Discovering God Through the Lives of Elijah and Elisha

Book excerpt: Knowledge is power; therefore knowing God is incredibly powerful. However, learning to recognize God's personality is life changing. Each chapter of "Discovering God Through Elijah and Elisha: Bible Study Guide," is designed to demonstrate how to recognize God's influence. The actor hidden in every Bible scene is God Himself. While studying 1 Kings 16 through 2 Kings 10, the reader learns to automatically look for God's character, values, and personality. Spiritual growth in faith, prayer, worship, and obedience result as the explorer discovers God. Special themes in the book include: How do I know if God is speaking to me? Does faith mean going against common sense? Why don't I see God at work in my life and the lives of my friends? Can I really trust God to meet my needs? How can God be both loving and wrathful? How can I choose the best version and Bible style for me? This study guide has something for every Christian. The new believer is trained to interpret scripture using other Bible passages. As the reader discovers the similarity between John the Baptist and Elijah, then compares Elisha with Joshua and Jesus, suddenly obscure Old Testament stories become understandable. Through practice the novice can find and apply biblical principles to the issues they are facing. Even those who have studied scripture for decades often confuse Elijah and Elisha. Not only are their names similar, but these prophets lived during a difficult time in biblical history. Judah and Israel had kings with similar names. Jayna not only explains the significance of each event, but also describes the culture, so that each verse is clear. The style of this book is like the workbooks written by Beth Moore and Henry Blackaby; however, there is no video to watch. Although this Bible Study is designed for an individual to meditate on scripture and write his or her answers inside the book, there are two chapters providing instructions as to how to use the book as a group Bible study. Often the thought-provoking questions will lead to a lively discussion. For an example, of how the book draws modern application from the Old Testament, CHAPTER 37 "Don't Waste Your Time on a God Substitute" reads: "When something happens in your life do you immediately call your spouse, or text a friend? When you need advice do you call your mom, search in Google, or go to Facebook? When you want prayer, do you email the prayer chain, or do you pray? If God isn't your first contact, you can learn a lot from this Shunammite mother." Jayna uses her own life experiences throughout the book to demonstrate how biblical principles are still relevant in every life. Learn to love and appreciate God as you discover Him in the lives of these miracle working men, and dedicated women. God has a mantle for you. Wear it well.