Irvin Wasswa- Tylertown Campus Pastor LHBC
2 Chronicles 1:7-13
7 In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” 8 And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place.9 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.10 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?”11 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, 12 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.” 13 So Solomon came from[b] the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel.
Solomon, son of King David has officially taken the ranks as the new king over the people of Israel. The Lord appears to him and asks him for anything he wants to have. Imagine being asked such a question! Literally God asked Solomon what he wanted and said he would provide. Solomon’s response was one which was shocking. He did not specifically ask for riches, honor or fame. He asked for wisdom. He knew he needed wisdom to be able to do the work God was calling him to do. He prayed for a need and the Lord answered.
See King Solomon was a man who believed in the word of the Lord. He truly believed that God was speaking truth to him when he said that he would answer his request. Not only did the Lord give Solomon wisdom, he even gave riches and possessions and honor. The Lord will choose to provide greater than what we can even imagine. The question which stands in this particular passage is do we take God at His word? Listen, Solomon was a human being just like the rest of us…who reached out to the Lord and asked for a blessing and the Lord responded. Jesus reiterates this thought in Matthew 7 when he is preaching in the Sermon on the Mount about how the Lord God is a good father who is willing to give such great gifts! He hears our prayers and is faithful to answer them.
What we also see from Solomon relating to prayer is a heart that is humble in prayer. He did not return God’s question by stating that he deserved or he felt obligated to have anything. He understood that it was the Lord’s loving-kindness to him and his people which led the Lord to hear and answer his request. May we understand that same reality is true in our lives. May we approach prayer with the same humble heart, knowing that we are not entitled to any answered prayer; it is the Lord’s love for us which leads to his response in His time.
Solomon’s humble heart also led to what he specifically asked for in his prayer. He did not pray for riches, possessions and honor because his prayer in what he asked for wasn’t self-focused, it was others-focused. It has been said regarding our prayer lives that if God were to answer all of our prayers, how many of them would truly affect the lives of others? How many of your lost friends would come to faith as a result of your prayers for them? How many of your sick friends would be healed? May we choose to focus our prayer life less on what we want God to accumulate for us and focus more on praying for the sake of others.
So what are you asking for today? Aren’t you glad that we serve the same God that Solomon in 2 Chronicles served? He hears your prayers and desires to answer them. May our prayers be rooted in our humble heart for the Lord, and may we choose to possess the same faith Solomon had that God does hear our prayers and has the power to answer them.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Dear Lord, thank you for your love for me. Help me to grow in my time of prayer with you. Lord, give me the faith to trust You when I cry out to you in prayer. May I choose to come to you with a humble heart, knowing that it is because of your love and care for me that you answer my requests. Amen!
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
Matthew 5:14-16
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”