence.  God’s hand expresses His provision for needs in our lives.” (Daniel Henderson)

• Three times when God sent fire

  a. When Moses and Aaron worshipped

  • “And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.” (Leviticus 9:23-24)

  b. When David built an altar

  • “And David built there an altar to the Lord and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings and called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering.” (1 Chronicles 21:26)

  c. After Solomon dedicated the temple

  • “As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.” (1 Chronicles 7:1)

2. Restoring identity in prayer.

• “Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, ‘Israel shall be your name.’” (v.31)

• “In the name of the Lord” (v.32)

• “When the day of the Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.” (Acts 2:1)

• “Man is at his greatest and highest when upon his knees he comes face to face with God.” (D. Martin Llyod-Jones)