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Solomon’s
Prayer
1 Kings 8:22-61
If I
were to ask you, in your opinion what's the most powerful thing you can
do to show people what you believe about God? What would your answer be?
I am sure that everyone of us would probably answer that question a
little differently from the person that we are sitting by.
Some of you would say that the greatest testimony you have would be the
way you live. And I believe that your life style is certainly an
effective testimony. We have all said at one time or another that we
would rather see a sermon any day as hear one!
Then there are some of us here that would say that our greatest
testimony would be found in our worship. The very fact that we strive to
worship in Spirit and Truth says an awful lot about how we view our
relationship with God. Paul says to the brethren in Corinth that every
time we break the bread and share the cup we are proclaiming the Lord
until he returns. Worship is a powerful witness?
Some of us here today would say that our most powerful witness to the
world would have to be good old fashioned, one on one, evangelism? If we
truly believe then we are compelled to tell. If we have truly been
changed then we are obligated to tell others about that change. It is
the very least that we can do. Paul asks in Romans how can they hear if
someone doesn't tell them? A great question that leads us to another
very powerful way of communicating to others what you believe about God.
As true as I believe all of these ways are to be an effective testimony
about our relationship with God, today I would like for you to consider
one more way that we let others know what you think about God.
Over the past week I have kept coming back to the thought that this
might be the most powerful thing you and I can do to demonstrate our
loyalty to and love for God. You see I believe that the most powerful
word we can speak to tell others about God is not spoken to people at
all; it is your prayer to God himself.
This might not make sense at first but we have got a little time
together today so let me try to explain my point. If you have your
Bibles Hold it up today.
Now I want you to take hat bible and turn with me to 1 Kings 8. We have
just witnessed in the previous chapters that, Solomon has built the
temple. It took him seven years. On the day they dedicated the temple,
the Ark of the Covenant was placed in the holy of holies and The cloud
filled the temple. And the priests could not perform their service
because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.
IT is in the midst of this scene that Solomon blessed the people. Then
he prayed our prayer for this morning. It is going to be long but you
have your Bibles so let’s look together at the conversation going on
between Solomon and God.
Lets start in 1 Kings 8:22 and read through verse 61
I have not been privileged to hear many of your prayers but it is safe
to say that mine have never been that poetic. Your prayers may not be
that memorable or quite that long. But Solomon's prayer says some things
about God that we say every time we pray, however short or long, plain
or eloquent our prayers. And I believe that if we can add these thought
to our prayer life we will be able to pray heroically.
First when we pray, we are testifying that God is attentive.
Twelve times in this prayer, Solomon asks God to hear or listen.
Twice he says that God's eyes are open. He asks God to give attention.
The very act of prayer is testimony that God is an attentive God - that
he listens, looks and pays attention.
The most significant thing you can do to show you care about someone is
to listen to them. I know that it is important to speak - I urge the
boys all of the time when they are spoken to, to speak back. That's
important. But people will only feel cared for, valued and important
when you are willing to hear what they have to say. If you want children
to feel valued, listen to them.
I took classes in both high school and college to learn how to speak in
front of a group of people. There are all types of seminars out there to
teach you how to stand up in front of a crowd and wow them. But I have
only run across one seminar on listening – And listening is the most
important thing we do.
Wendell Winkler was once approached by a young Bible major who said,
"Brother Winkler, in the area of Ministry I'm going into when I
graduate, I believe that conversation is the most important thing I'll
be doing. But Faulkner doesn’t offer courses in how to converse. Can you
tell what's the most important thing to carry on a good conversation?"
Brother Winkler nodded his head thoughtfully and said, "Yes I can.
Here’s the most important thing." The room was then filled with a long
and awkward silence. Finally the student broke through the silence and
said, "Well, Brother Winkler - I'm listening. "
To which he said "Well that’s a great place to start, you see you are
already learning."
Have you ever though about the absurdity of prayer from our culture's
perspective. When I am driving alone in the car, or sitting around the
dinner table, or laying down in the quiet before I go off to sleep, I am
speaking out loud or silently directing my thoughts to someone named
God. God has not as of yet ever audibly responded back but nevertheless
I pray. Have you ever wondered why?
I believe we pray because we know deep in our souls that God is
attentive. He hears the prayers of his people. They are not wasted
words. When people know you pray - when they are aware that you hold
regular conversations with God, in a very subtle but undeniable way you
are making a dramatic statement about God - He listens!
In 1 Kings 9:3 after Solomon has prayed and all the people have gone
home, God answers Solomon; "I have heard the prayer and plea you have
made before me."
We might not have the opportunity to hear God say those same words to us
but we know. We know deep down that after every prayer we pray, God says
the same thing. We testify about the Goodness of Good because we know
that he hears our pleas.
Second, when we pray we are testifying that God is active.
Five times in this prayer Solomon declares that God forgives. He also
says that God judges, condemns, and declares innocent. That God
restores, teaches, acts, and knows the heart. He says God upholds the
people's cause, hears the stranger, and three times he says God keeps
his promises.
Henry David Thoreau said, "God did not make this world in jest; no nor
in indifference." God is an active participant in the world. And our
prayer declares that.
When we pray we declare that God does something in response to our
requests. When we pray we are making a dramatic statement of faith; God,
I know you are going to do something about this so I lay it at your
feet. It may not be what I expect. It may not be what I want. But I
believe that you are listening and that you are going to take action.
And it is not a blind faith that leads us to prayer. Put your finger
here at 1 Kings 8 and flip over a few books with me to Psalm 18. This is
a prayer of David. Listen to 1 - 6.
I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and
my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the
horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy
to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death
encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of
Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I
called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he
heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
We believe that these words were written by David while he was being
pursued by Saul who was intent on killing him. David doesn’t leave us
with the request he quickly follows them by his description of the
action God took to save him. (7 - 19).
Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains
trembled and quaked, because he was angry. Smoke went up from his
nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth
from him. He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under
his feet. He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of
the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick
clouds dark with water. Out of the brightness before him hailstones and
coals of fire broke through his clouds. The LORD also thundered in the
heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of
fire. And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth
lightnings and routed them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, and
the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at
the blast of the breath of your nostrils. He sent from on high, he took
me; he drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They
confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support. He
brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted
in me.
Now do you think that is how it really happened? Did the earth tremble
and quake? Did God part the heavens and ride the clouds? Did he mount
the cherubim and fly on the wind? Did God shoot lightening bolt arrows
from heaven to scatter Saul and his army and save David?
Personally I don’t believe so, I think that David in a very dramatic and
poetic way is making a point; God not only hears our prayers, but he
gets busy and does something in response to them. We know this because
David lived to write those words. He survived the murderous attempts of
Saul and all his army.
I heard this great illustration third hand, so it may not be exact. I
got it from Jody Vickery who got it from Rick Atchley who got it from
Buddy Bell. And I don't know where Buddy got it.
I want you to imagine a great room in heaven. In it are millions and
millions of books. And on the spine of each book is a title. Each title
begins with these words; "The Acts of _________ ", and then there
appears a name.
On one of the books you find the title, "The Acts of _______________”
and your name is there, printed in pure gold. You open it up and begin
to read and what you read astounds you. There are daring acts of
sacrifice. Extravagant acts of generosity. Unbelievable acts of
kindness. Heroic deeds of love. There are eloquent descriptions of the
impact you had on countless lives. You take the book and you rush to God
and you say to him, "Jehovah, I don't remember doing any of these
things! "
God replies, "Oh, my child, those aren't the things you did. Here,” God
says, reaching for a sheet of paper that he seems to pull from out of
nowhere, “Here are the things you actually accomplished.” On this sheet
of paper are listed in order things you prayed for me to be a part of.
The book you hold in your hand is all the things I was prepared to give
you, all the things I was willing to empower you to do if you had only
asked.”
Going back to the room you find a volume of books marked, "The Acts of
the New Hope Church." There are over two dozen of them. You open and
begin to read and though you were a member of the New Hope Church for
years, you recognize nothing. Pages and pages of the names of hungry
people who were fed, homeless people who were housed, lost people who
were saved. Millions of them. You return to God and he pulls out a
notebook. "Here," He says, "are the things New Hope Church actually did.
You all prayed for these things and I made them happen. But the volumes
you see in the library of eternity - those are the things I was prepared
to do for you if you had only asked."
Whether we believe in it as fully as we should or not, every time we
pray we are making a powerful statement about God. We are saying that we
believe that God has the power to be active in our lives, in this
church, and in our world.
One Last thought from Solomon’s Prayer; when we pray we are testifying
that God is interested in a relationship.
Like his father David, Solomon wanted to do something big for God. He
wanted to make a powerful statement to the kings and kingdoms allover
the world. He wanted to make the point that Israel's God was the
greatest God in all existence. So how do you make that point?
Well if you are a man you make it by building something bigger and
better than anyone else around you. A temple, a church, a statue. God
didn't forbid Solomon from building the temple. But even as it was being
built God tried to tell Solomon what he was really interested in.
Listen to 1 Kings 6:12 - 13. "Concerning this house that you are
building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all
my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with
you, which I spoke to David your father. And I will dwell among the
children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”
God showed at best, disinterested tolerance in the temple. What he was
really interested in was a relationship with his people. When we pray,
we are testifying that God wants communication. God wants to listen.
Solomon spent millions and millions of dollars, tons of gold, silver,
and precious jewels; whole forests of cedar, quarries of stone, and the
backs of thousands of thousands of workers to build the temple.
He spent seven years building it and two weeks celebrating its grand
opening. It was truly one of the wonders of the world. But do you know
what is left of it today? Nothing. We seem to have forgotten all about
the temple but here we are thousands of years later still talking about
his prayer.
Now what's the most powerful thing you and I can do to testify about
God?
There are many answers to that question. But today I want to encourage
you to try this one; take Him up on His offer to listen to us, attend to
us, and have a relationship with us.
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