Matthew 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
How come so many Christians have this false belief that just because they are Christians, they are […]

Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
You must understand that God can do what you cannot do. When you are in a position of being under the authority of someone else, you may or may not be able to […]

Proverbs 14:1 Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
Have you ever met an individual who everything they touched seems to fall apart? It does not matter what is going on, they seem to live from crisis to crisis. Nothing seems to ever go right for them. Some […]

Proverbs 13:16 Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.
A smart individual will continue to add knowledge of the ways of God to his life while a foolish man is quick to reveal his own foolishness. Have you ever meet an individual who is not ashamed of their sin? An […]

Proverbs 10:29 The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the worker of iniquity.
Abraham was told by God that he was to sacrifice his son upon an altar. Abraham had a long history of hearing the voice of God so HE understood what God had told him to […]

Proverbs 4:14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
Are you going to do what is right in the eyes of God or are you going to do that which is right in your own eyes. How are you going to know if the path you […]

I John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
Do you desire to see your prayers answered? Then you need to start learning what to ask God for in your prayers. If you take the time to first understand […]

I John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Just because someone proclaims to be a preacher, it does not mean that you must automatically believe every word that they say. Instead, God desires that you learn to […]

I Kings 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
Elijah had just seen God answer his prayers to bring fire from heaven. Elijah had just seen God answer his persistent prayer of brining rain back to […]

Psalms 142:3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.
David was in distress but he understood that God saw him every step of the way. It did not matter how difficult things became - God was with […]

Psalms 99:8 Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.
This verse is about Moses, Aaron and Samuel. The Psalmist tells us how these men called out to God and HE heard them. God spoke to these men and they kept HIS testimonies. […]

Psalms 85:12 Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.
You desire good things in life. You do not desire evil things to occur to you. You do not desire to be inundated with bad news. Jesus tells us that “he maketh his sun to rise on the […]

Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
You desire for God to hear your prayers and answer them, but the first question you need to ask yourself is whether your heart is right towards God. You are a servant of God and you have dedicated your […]

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Solomon was in the process of dedicating the temple to God and […]

I Kings 18:46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Rain had finally returned to the land and Ahab was heading to Jezreel. Jezreel was approximately 16 miles from Mount Carmel. Ahab had just seen firsthand the hand of the Lord answer Elijah�s prayers by brining fire out of the heavens. Ahab had watched Elijah kill the prophets of Baal. While Elijah told Ahab to eat, Elijah went up on the mount to pray for the rain to come. Once there was an indication of rain, Elijah sent his servant and told Ahab to make haste to Jezreel.

Ahab may have had a chariot to enable him to return home but Elijah had the Lord�s strength. Even though Ahab presumably was driving his chariots as fast as he could in order to avoid being stopped by the rain, Elijah still was able to out run the horses.

God had told the Israel in Deuteronomy 17 that when they had a king, the king was not to multiply for himself horses. God did not have a problem with horses, HE created them. The problem with horses is that it was a symbol of military advantage. The more horses you had the greater your army. God did not desire the kings of Israel to be concerned with their military strength. God desired to fight the battles of Israel and God desired to show HIMSELF strong in the life of the kings as they learned to humble themselves.

Ahab may have had the ability to quickly return to Jezreel. However, God desired to demonstrate to Ahab once again that Ahab needed to learn to humble himself and put the Lord first in all that he did. God enabled Elijah to run as Elijah had never run before. For approximately 16 miles, God enabled Elijah to run faster then a group of horses pulling a chariot. The chariot was not going slow because scripture is clear that God was upon Elijah enabling him to run.

Ahab was entangled with the things of the world and as such, he watched Elijah who sought to do the things of God have a superior advantage when it came to heading for shelter. Ahab should have beat Elijah and everyone else to the city, but God desired to show Ahab that it is important for a king to humble himself and to put all his strength in the Lord. Elijah did not ask the Lord to give him more strength, Elijah just ran and the Lord gave him the ability to run. Elijah watched as the Lord used his life in a supernatural way to demonstrate to a king that it is God who the nation was to trust.

You have placed your trust in the Lord, but do you see the Lord working through your life supernaturally in such a way that HE receives the glory. Just as God used Elijah to illustrate a point with Ahab, so too, God desires to use your life to demonstrate to the world what God can do with one who dedicates their life to the Lord.

Do not be caught up with the things of this world. Instead, allow God to control your life. There may be times when it appears your world is about to crash in around you but it is God who will give you the strength to escape if you will but put all your trust in HIM. By faith you must learn to put God first in your life. It is by your faith that God will be able to use you and you will see how God is able to show the world HIS power. By living by faith, God can do things through you that you never imagined.

I Kings 18:44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man�s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.

Elijah had just killed all the prophets of Baal that were present when God answered by fire. Elijah then told Ahab it was going to rain and that Ahab should eat and drink. However, while Ahab was eating and drinking, Elijah went up to the top of Carmel and cast himself down upon the ground with his face between his knees and began to cry out to God. Seven times Elijah sent his servant to look towards the sea to see if the rain was coming. Six times the servant returned and said that no cloud was in the horizon. Finally the seventh time there was such a small cloud that you would probably doubt was the answer to Elijah�s prayer.

God had told Elijah that HE was going to bring rain. Elijah understood the will of God, yet Elijah still fell on his face before God and fervently prayed that God would cause it to rain on the land once again. Why should Elijah care if it rains or not, he has seen the Lord provide for his daily needs for the last three and a half years? Surely God can continue to cause it to rain. God will cause it to rain when God desires it to rain. Surely Elijah did not need to forsake food and the fellowship of his fellow Israelites in order to go pray for something that God had already promised. Elijah had not exactly been enjoying king�s food during this drought and he could have probably enjoyed dinner with Ahab that day. Nonetheless, Elijah still went and prayed and asked the Lord to do as HE had said.

Elijah was praying for something the Lord had promised him - rain. Elijah did not need to pray in order for God to bring rain, but Elijah still prayed to God. However, just because God was fulfilling HIS own promise to bring rain, God did not grant Elijah his request the first time. Think about it, Elijah was asking for something that God had promised and the answer did not come the first time he prayed. In fact, the seventh time, the answer came in the form of a small cloud and upon hearing that, Elijah stopped praying and told his servant to tell Ahab head for home because the rain is coming. Elijah had faith that God was going to use that one cloud that was not very big to bring great rain.

Just because God has promised you something it does not mean that you can take it for granted that God is going to give it to you when you want it. Just because God has promised you something, it does not mean that you do not have to go before the Lord in prayer to ask HIM for it. God desires that you learn to draw closer to HIM and as such, HE will not always give you what you want, when you want because HE desires that you learn to be persistent in prayer. God desires that you learn to pray and exercise your faith in HIM. Learn to rely upon HIM even when you are asking for things HE has promised.

Your faith in God needs to grow. You need to learn to demonstrate your faith to lost world. If you really desire to see your faith grow, start spending your time in prayer asking for those things that God has already promised you. Do not spend your time with unnecessary pleasures, instead, spend your time seeking the Lord and drawing closer to HIM. Learn to hear the voice of God and to hear what HE has for you. Then it makes your prayer life so easy if all you have to do is pray for those things that God has already promised. Be ready to give HIM the glory when HE answers your prayers.

I Kings 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

Elijah called the nation of Israel to confront them about their worshiping of Baal. The nation of Israel had heard of God�s power in the past, but instead they were willing to follow their wicked rulers in the worship of Baal. Ahab had tried to accuse Elijah for being the reason for the lack of rain in Israel but Elijah confronted Ahab and informed him that it was because of his worship of Baal that God stopped the rain. It was time to show Ahab and the nation of Israel the power of God.

Scripture gives us no indication that God told Elijah to have this battle to demonstrate to the people who the one true God was. All we know is that God told Elijah to show himself to Ahab and that it would rain. It thus appears that Elijah understood the power of God and while he could have just told Ahab the good news, Elijah first wanted to ensure that all Israel understood the power of God. Elijah told Ahab to bring the people and the prophets. Once everyone had showed up to mount Carmel Elijah threw down the challenge. The challenge was simple - the people should serve the one true God.

Elijah had seen the power of God in his life through daily provision, protection and direction. Elijah understood that the people now needed to see the power of God. Elijah declared the rules to the test and the people who were naturally followers were willing to listen. From the people�s perspective, what did they have to lose, all they had to do was sit down and see whether God or Baal answered by fire. Whichever one answered the challenge, then that was the one they should serve.

Even though God did not give this great idea of a battle on Mount Carmel, God did bless the faith of Elijah by answering his prayers. God desires to show HIMSELF strong, and Elijah had created an opportunity by which there was no way Elijah was going to receive any of the glory. Elijah had the faith in God to challenge the false gods of his day. Elijah desired to see the people worshiping the one true God so he proposed a challenge before he pronounced God�s promise of the return of rain.

You do not have to wait for a special invitation from God before you challenge the false teachings of this world. God has demonstrated to you HIS power and HE desires to demonstrate to the world HIS power. By faith you are able to confront wickedness. By faith you can draw the world�s attention to the one true God. God desires to show HIMSELF strong, why don�t you use your creativity and find ways that you can help the world to see the power of God.

You are not here to simply grow fat on the land. You are here to draw the world�s attention to the Lord. It is your duty to God to allow the light of God to shine so that when the world sees you all they really see is the light of God. God does not like lukewarm Christians. HE desires to see you fully dedicated to HIM and to HIS cause. Just as those around you need to be fully dedicated to the Lord, so too must you be totally dedicated to HIS purposes. It is time to stretch your faith and fully dedicate yourself to challenge the world to see the power of God.

I Kings 17:20 And he cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?

God had commanded Elijah to stay with a widow during the drought. God had fulfilled both Elijah and the widow�s daily needs. However, one day, the widow�s son died. The widow was sure that her son had died because she was a sinner and the fact that a man of God was in her house meant that she had to be punished for her sins.

Elijah took the child and he cried out to God and asked God to bring the widow�s son back to life. Elijah prayed the impossible; he prayed that the child would be raised from the dead. Elijah had never seen God raise someone from the dead. While other prophets and judges had great power, there is no recording of God using a man to raise someone from the dead. This was a new thing that Elijah was asking. Yet Elijah had faith to cry out to God for the need of the widow.

Elijah prayed and then he stretched himself upon the child three times. Elijah then cried out to God again and the child�s soul came back into him. We do not know how long this prayer session of Elijah took. This could have been a five-minute prayer session or it could have been all night. However, based upon the fact that Elijah had to stretch himself over the boy three times, it probably would be a good indication that God was preparing Elijah for his confrontation with Ahab by teaching Elijah persistent prayer.

God did not simply give Elijah what he wanted when he wanted it, but instead, let Elijah toil and pray and wait for the Lord to give to Elijah the thing that he asked for. Elijah had boldness to ask for the son of the widow to return to life. Elijah was willing to ask the impossible so that God would be glorified through him. Because Elijah was willing to ask for the impossible and was able to see the Lord work through him, the widow believed that he was a man of God. Furthermore, this occurrence helped grow Elijah�s faith and this enabled him when he heard there was a cloud in the sky the size of a man�s fist to proclaim that rain was coming.

God rewarded Elijah�s faith by giving him his request. God loves to do the impossible through you. The problem is, you do not ask God to do the impossible. You do not seek for ways that God can use you to draw attention to HIM. Yes, you are willing to ask for the impossible for your own benefit. But why should God grant you your request when it is something that you are only going to consume and will not result in HIM being glorified through your life? God is the one who is demonstrating the power, why should he give you something that does not result in being acknowledged as the One true God who is alive and powerful today.

God desires to use you to draw the world�s attention to HIM. HE created the world and HE desires that the world seek to do HIS will. God is willing for you to show the world HIS power. God simply requires that you ask, seek, and knock. You must be asking God to use you; you must be looking for ways that God can be glorified through you. When you find these opportunities, you need to follow the example of Elijah who had the faith to be persistent in prayer and wait on the Lord to see HIM prove HIMSELF faithful in time of need. God would like to reward your faith, are you willing to see your faith grow?

I Kings 17:5-6 So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan, and the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

Elijah had obeyed the Lord and told king Ahab that it was not going to rain until Elijah told the king otherwise. King Ahab and the nation of Israel were experiencing the consequences of Ahab�s sin and Ahab rather then blame himself, desired to kill Elijah because he felt Elijah was the reason for all of his problems.

Elijah had obeyed the Lord and now his life was in jeopardy. God told Elijah exactly where to go and when Elijah arrived at the brook, the Lord used the ravens to provide food for Elijah. God knew where HE could hide Elijah were Ahab would never find him. God knew how to provide for Elijah�s every need. Elijah obeyed God by going to the brook and he found that his needs were provided.

Apparently, Elijah never complained to God that God was providing him food by means of an unclean bird. God never required Elijah to eat the ravens, but it was the raven�s who brought to Elijah bread and meat. Elijah had a need and God was supernaturally meeting that need and as such, Elijah apparently did not complain about the means God choose to meet his needs.

What would have happened to Elijah should he have chosen not to obey the Lord and go to the brook Cherith? Do you think God would have continued to provide bread and meat to Elijah? Do you think God would have continued to protect Elijah from the searches of Ahab? God had a perfect will for Elijah and it required that Elijah follow God�s instructions completely. There was no room for Elijah to second-guess God. Elijah had to hear God and he had to obey.

By faith you will learn to hear the voice of God in your life. By faith when you are faced with a difficult decision, you must learn to put aside your own desires and fully follow God�s direction. You do not always understand why God tells you to do what HE tells you, but it is not your position to also understand. Sometimes you must simply blindly obey and watch HIM direct your paths. There is peace that passeth all understand when you are in the middle of the will of God for your life.

Because Elijah obeyed, God protected him from Ahab. Yes, the brook Cherith may have been in Palestine, but there was no country that Ahab did not go to in order to find Elijah. Ahab may have looked everywhere for Elijah, but God protected Elijah and ensured that Ahab did not look were Elijah actually was at. God is willing to protect you from harm if you will but obey HIM and seek to do HIS will. God may not have told you yet to go hide, but HE has told you to seek HIS face. Maybe some of the problems that you are experiencing are directly related to your lack of spending time with HIM.

God gives both big and small instructions that you are to follow. If you are not spending time with HIM, you are missing HIS instructions and you are missing out on HIS protection and provision. This means you need to start spending more time with the Lord. You need to by faith, start seeking HIS face and start obeying HIS direction for your life.

I Kings 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbit, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

Welcome to the life of Elijah. This is the first verse in the Bible in which Elijah is mentioned. There are no soft and easy introductions. Instead, the scriptures jump straight to what Elijah�s purpose in life was, to tell Ahab that there was going to be no rain.

Elijah was a prophet of God and it was his duty to share with the king the words of God. Ahab was a wicked king and it was time for judgment in the land of Israel. Elijah understood that it would not be easy to go to the king and tell the king the bad news, but Elijah had boldness and he did what God requested him to do. Elijah demonstrated his faith in God by being willing to confront the king and to allow the God he served to protect him from the king who did not appreciate the word of the Lord.

Elijah heard the word of the Lord and he obeyed God and proclaimed the word of God to a heathen king. Elijah understood that if he desired to be a prophet of God who heard God speaking, then he must be willing to obey God regardless of what God asked him to do. God did not share with Elijah how HE planned on protecting and providing for him after he proclaimed the word of the Lord, Elijah was simply told to obey.

Elijah had a difficult job in that he was expected to confront the king of Israel and his sins. However, throughout Elijah�s life, as Elijah demonstrated his obedience to the will of God, God protected, directed, and provided. God was faithful to Elijah, as Elijah remained faithful to the will of God for his life.

Elijah did not have an easy life because he followed God�s will, but he did have a life full of examples of how God could meet his every need. Elijah understood his position with God and as such, he yielded his life to the service of God. Elijah was used to do great things for God because he was willing to be used of God.

God is looking for individuals to do great things for HIM. HE is looking for individuals who are willing to listen to HIM and to do the difficult things that HE requires. Just as God used Elijah because he was willing, so too can God use you if you are willing. Your life will not be easy, but as you learn to put HIM first in your life, God will be able to do things through your life that you never imagined. God will direct you, HE will provide for you and HE will protect you if you will learn to put HIS will before your own. As you learn to allow HIM to be magnified through your life, God will continue to use you for greater things.

Put aside your own ambitions. It is time for you to step out in the will of God and to do those things that HE has requested you to do. It takes faith to do the will of God, but HE has given you examples like Elijah who was asked to do difficult things and HE took care of them. Your faith will be tested if you do the will of God, but as long as you remain faithful, you can rest upon the scripture that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to HIS purpose. It does not matter how difficult the task that God has asked you to do, it is your duty to demonstrate your faith and obey.

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Noah walked with God and was warned that God was going to destroy the world because of its wickedness. Noah received instructions on how he might be saved and he obeyed those instructions. Noah�s faith was demonstrated by his obedience to God. Noah heard the instruction of the Lord and he believed God. Noah obeyed God completely.

By faith Noah heard and responded. Noah also demonstrated faith in the fact that he had such a close relationship with the Lord. However, the Lord chose to highlight Enoch�s walk with the Lord to demonstrate that lesson in faith. For Noah, the lesson of faith that God desires us to learn is that he obeyed the warnings that he received.