WE’VE BEEN IN A ‘BUILDING THE ALTAR’ SEASON — PREPARE FOR FIRE TO FALL
I shared this word with some leaders and a pastor in August and September and I feel to share it here. God showed me that we’d been in a ‘building the altar’ season. He then led me to 1 Kings 18:18–39 when Elijah challenged over 450 prophets who worshipped Baal to build an altar to their god, while he built an altar to Yahweh. This was a contest to discover whether the Lord is God or if Baal was.
‘Let two bulls be given to us. They are to choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The God who answers with fire, he is God.’ All the people answered, ‘That’s fine.’
— 1 Kings 18:23–24 CSB
Elijah stood alone as a prophet representing God, while 450 false prophets stood together representing Baal. Here’s what we learn:
Both built an altar
Both sacrificed something
Only one altar received fire — only one God responded
The prophets of Baal danced around their altar from morning until noon, shouting loudly and performed rituals involving cutting themselves in the hope that their god would respond. Elijah repaired the altar of God that had been torn down, dedicated it to the Lord afresh and even asked that water be poured all over the altar and the sacrifice. He prayed, God answered.
‘At the time for offering the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah approached the altar and said, “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that you are God in Israel and I am your servant, and that at your word I have done all these things. Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that you, the Lord, are God and that you have turned their hearts back.” Then the Lord’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said, “The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God!”’
— 1 Kings 18:36–39
BUILDING THE ALTAR
2025 has been dedicated to building the altar. These altars haven’t just been external, in the visible works of our hands, but especially internal, where many of you have learnt what it means to become a consecrated and yielded vessel whom God can trust for His fire to fall and work through.
For those who have submitted to this process, there’s a relentlessness you feel for the things of God. You know that fire cannot be controlled or told what to do. You understand it will change the nature of whatever it touches — it will consume everything.
You’ve become the altar and you’ve refused to settle for anything less.
SOME OF YOU ARE PRAYING FOR FIRE, BUT HAVEN’T PREPARED YOUR ALTAR
As I read 1 Kings 18:18–39, I realised that all it took was one prayer after Elijah had prepared the altar for God to move. One prayer. A consuming fire.
I believe the key to God answering Elijah immediately was Elijah’s intimacy with Him. Elijah not only knew God but he also knew the will of God for this situation, because he prayed, “At your word, I have done all these things.” Elijah didn’t raise the altar out of his own will and then start pleading with God to demonstrate His power on it. Elijah built the altar in obedience to God’s command.
GOD’S FIRE WILL ONLY FALL ON ALTARS THAT ARE TRUSTWORTHY
It will not fall on altars built to gain attention or popularity. It can be enticing to behave like the prophets of Baal — performing and doing extravagant acts in order to manipulate God to respond. You cannot fabricate a move of God, but God will respond to those whom He knows and whom He trusts. Are you trustworthy?
FIRE WON’T FALL ON YOUR IDOLS
We cannot try to birth a move of God on our terms and outside of Him. Anything we birth or fabricate outside of God is an idol or was likely conceived by one. Building the altar will need your obedience. It will require a sacrifice. It will expand your faith. The prerequisite that determines whether God responds is your level of intimacy.
Here’s the thing: anyone can build an altar.
It will look the part and people can sing songs, dance and perform all kinds of acts around it in the name of the Lord. But unless fire falls upon it, that altar means nothing.
Some altars have been abandoned. Some have been torn down and need to be built back up. The Lord showed me how some of your altars have especially been victims to delay and disappointment.
Don’t leave them in neglect. Get back up.
Keep building your altar.