Solomon's Prayer

   

    In chapter 8 of the Book of 1 Kings we can read the prayer of King Solomon at the dedication of the temple that had been built to house the ark of the covenant with the Ten Commandments stones inside. The house would be where God would dwell on earth and the beginning of the chapter describes the filling of the temple with the cloud of God’s presence. King Solomon says: “LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth like You, who keep your covenant and mercy with your servants who walk before you with all their hearts. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple I have built.” (1Kings 8:23,27)

   Solomon continues to cry out to God and ask that God will hear when His people call to Him. “And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.” (1 Kings 8:30) He then continues to give several examples of the needs that the people will have in the future if there is drought, famine, pestilence, locusts, or war and that God will be attentive to the petitions of His people because He knows their hearts and He knows that they must have the protection and deliverance from God in a tough and difficult world. “that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.” (1 Kings 8:40) Read all of chapter 8 1^st Kings.

Do we have a real fear of God? By fear, we mean do we hold God in awe? Do we really care about those things, which are important to God? Are we listening when He speaks to us through the Scriptures and are we obedient to the things we know He has told us in His Word? “All God’s revelations are sealed until they are opened to us by obedience…Obey God in the things He shows you, and instantly the next thing is opened up…God will never reveal more about Himself until you have obeyed what you already know.” (Oswald Chambers, Utmost for His Highest, p210)

Pray:

1.     That we will be bold in our prayer to God, knowing that He loves us and wants us to prosper as we obey His Word and live for Him.

2.     That we will search our hearts and look for areas in our lives where we have been disobedient and repent and then,obey.

3.     That the teenagers and children in our homes and churches will be taught to look to God's Word for guidance in living their lives and that it will be modeled by us adults for them.