Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
– 1 Kings 16:33
Well, that’s saying something because the kings of Israel before Ahab were not righteous. They were filled with evil and wickedness and idolatry and immorality. But this verse says that King Ahab did more to provoke God to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
1 Kings 16:33 shows the contrast between light and darkness.
Now, the reason I want to lead us to pray according to this verse in particular is actually because of what happens in the very next chapter. So this is the setup here at the end of 1 Kings 16, for God to call Elijah in 1 Kings 17, to confront King Ahab in his idolatry.
King Ahab had led God’s people to worship the Canaanite rain god, Baal, which when you think about it, rain meant crops for the land, meant food, provision for God’s people. They were looking to other gods to provide for them, and King Ahab had led them to do that. So God’s about to call in 1 Kings 17, Elijah, to come on the scene, confront King Ahab and say, there is only one God who rules over all, including the rain.
And God is going to use Elijah to show his glory to his people in a day of evil, wickedness, immorality, and idolatry. And it’s that picture that I want to lead us to pray according to, because this is God’s call. In a very real sense in your life as a follower of Jesus, you and I are surrounded today by a world of sin and evil and wickedness and immorality and idolatry, and God does not call you and I to one, just be a part of that, to go with the grain of all of that.
1 Kings 16:33 reminds us how our lives should reflect the gospel.
God calls us to come out and be separate, and yet not to isolate ourselves, but to go into a world of sin and evil and wickedness and immorality and idolatry as values, to use the terms from Jesus, salt and light, to share the gospel, to be light in darkness, to be salt in a decaying world, in ways that people see our lives and hear our words and give glory to God in Heaven. This is what God has called you and me to do in the world today. So just think about wherever you live, wherever you work, wherever you go to school, the relationships you have in the world around you, and then think broader, far beyond you. And then let’s pray.
God, help us to be the people you’ve called us to be in a world of sin and evil and wickedness and idolatry and immorality. God, this world has many different little “g”, lesser gods that are being worshiped- money, success, sports, sex, this or that, pursuit or possession in this world, the applause of men.
This verse challenges us to lay aside idolatry.
God, we pray that we would not bow to these idols, that we would worship you alone, that we would love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, God, that we would live for your glory alone, that we would pursue you above everything and everyone in this world, and God, that you would help us to be salt and light in this world in the process, to show your glory, your character, your supremacy, Jesus, to speak about your love and your mercy and your grace and your justice, to speak your word and show your word with the way we live our lives in such a way that we are salt and light in the culture around us, in ways that people see our lives and hear our words and give glory to you.
Lord, we pray that that would be true of our lives right around us and in the world far beyond us. God, we pray that you would help us to not sit on the sidelines in a world of urgent, spiritual, and physical need, where there’s so much need for the gospel and so much need for your love. Lord, help us in an Elijah-like way to rise and do all that you call us to do for the spread of your glory right around us and far beyond us.
Prayer for the Blang People of China
God, we pray specifically today for the Blang people of China. For 120,000 of them who don’t know the good news of your love and your grace. Who don’t know, Jesus, that you are the one true God who came to save us from our sins. Lord, we pray that the Blang people would be reached… With Elijah’s, with your people… Taking the gospel to the front lines of this unreached people group and many others like them.
God, help us as your church today to be the salt and light in our neighborhoods. And also among the nations that you’ve called us to be… In ways people will see our lives, hear our words, and give glory to you in Heaven. In a world of darkness that is decaying as a result of sin… Evil, wickedness, immorality, and idolatry… Help us, we pray to be the people you’ve called us to be. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
