Intercessory Prayer

The Heart of a Praying King

Bible Passage: 1 Kings 8:22–61

1 Kings 8:22–61 KJV 1900

22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven: 23 And he said, Lord God of Israel, There is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart: 24 Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. 25 Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me. 26 And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father. 27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? 28 Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day: 29 That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. 30 And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive. 31 If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house: 32 Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. 33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house: 34 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers. 35 When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them: 36 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance. 37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be; 38 What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: 39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;) 40 That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers. 41 Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake; 42 (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; 43 Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name. 44 If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the Lord toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name: 45 Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. 46 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; 47 Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; 48 And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: 49 Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause, 50 And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them: 51 For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron: 52 That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee. 53 For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God. 54 And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. 55 And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 56 Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant. 57 The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us: 58 That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers. 59 And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord, be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require: 60 That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else. 61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

Intro: In this passage, King Solomon intercedes for Israel with a heartfelt prayer during the temple's dedication. Solomon prays for God’s help in various scenarios of sin and need, showing his recognition of God's holiness and the need for divine guidance, forgiveness, and restoration. Solomon embodies the believer’s longing for God's presence among His people, and shows that prayer is not just a ritual but a lifeline during our most pressing challenges. King Solomon's prayer exemplifies the multi-faceted nature of prayer—acknowledging God’s greatness (Worship), confessing the shortcomings of His people (confession of sin), and pleading for His intervening mercy (repentance). It shows that true prayer connects the dots between God's character and our reality, drawing us into a deeper relationship with Him. Prayer must be rooted in humility, recognising God’s place of authority while remembering both His promises and His faithfulness.

1. Praise God with Reverance.

1 Kings 8:22-30

From the very beginning of Solomon’s prayer of Dedication starting in verse 22, you can see a humble heart in the Davidic King. Solomon recognized that God alone is the Lord of all. As he stands before the alter, King Solomon praises God for His uniqueness. Firstly, there are no other Gods. More importantly, however, Yahweh is the only God who not only always keeps His promises, but also is truly merciful to mankind when we turn away from our sin and run to Him. I am so thankful that our Lord is both Faithful and Trustworthy. A few verses later, we see that Solomon continues to show humility in the way he speaks about God. He recognizes that God is much to big to be confined to the temple that He had constructed for God. However, he asks God would be present at the Temple and hear the prayers of His people. As believers who have recieved the New Covenant (promise) from Jesus Christ, we know that God dwells our bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and oye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Just as Jesus explained to the woman at the well, our worship is not bound to a particular location. Our prayers need not be made facing the temple mount in Jerusalem. Christians, the people are the temple in which the Holy Spirit of God resides. That should motivate us to flee from sin and run to our savior.

When we pray, are we remembering God’s holiness and His unique position as the Ruler of All Creation.

In the same section, Solomon fervently praises God for His unchanging faithfulness. Solomon had seen God keep many of the promises that He had made to David. God had promised to establish the Kingship of the line of David because David feared Him. God had also told David that his son Solomon would be king after him. If we look back in our Bibles, we will see that David loved the Lord, and felt guilty living in an elaborate palace when the ark of God was still only in a temporary dwelling place. However, when David attempted to build a temple, a permanent dwelling place for God, the Lord told him that he could not because David was a warrior and a man of blood. But God promised that David’s son would be allowed to build the temple after the David’s death. Solomon had just completed the temple and had seen God keep His Word on many occasions. That is why He celebrates God’s covenant-keeping nature in his prayer. In verse 24, Solomon accounts that all God fulfilled all His promises “with [His own] hand. Solomon shows that God’s actions align perfectly with His Word. By bringing attention to God’s faithfulness both to him and to his father, he showed why the Israelites should continune to trust Him to fulfill all that he had promised to do in the future. His prayer of dedication was built upon the foundation of the fulfilled promises of God.

When we pray, do we recognise that God is faithful and always keeps His Word?

Are we spending time meditating on the Word of God so that we can remember the promises He has made to us?

2. Plead for People God has Placed in Your Life.

1 Kings 8:31-43

In the next portion of the prayer, Solomon starts to make requests for the people. He intercedes for them, asking God to justify the righteous and punish the wicked. In much of this part of Solomon’s prayer in 1Kings 8:31-43, Solomon gives different senarios and askes God to hear the prayers of the Israelites whenever they turn back to Him. He repeatedly pleads that God would hear from heaven and keep his promises to restore sinners who repent and hear their prayers. You might say, what are the promises of God that Solomon is drawing from? You can find them written in the book of Deuteronomy 28. God offered both blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience when the people were entering into the land of Cainan under Moses. Solomon knew these promises and incorporated them into his prayer. In 1 John 5:14 the Holy Spirit reveals that if we ask anything according to His will he will hear our prayers. How can we know that our prayer is centered in the will of God? The only way to pray according to God’s will is to meditate on the Word of God. We have to know what God has said in order to understand His Will. You cannot meditate on what you do not know. That is why reading your Bible is so important. Solomon prayed that when the people turned to the Lord, He would hear them from Heaven and offer mercy. In verse 40, Solomon tied all of this back to the trustworthiness of God. Because as long as God is faithful to keep His Word (and He always does), the People would collectively learn to fear Him.

Are we praying for others to turn to God so that He can forgive them?

Are we praying that God’s Justice would be accomplished?

Solomon does not, however, limit the scope of his intercessory prayer to the people of Israel. In verses 41-43, Solomon prays for the foreigners and strangers who are not part of God’s chosen people but turn to God. Solomon prays that God would be merciful and hear their prayers as well. God has always offered blessing to any who call on His name. A well known example of this would be the Syrian Naaman who was a high ranking official in the Syrian army who came down with leprosy. When he turned to the Lord in obedience, God healed Him of his leprosy and blessed him. The greatest fulfilment to Solomon’s prayer for the foreigners than the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross which causes all who believe to become heirs to the promises of God. God desires that all men would come to repentance and worship only Him regardless of whether or not they are Jewish. This is the great mystery of the New Testament, that Jewish and Gentile believers are now equal participants in the promises of God through Christ.

Are we intentionally praying that unbelievers would come to Christ?

3. Pray for God’s Power to live Holy.

1 Kings 8:44-61

In the last section we will be looking at today, Solomon continues to pray for the obedience of God’s people. We are remided that the Jews had a very unique relationship with God because they are God’s chosen people as we read in verse 56. However, they had to maintain obedience to God’s commands if they were to receive blessings from the Lord. He continues to intercede for the people in specific scenarios, such as wartime in verses 44 and 45, and in captivity in verses 46-51, praying that God would hear the prayers of all who turn to him with sincere hearts. As Solomon concluded his prayer, He prayed that God would bless the whole assembly while continuing to encourage them to remain faithful to their faithful God. 61 “Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.” This call for radical obedience reflected Solomon’s desire for the people to live in alignment with God’s will. Today, God still blesses those who love Him and disciplines those who are living in sin. God desires obedience motivated by love for Him because of his love that He has shown toward us all. 1 John 4:19-5:3 says, “19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God xwhom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. 5 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” As New Testament believers who have been spiritually grafted into the family of Abraham, we are no longer bound by the Law. Instead, obedience is motivated by a sincere love for God. Who gives us His power to keep His commandments, His grace.

Are we living our lives set apart from sin?

Do we take time to meditate on the immeasurable love of God?

He pleads that the people would always return to the Lord no matter what happens, even when they are carried away into captivity because of their sins. He prays that God would forgive them and restore them to the promised land when they truly repent. We can see this cycle repeat over and over throughout the Old Testament. The Israelites would grow complacent and start worshipping idols and God would punish them. However, whenever they sincerely repented from their sins God showed mercy and restored His people. Solomon concludes with a call to obedience, anticipating God's redemptive power as Israel turns toward Him because Solomon knew that all men sinned (vs. 46). God is the same as He was then and continues to offer His mercy and grace to those who repent, turning away from their sins toward God. to live according to God's purpose. Highlight how Christ embodies the perfect fulfillment of this intercessory role, urging believers to remain steadfast and obedient as they await the ultimate healing and restoration through faith.

Closing: In closing, King Solomon’s heartfelt prayer at the temple’s dedication shows us a powerful example of what intercessory prayer can look like. Solomon prays for Israel, seeking God’s guidance, forgiveness, and restoration amidst the nation’s continual sin and need. His words embody a believer’s yearning for God’s presence. Through worship, confession, and repentance, Solomon’s prayer teaches us to deepen our relationship with God through prayer. It reminds us to trust in God’s authority, promises, and unwavering faithfulness no matter what situation we find ourselves in.

How does this passage point us to Christ? Solomon’s prayer points towards Christ as the ultimate intercessor. Just as Solomon prayed for the people's sins to be forgiven and for God's presence to dwell among them, Jesus fulfills this type of mediation, bridging the gap between humanity and God through His sacrifice. Through His sacrificial death, burial, and resurection Jesus defeated sin and death and freely offers mercy and forgiveness to all. Also, He gave us His Spirit, our helper, our comforter, to dwell in our hearts and draw us closer to Himself. Christian, there is nowhere that you can go without having God’s present with you.