WRITTEN FOR OUR LEARNING 2
“NOW, O LORD MY GOD, You have made your servant King, instead of my father David, BUT I AM A LITTLE CHILD; I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO GO OUT OR COME IN.”
1 Kings 3:7 (NKJV)
READ: Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:16
Priorities in prayer:
I. God’s kingdom, His people, should be number one thing to be your concern if you want Him to favour you.
• If you are mindful of God's kingdom—His people, the church of Christ—He will be mindful of you also. No wonder! Jesus taught His disciples in prayer to ask that God's kingdom should come (Luke 11:2; Matthew 6:10).
Another Scripture says: "BUT SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS—OTHER THINGS OF LIFE—SHALL BE ADDED TO YOU (Matthew 6:33). READ: Luke 12:31
• When you are kingdom minded, it provokes God’s blessings. Solomon was concerned about the well-being of the people of God, God cannot but grant his requests and bless him.
II. Solomon did not ask for long life for himself (1 Kings 3:11).
• Asking for long life is not the issue, the main issue is pleasing Him. If your ways please the Lord, He will keep you save, give you long life even when you do not ask for it (Proverbs 16:7).
“SO IF YOU WALK IN MY WAYS, TO KEEP MY STATUTES AND COMMANDMENTS, AS YOUR FATHER DAVID WALKED, THEN I WILL LENGTHEN [prolong] YOUR DAYS."
1 Kings 3:14 (NKJV)
III. Neither did Solomon ask riches for himself (1 Kings 3:11).
• This shows us that prosperity, riches does not respond to prayer. You do not become rich because you can pray violently, it rather responds to principles.
• Two things which Solomon did that we can learn from:
A. He loved God with all his heart thus he was mindful of His kingdom, the people of God (1 Kings 3:3,8,9).
B. Solomon gave passionately, he gave a thousand burnt offerings. His offering was a quality one, not because of its size but the heart with which he gave the offering—he gave because he loved the Lord (1 Kings 3:3,4).
We should give because we love God, give cheerfully, and we should give by faith expecting God to meet our needs (2 Corinthians 9:7).
IV. Nor asked the life of his enemies (1 Kings 3:11).
• Asking God to kill your enemies is not a new testament pattern of prayer (Matthew 5:43-45; Romans 12:19).
• If you please God, He will make your enemies to be at peace with you: “WHEN A MAN'S WAYS PLEASE THE LORD, HE MAKES HIS ENEMIES TO BE AT PEACE WITH HIM” (Proverbs 16:7 NKJV).
• In walking with God, we can learn from the Bible passage about Solomon that God does not expect us to be asking Him to kill our enemies (Matthew 5:44,45).
• We should seek and strive to please God, if we do that, He will take care of our enemies.
• If you please God, He will give you rest (1 Kings 4:24; 5:4). The Bible says, Solomon’s prayer request pleased the LORD (1Kings 3:10,11).
In summation; it means for your prayers to please God, you do not need to be asking for long life, riches, and the life of your enemies (1 Kings 3:11).
All you need to do is to love God:
• Be mindful of His kingdom, His church; the people of God and His work. Expanding His kingdom through the propagating of the gospel with your time, money, talent, ability and whatever you have.
• You should live giving. For you to attract God’s blessings, prosperity, you must be a giver. Give sacrificially, passionately, cheerfully and persistently because you love Him (Ecclesiastes 11:5,6; Proverbs 3:9,10; 1Corinthians 9:6,7).
9 HONOUR THE LORD WITH YOUR POSSESSIONS, AND THE FIRSTFRUITS OF ALL YOUR INCREASE;
10 SO YOUR BARN WILL BE FILLED WITH PLENTY, AND YOUR FAT WILL OVERFLOW WITH NEW WINE."
Proverbs 3:9,10 (NKJV)
• If you walk in God's ways, keep His statutes and His commandments, then He will lengthen your days (1 Kings 3:14). In other words, if you can walk in close fellowship with Him, you will enjoyed long life.
Longevity is part of believers' covenant right in Christ Jesus, but one can be robbed of it through ignorance and disobedience.
When you are walking contrary to God’s written Word and instructions that are specifically given to you by God, you can let the devil in in your life to do havocs.
Peace!
TO BE CONTINUED