And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou. (1 Kings 20:14)
Ahab must have had a considerable degree of confidence in God and in His prophets to ask the questions he did. The fate of the nation was at stake, and a prophet acting as the spokesman for God was accepted by the king as the virtual commander in chief.