Part 1: A Bold Message

1 Kings 17:1

In the time after Solomon, a brave and faithful prophet named Elijah emerged, ready to stand up for God. Elijah, dressed in simple clothes, boldly approached King Ahab and warned him, "As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." This was a serious warning because a lack of rain meant crops would wither, and people would go hungry.

Part 2: God's Care for Elijah

1 Kings 17:2-16

During the drought, God took care of Elijah, providing him with food and water. Elijah even helped a widow and her son, who were running out of food. God made a miracle happen so that their jar of flour and jug of oil never ran out, ensuring they had enough to eat until the rain returned.

Part 3: The Big Showdown on Mount Carmel

1 Kings 18:17-40

As time passed, Elijah knew he needed to show King Ahab and the people that the Lord was the one true God. He invited them all to a special gathering on Mount Carmel, where he also asked the 450 prophets of Baal, the false god Ahab worshipped, to come.

Elijah came up with an exciting test: both sides would prepare a sacrifice on an altar, but they wouldn't set fire to the wood. Instead, they would call upon their gods to send fire from the heavens to consume the offerings.

The prophets of Baal went first, dancing and singing, trying to call upon their false god all day long. But no matter how much they tried, no fire came. The people watching started to wonder if Baal was really powerful.

Then, it was Elijah's turn. He built an altar with twelve stones, one for each tribe of Israel, and placed the wood and sacrifice upon it. He even had the altar drenched in water to make the challenge more exciting. Elijah then prayed to the Lord, asking Him to show His power and help the people believe in Him again.

Suddenly, fire fell from the sky, consuming the sacrifice, the wood, and even the water around the altar. The people were amazed and shouted, "The Lord, He is God!"

Part 4: The Rain Returns

1 Kings 18:41-46

Now that the people believed in God again, Elijah told them the long drought would finally end. He prayed to God, and soon, dark clouds gathered, and gentle rain began to fall, bringing life back to the dry land.Through Elijah's faith and bravery, the people of Israel learned that the one true God was always with them. The story of Elijah and the showdown on Mount Carmel teaches us that God is always there for us, and when we trust in Him, amazing things can happen.