Elijah on Mount Carmel
Elijah was a prophet, one of God's messengers who told God's people to change their ways.
Before You ListenLet's Get Started
Theme: Worshiping God - God Calls His People
- What does the word “worship” mean?
- When we worship God, we express our reverence and devotion to him and thank him for all the good things he does for us. We’re saying, “God, because you’re the Creator of the world and our Father in heaven, there is nothing more important in our lives than you.” But sometimes, we make other things more important than God and worship them instead. What are some things you may have made more important than God?
After you listen
Memory Verse
“Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”
Quiz
A: The twelve tribes of Israel
Reflect
The people of Israel had turned away from God and were worshiping other things. But even though they had turned their backs on God, he hadn’t turned his back on them. Even when he punished them for their sins by not sending rain for three years, he still sent his prophet Elijah to remind the people of Israel about God. And Elijah never stopped calling Israel to turn back to God. Even when his life was in danger, Elijah went to great lengths to prove God’s power over all things to Israel. Elijah didn’t have to put on a big show to get God’s attention. God was there all along. At Mount Carmel, he burned up the offering even though it was soaking wet. And when the people turned back to him, he sent rain to the land to show that he still loved them. God deserved their worship.
God never stops loving us, his people, and will always be there for us. And he is always worthy of our worship and love in return. By expressing our devotion to God in worship, we make him the most important thing in our lives.
Want to dig deeper and learn more about worshipping God? Check out 1 Chronicles 16:23-31, Exodus 20:2-6 and Romans 12:1-2. Learn more about God’s prophet Elijah by reading 1 Kings 17-19.
Challenge
Remember the things that you sometimes put before God in your life? Maybe it’s school, friends, sports, or video games. Those things aren’t bad, but we can’t make them more important than God. God is the only one who is worthy of our praise and glory. He is the only one worthy of our worship.
- Spend some time worshiping God!
- Attend a worship service at your church and observe how the congregation gives God glory, honor, and praise.
- Spend some time reading your Bible or singing some songs to God as you go about your daily activities.
- Honoring God with your attitude and words when you’re doing school work, playing sports, or hanging out with your friends is a kind of worship.
- God wants our time and our love. Never forget that God loves you very much!
