“So he went and did according to the word of the Lord.”
– 1 Kings 17:5
This is a phrase that we see repeated multiple times in Elijah’s life. God speaks to him and the Bible says, “He went and did according to the word of the Lord.” In fact, you go through and you just read 1 Kings 17, 1 Kings 18, 1 King 19, you’ll see the prominence of the word of God in Elijah’s life. As God speaks, Elijah obeys.
May we, like Elijah, hear God’s Word and obey God’s Word.
This Verse Calls Us to Listen to God Speak
Not every time, like we see in 1 Kings chapter 19, and we see the effects of that. The whole picture is what I desire for my life, what I trust you desire for you life. That when God speaks, we would obey. That you hear His word and go and do according to His word.
And God moves in powerful ways, as Elijah does this. God provides for Elijah in the middle of a famine. God uses Elijah to bring a woman’s son from death to life. He brings down rain from heaven through Elijah and his prayers. God brings down fire from heaven through Elijah and his prayers as Elijah goes and does according to God’s word.
Don’t underestimate what God wants to do in and through your life. In and through your family, in and through your work, in and through your church. As you go and do according to His word. Not just hear it but do it.
1 Kings 17:5 Encourages Us to Live According to the Word
Think James chapter 1. “Do not merely be hearers of the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
God, may it be so in our lives. God, help us to be obedient to your word. May this verse, 1 Kings 17:5 be the summary of our lives. Today, just focusing on today, help us to go and do according to your word. What we know is in your word and what we learn from your word, what we see in your word, help us to do it. Help us to obey you today. We know your word calls us to walk in purity, to walk in holiness today. Help us to do it.
God, we know your word tells us your spirit has empowered us to proclaim the gospel today. You’ve commissioned us, Jesus, to make disciples. Help us to do that today. Help us to proclaim the Gospel today.
1 Kings 17:5 Prays for Obedient Hearts
With your power, help us to teach others to follow Christ today. Help us to be an encouragement to others. To love others, to care for others. To serve others. Help us to glorify you with our words. With our actions.
God, in all the different ways we know your word has called us to live, help us today to do according to it. By your grace in us, oh God, we can’t obey you in and of ourselves. With our own power and our own strength, we are prone to not do according to your word, so God we pray for your grace through your spirit. Through the power of Christ in us, we pray that you would help us to obey your word today.
May it be said at the end of today, at the end of tomorrow, that we went and did according to your word.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
