At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “LORD, the 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, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

Devotion based on 1 Kings 18:36,37

If you are like me, there is a good chance that, at times, you have prayed for a fortune of money. Especially when I was younger, I had a long list of things I would do with abundant wealth. Of course, I planned to give some of it to others and for charitable causes, but the main point was to take care of myself. Yes, because we are sinful, our prayers are often tainted with improper motivation: selfishness, greed, and pride.

When Elijah prayed, he prayed with a different motivation, for a different purpose. When he confronted the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, he wasn’t there to bring glory to himself. He didn’t pray, “Lord, if this doesn’t work, I’m going to look foolish, and my life will be in danger!” Elijah had just one reason for asking God to consume with fire the sacrifice he had prepared: “…so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

When we are tempted to pray with selfish motives, it is important to look again to the cross of Jesus. See the great selflessness of his love that moved him to sacrifice himself in our place to free us from the guilt of our sin. He gives us more than a fortune of money; he gives us life with God! In response, our prayers give honor to God and reflect his saving will. Like Elijah, we too are moved to pray with a good purpose—that people may know that the Lord is God.

Prayer: