Fire from Heaven

It hadn't rained for three whole years because the people were worshiping a fake god named Baal. Elijah told King Ahab, 'Let's have a contest!'

On top of a mountain, Elijah stood on one side. On the other side were 450 prophets of Baal. All the people came to watch.

'Let's see whose god is real!' Elijah said. 'Make an altar and put a sacrifice on it. Don't light it on fire. Ask your god to send fire. Then I'll do the same. The REAL God will send fire!'

The Baal prophets went first. 'Baal! Answer us!' they shouted. Nothing happened.

They yelled louder. They danced around. They jumped up and down. STILL nothing happened.

'Maybe your god is sleeping!' Elijah joked. 'Yell louder!'

They yelled ALL day. But Baal never answered. Because Baal wasn't real.

Then it was Elijah's turn. He fixed God's altar with twelve stones. He put wood and the sacrifice on top.

Then he did something crazy. 'Pour water all over it!' he said. They poured water. 'Pour more!' More water. 'MORE!' They poured so much water that it filled a ditch around the altar!

How could wet wood catch fire?

Elijah prayed a simple prayer: 'Lord, show everyone that YOU are the real God!'

WHOOOOSH! Fire came down from heaven! It burned up EVERYTHING—the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and even all the water!

All the people fell on their faces. 'The LORD—He is God! The LORD—He is God!'

That day everyone learned who the REAL God was. And soon after, the rain finally came. God showed His power in an amazing way!