08-08-2020, 10:05 AM
THE LIVING WATER
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Saturday, August 8, 2020.
- Universal and International Infinity Day
TOPIC: AMAZING TRUTH ABOUT PRAYER (2)
Read 1 Kings 18:20-38
20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.
22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
23 Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it.
24 Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.”
25 Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it. ”
26 So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made.
27 And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”
28 So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.
29 And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”
32 Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.”
34 Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time.
35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.
37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
MEMORISE:
Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Matthew 18:18)
EXPOSITION
Prayer is a unique means through which man connects with God's infinite resources and equally access God's power. This is relevant to what the world celebrates today - Universal and International Infinity Day.
Today's dose of the Living Water presents to us the prayer exploits of Elijah. Elijah was a man of prayer. His prayer was so powerful that he was able to stand for God while he contended with over 400 prophets of Baal.
He showed to the religiously confused people of his generation, who never knew whom to choose between Yahweh and Baalism, that Yahweh is the only living and powerful God. Every other god is fake and powerless.
The New Testament later attests to his prayer exploit. Through his prayer life, he enjoyed free meal from the ravens, waters from the brook, and helped to increase the supply of the widow at Zarephath. The same Elijah ordered fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice that was soaked totally in water. How could fire come down from heaven at the call of a man? Only a godly and prayerful man could have done that.
Some truths about prayer:
1. A man that can bow before God can stand before any man.
2. Prayer positions a righteous man as a god before other men. An example of Moses before Pharaoh.
3. By prayer, man takes up God's activities (that is as assigned by Him) on earth.
4. When there is righteous man to pray, there is a Holy God to answer.
5. Prayer puts us in charge of heaven's control room; whatever you bind or loose here, is bound or loosed there in heaven, and resultantly, on earth.
6. With prayer, you cannot be the prey.
7. Prayer makes man demonstrate God's power.
What then do you have to do now? Arise and pray, as God honours the prayers of a righteous man.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Oh Lord, my God, release the spirit and power of prayer into me.
2. I commit myself to doing powerful exploit for You, O Lord my God, through my consistent and incessant prayer life. Help me, Lord.
3. Lord, let the prayers of believers in the country work like the prayer of Elijah in establishing Your purpose in, and for the nation.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY:
Psalms 2 - 7; 3 John 1.
Author: CAC WORLDWIDE
Remain blessed!
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Saturday, August 8, 2020.
- Universal and International Infinity Day
TOPIC: AMAZING TRUTH ABOUT PRAYER (2)
Read 1 Kings 18:20-38
20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.
22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
23 Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it.
24 Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.”
25 Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it. ”
26 So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made.
27 And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”
28 So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.
29 And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”
32 Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.”
34 Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time.
35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.
37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
MEMORISE:
Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Matthew 18:18)
EXPOSITION
Prayer is a unique means through which man connects with God's infinite resources and equally access God's power. This is relevant to what the world celebrates today - Universal and International Infinity Day.
Today's dose of the Living Water presents to us the prayer exploits of Elijah. Elijah was a man of prayer. His prayer was so powerful that he was able to stand for God while he contended with over 400 prophets of Baal.
He showed to the religiously confused people of his generation, who never knew whom to choose between Yahweh and Baalism, that Yahweh is the only living and powerful God. Every other god is fake and powerless.
The New Testament later attests to his prayer exploit. Through his prayer life, he enjoyed free meal from the ravens, waters from the brook, and helped to increase the supply of the widow at Zarephath. The same Elijah ordered fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice that was soaked totally in water. How could fire come down from heaven at the call of a man? Only a godly and prayerful man could have done that.
Some truths about prayer:
1. A man that can bow before God can stand before any man.
2. Prayer positions a righteous man as a god before other men. An example of Moses before Pharaoh.
3. By prayer, man takes up God's activities (that is as assigned by Him) on earth.
4. When there is righteous man to pray, there is a Holy God to answer.
5. Prayer puts us in charge of heaven's control room; whatever you bind or loose here, is bound or loosed there in heaven, and resultantly, on earth.
6. With prayer, you cannot be the prey.
7. Prayer makes man demonstrate God's power.
What then do you have to do now? Arise and pray, as God honours the prayers of a righteous man.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Oh Lord, my God, release the spirit and power of prayer into me.
2. I commit myself to doing powerful exploit for You, O Lord my God, through my consistent and incessant prayer life. Help me, Lord.
3. Lord, let the prayers of believers in the country work like the prayer of Elijah in establishing Your purpose in, and for the nation.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY:
Psalms 2 - 7; 3 John 1.
Author: CAC WORLDWIDE
Remain blessed!