Life Changing Prayer
Notes
Transcript
2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. O Lord God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” So Solomon came from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel.
David’s son Solomon is now king over Israel. He has faithfully sought out the Lord and that is now being rewarded by God. God comes and tells David to ask for whatever he wants and it will be given to him. Solomon has a opportunity to do so many great things! he could ask for riches and power unlike the world has ever seen, he could have asked for a long life, he could have asked for anything. Put yourself in his shoes for a moment, what would you ask for?
As we read Solomon did not ask for any of those things but rather asked for wisdom and knowledge. These two things have the ability to bring you some of the worldly things that he could have asked for but that was not even his intention. He wanted to govern the people well all for the glory of God. Because of this God added all of the other things to him.
Often times when we pray we recite something that we always say and there is no real meaning to it, or we ask selfishly for things. When we pray we should always be seeking to bring God glory. Our prayers should not be self centered but rather God centered, we should be taking things to God for his own glory.
One of my seminary professors told the story of when he was pastor he called on a man in the church to pray and he began to pray and there was someone else talking. It turned out to be the mans some sitting with some of his friends and he was saying the exact same thing as his dad before his dad said it. This wasn’t a prayer from the heart but rather from the memory.
Solomon prayed from his heart asking for something that would bring God glory and we should strive to do the same. There will be some links below to some resources for prayer.