The Bible tells us that the prayer of Solomon “pleased the Lord” (1
Kings 3:10). It’s a simple phrase that we can read without giving it a second
thought. But we ought to. Consider what a big statement that is. The content of
Solomon’s prayer evoked pleasure in God’s heart. To imagine that something we
ask for can have an impact on the way the Almighty God feels is a remarkable
truth we find over and over again throughout the Bible. Yet as frequently as we
read it in Scripture, I find that most of us fail to appreciate what an amazing
truth this is. Perhaps because it is much easier to consider that our sinful
actions affect God negatively, as when the Bible speaks of the sinful
generation prior to the flood saying that they “grieved God to his heart”
(Genesis 6:6). But the inverse is also true. “The Lord takes pleasure in his
people” (Psalm 149:4), especially, the rest of that verse points out, when they
are humble. That brings us back to Solomon. It was the humility of Solomon’s
prayer that brought joy to God’s heart. When prompted by God to lay out his
request with the promise that God would do it, Solomon humbly considered his
need for wisdom to fulfill his job as the new king of Israel, and boldly asked
for it. The Scripture then says, “It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked
this” (1 Kings 3:10). May the dependent attitude of our hearts bring joy to
God’s heart today. May our selfless prayers and our concern for God’s people
brighten the disposition of the Lord even now.
For more sermons and devotionals on Humble Prayer, please go to the Focal Point Ministries website at www.focalpointministries.org.
No comments:
Post a Comment