1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:04,160 But we do thank you from the bottom of my hearts that we are 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:06,040 able to gather as students of your word. 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,360 And, Lord, we know that apart from the Holy Spirit's power, 4 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:12,120 the transmission of truth cannot go very far. 5 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,079 And so we ask with humility and great desire, that there would 6 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:20,440 be an unusual power, a power to deliver this teaching, a power 7 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:23,840 to receive it, more importantly, a power to apply it in our 8 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,160 lives. So, Lord, we just ask that this 9 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,400 truth that we will study in this chapter will bleed into 10 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:34,400 practical Christian living. Destroy all hesitation to obey. 11 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:39,200 Destroy all distraction. Destroy all bondage, Lord, and 12 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:42,760 may we come out of this session together more alive in Christ 13 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:45,960 than when we entered in. We ask these things believing in 14 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:48,600 the inheritance that we've received in Christ Jesus, the 15 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:50,600 blessed gift of God, the Holy Spirit. 16 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:53,280 In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. 17 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:56,440 Amen. First Kings chapter 8. 18 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:01,960 Meet me there in verse 22. The Bible throughout from 19 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:06,920 Genesis to Revelation, testifies of men and women of prayer. 20 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:12,800 We read of God, the God of heaven and earth answering 21 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:17,240 prayer. We learn of different types of 22 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,880 prayer. We even as Christians, are 23 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:25,480 exhorted by God, through the Holy Spirit, through the vessels 24 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:31,480 of Apostles, to pray, to be prayerful, to make it a practice 25 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:36,240 and a constant unbreakable attitude of ours, to be in a 26 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:39,320 place of constant dependence on the Lord in this thing called 27 00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:42,880 prayer. And with all of that, the Holy 28 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:48,800 Spirit in His wisdom has preserved for us actual prayers 29 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:56,480 by certain Saints in holy writ for us to look at and examine to 30 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,080 be edified by. And what you and I have before 31 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:04,160 us tonight is one of the greatest prayers in all of the 32 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:10,800 Bible, in that it is one of the longest prayers recorded in the 33 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,600 Bible. The prayer that you and I are 34 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:17,480 going to examine carefully is that of Solomon Solomon, who 35 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:21,400 prayed at the dedication of the temple in the presence of God's 36 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,240 people with great humility and precision. 37 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,480 And the beautiful thing about this prayer is far more than the 38 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:31,280 fact that it is a very lengthy petition. 39 00:02:32,640 --> 00:02:35,640 What you and I are going to be blessed by in this account of 40 00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:40,000 prayer is is through a detail that is mentioned in a parallel 41 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,360 account to the scene in First Kings chapter 8. 42 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,560 So I told you to to turn there First Kings 8 but go to the 43 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:49,640 mirroring account in First Chronicles or Second Chronicles 44 00:02:49,640 --> 00:02:54,000 rather Chapter 7 and verse one. This is how we should frame our 45 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:58,040 time and studying the supplication made by this king 46 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,240 in Second Chronicles 7/1. This is a detail that's not 47 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,440 mentioned in First Kings chapter 8, but it's worth highlighting. 48 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:12,640 Here's what we read as soon as Solomon finished his prayer. 49 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,280 Fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering, and 50 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:21,440 the sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 51 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:23,840 What happened as soon as Solomon finished praying? 52 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,560 There is a supernatural manifestation of God's approval 53 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:31,000 of what was prayed for. What do we make of this verse? 54 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:37,320 Very Simply put, God accepted Solomon's request. 55 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:40,840 And why? We should know that at the 56 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:44,240 outset of the study so that you and I can frame our 57 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:48,120 investigation of this text in a way where we realize that we're 58 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:51,120 looking at the words of a man who moved the heart of God. 59 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:54,720 We're looking at the words of a man who uttered things toward 60 00:03:54,720 --> 00:04:01,400 heaven and God approved and was pleased to make his acceptance 61 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:07,200 clear and known. And that's good for us to know, 62 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,360 because it's one thing to pray. It's one thing to pray. 63 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:13,480 It's another thing to pray and know that God hears. 64 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,160 It's one thing to pray and know that God hears and be confident 65 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:24,680 that God can and will answer. We're not merely going to look 66 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,200 at this prayer to try to figure out the most favorable and 67 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,200 preferable method of prayer, though. 68 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,200 There are some ingredients found here that can help us be more 69 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:37,440 effective in that area. More than that, there are 70 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:41,240 several requests that Solomon makes in this one prayer. 71 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:47,160 There are several petitions that he offers to the Lord that are 72 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:51,640 worth looking at in greater detail because when we look at 73 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,560 these requests, what we're essentially seeing is the type 74 00:04:54,560 --> 00:05:03,280 of request God is willing to hear and work with and move for. 75 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:08,960 And though there are several of them, I want to group them in 76 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:13,280 five, the number 5. I want us to take a majority of 77 00:05:13,280 --> 00:05:19,160 this study tonight to look at 5 scenarios, 5 cases, five types 78 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,920 of prayer. That God is willing to answer. 79 00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:27,520 It's not limited to these five, of course, but these are five 80 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:31,080 that are concerning to Solomon and they should be a source. 81 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:34,320 Of comfort for for us who might need consolation in the very 82 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:36,160 areas that we're going to under score. 83 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,760 But before we look at this list of things that God is willing to 84 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:44,680 bend his ear for and actually extend His hand to move for, we 85 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:47,280 want to look at some truths leading up to that. 86 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,840 And so let's read the 1st 8 verses together and then break 87 00:05:50,840 --> 00:05:55,440 down our thoughts in three PSI. Want you to see that there's 88 00:05:55,440 --> 00:06:00,600 going to be 3 PS that will be beneficial for US1P is going to 89 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:04,680 be the posture, the second P is going to be the praise, and the 90 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:07,880 last P is going to be the power of promise. 91 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:10,000 Or you can just. Summarize it with promise. 92 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,800 Are you ready? Ready or not? 93 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:19,640 Verse 22 then Solomon. Stood before the altar of the 94 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,920 Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and. 95 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:26,040 Spread out his. Hands toward heaven, and said, O 96 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:30,600 Lord God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above, or 97 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:34,040 on earth beneath. Keeping covenant and showing 98 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:36,920 steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all 99 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:40,640 their heart, you have kept with your servant David, my father, 100 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:43,360 what you declare to him. You spoke with your mouth, and 101 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:45,320 with your hand have fulfilled it this day. 102 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:49,080 Now therefore, O Lord God of Israel, keep for your servant 103 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:52,160 David, my father, what you have promised him, saying You shall 104 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,760 not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only 105 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:58,960 your sons pay close attention to their way to walk before me, as 106 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:02,160 you have walked before me. Now, therefore, O God of Israel, 107 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:05,160 let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your 108 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:08,800 servant David, my father. But will God indeed dwell on the 109 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,080 earth? Behold, heaven and the highest 110 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:13,920 heaven cannot contain you. How much less this house that I 111 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:17,360 have built and have regard to the prayer of your servant, to 112 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:21,560 his plea and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and 113 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:24,360 to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, that 114 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:28,640 your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place 115 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:30,840 of which you have said My name shall be there. 116 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:33,800 That you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers 117 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:37,200 toward this place, and listen to the plea of your servant and of 118 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:40,840 your people, Israel, when they pray toward this place, and 119 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:42,600 listen in heaven, your dwelling place. 120 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:49,040 And when you hear forgive. Consider with me tonight the 121 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:53,880 posture of Solomon, verse 22. The Holy Spirit sees it 122 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:56,280 necessary for us to get a physical description of the 123 00:07:56,280 --> 00:08:00,720 expression of this man's prayer. What did he do before he uttered 124 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:02,720 a word while we read that he stood? 125 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:08,680 He stood, and he stretched out his hands toward heaven. 126 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,920 That's an interesting note, because this is something 127 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:18,320 clearly that we should know about, and it's not to teach 128 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,640 that there is one mode of prayer because there are several. 129 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:25,640 There are many, many expressions of humility and brokenness and 130 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:29,440 supplication before God. And so we cannot make a case 131 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:33,120 that there is a better way to pray, that there is a more 132 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:36,520 honorable way to pray, though there are perhaps creative ways 133 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:38,360 of being dishonorable and how we pray. 134 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,280 But one thing that we can take comfort in is that this is not 135 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:43,960 prescriptive. This is descriptive, and the 136 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:48,120 scripture doesn't go to great lengths to tell us how we should 137 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:51,960 bend our bodies or lay out or do what we need to do with our 138 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:55,520 physical posture in order to get a better signal with God in our 139 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,240 praying. In fact, anybody that would make 140 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:03,080 a case that there is one way to pray has a great problem if they 141 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:06,600 take the instruction of Paul seriously when he said pray 142 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:10,280 without ceasing, how am I supposed to pray without ceasing 143 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:13,480 if there's one specific posture that I must maintain? 144 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:17,680 Paul calls for an unceasing attitude of dependence on God, 145 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:21,400 which then necessitates that what I I have to at all times in 146 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:25,320 my car as I'm at work, as I'm walking, remain in the place of 147 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:28,720 prayer, and God will honor that prayer despite what's happening 148 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:31,200 with my legs or my chin or my hands. 149 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,520 If we can take anything from this, it is that it would be a 150 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:38,840 challenge for those who would say that there is only one way 151 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:43,080 to pray. What generally happens when a 152 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:46,880 pastor or leader, or even the head of a house, calls for a 153 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:50,760 people to seek the Lord briefly and inquire of him? 154 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:52,560 What's the reflex? What do people do? 155 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:57,160 Isn't that what happens? They they. 156 00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:00,040 They fold their hands and they bend their face. 157 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,600 Or they bow their head and they close their eyes. 158 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:06,320 Correct. You will not find that posture 159 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:11,160 once in all of the Bible. Isn't that funny in all this? 160 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,920 In all the scripture you will not see an example of somebody 161 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:18,040 bowing their head. Closing their eyes and folding 162 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:21,480 their hands to inquire. God, that's not to say it's 163 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:23,680 wrong. That's not to say it's wrong, 164 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:27,480 but it. Should 'cause people who are 165 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:29,840 critical to be reserved from looking at others who pray 166 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,880 differently and to say that's that's not the way you should 167 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:35,600 pray, Even the Lord Jesus himself. 168 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:39,320 What did he do in John 17? He lifted up his eyes toward 169 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:41,280 heaven, and he kept his eyes open when he prayed. 170 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:44,080 And so we read of people who lay prostate. 171 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:46,640 We leave people who sit. We read of people who sit. 172 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:48,720 We lead. We read of people who do many, 173 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:52,160 many different things in the place of prayer. 174 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:56,320 And what's more important to God is the heart posture more than 175 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:58,360 anything else. I wasn't planning to go to this 176 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:01,040 text, but here's a text in the New Testament that calls for 177 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:03,640 instruction of how corporate prayers should look like in 178 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:06,120 first Timothy 28. And what does Paul say? 179 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:09,680 That he calls for men everywhere to pray. 180 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:11,200 And then what's following that thought? 181 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:14,680 Lifting what? Not just hands. 182 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:23,360 Holy hands, Holy hands. So one that's an instruction for 183 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:25,880 how men this is. Remember, this is the order of 184 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:28,600 worship in the corporate sense. Men should be leading meetings, 185 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:34,320 right? But with that, we're told that 186 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:36,000 what? Should happen when the church 187 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:37,520 prays. Now it's not to say woman can't 188 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:39,120 pray. You read 1st Corinthians 11. 189 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:43,640 They are called to pray and in the corporate sense as well holy 190 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,480 hands. Paul's not speaking here more 191 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:50,400 about what we should do with our hands, but with what our hands 192 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:52,840 symbolize, our daily interactions and our daily 193 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:56,400 living and activities. Those hands should be and must 194 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:01,600 be holy, holy. And that's what makes prayer 195 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:04,080 effective. It's the holiness of the hands 196 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:06,160 more than the hands being stretched out. 197 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:11,960 And when we come to 1st Kings A, we do see the physical posture 198 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:15,880 of Solomon. Which can express reverence and 199 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:18,920 honor toward the Lord. But there is an emphasis about 200 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:20,760 his heart posture more than his physical posture. 201 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:22,400 Come back to chapter A and notice it with me. 202 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:26,680 Look here at verse 28 at First Kings 8. 203 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:28,440 Notice how he references himself. 204 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:32,760 You have regard to the prayer of who your servant, and to his 205 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:35,880 plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry, to the prayer that 206 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,880 your servant prays before you this day. 207 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:43,920 Here's the king of the nation willingly and joyfully calling 208 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:46,840 himself in the presence of God. I'm your servant. 209 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:50,040 I'm not in my prayer bossing you around. 210 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:51,800 I'm not commanding you to do anything. 211 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,720 I'm here, Coming. Empty handed Asking if you would 212 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:57,800 be good to answer these prayers and you are good. 213 00:12:57,800 --> 00:12:59,560 That's why I'm coming to you in prayer. 214 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:05,000 So posture, posture, Physical posture is mentioned, heart 215 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:08,440 posture is emphasized, and if you are a person who's caught up 216 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,840 with how things should look. Do not be critical of those who 217 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:14,880 do lift their hands in worship as people sing. 218 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:16,360 Praise God. That's not the case here. 219 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,080 Who would feel the necessity to bend their knee before God? 220 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:22,720 Any of those expressions are totally acceptable as long as 221 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:26,480 they're not distracting. But then we come to praise 222 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:28,760 What's the first thing that Solomon does? 223 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:32,240 What does he do to crack the seal of his supplication? 224 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:35,840 He adores the Lord. Look here again in verse 23 and 225 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:40,560 said, oh Lord God of Israel, there is no God like you in 226 00:13:40,560 --> 00:13:42,600 heaven above or on earth beneath. 227 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:48,440 So before he asked for anything, he adorns the Lord his God with 228 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:52,440 his praises. He declares his goodness. 229 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:54,520 He declares his uniqueness. He declares that he is 230 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:57,240 incomparable to any other deity or thing. 231 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:01,520 And what's so amazing about this is, is though there isn't again 232 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:05,520 this one formula, this one order of how we should pray God, God 233 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:10,080 invites us to be at liberty and how we express ourselves at the 234 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:11,680 same time. There is wisdom to glean from 235 00:14:11,680 --> 00:14:15,040 this. I find that adoration does more 236 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:18,640 than honor God. Let me tell you this adoration 237 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:20,680 is very foreign to people's prayer lives. 238 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:23,800 So this is so, so key and understanding. 239 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:26,560 Adoration does more than just honor God. 240 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:31,160 I find that adoration, both in practice and through principle, 241 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:35,920 in the word of God awakens faith, adoration awakens faith. 242 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:40,000 And you try this. Next time you're in a rut in 243 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,000 your prayers. You praise the Lord and and 244 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,440 realize that in praising him with your mind, with your heart, 245 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:49,000 with, with thoughtfulness, in your words, with an 246 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,880 understanding of who God is in the word of God and what will 247 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:54,520 begin to take place is, there's a sobriety that overcomes you. 248 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:59,320 There's a power that begins to position you to understand the 249 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:04,560 honor of being in that moment. If I find myself getting 250 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:08,680 distracted with task or intrusive thoughts, I pause and 251 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:12,480 I tend to think about who I am speaking to and it doesn't take 252 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,000 very long before I realize. What an honor it is to be 253 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:18,600 speaking to this God. What a privilege it is to be in 254 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:24,920 the courts of this King. And so when we praise, it's 255 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:28,320 stimulates reverence and it excites your faith. 256 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:31,560 When you consider who God is, when you consider what He is 257 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:36,160 able to do, His character and His capabilities, you will be 258 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:38,840 rescued from a passionless prayer life. 259 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:45,000 And so we see here that Solomon praises the Lord, and then he 260 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,600 goes from praise to another thing that really will help us 261 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:50,920 in our seeking of God, and that's tapping into the promises 262 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:55,720 of God. Notice what he does here in 263 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:58,040 verse 25. Now therefore, O Lord God of 264 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:01,040 Israel, keep for your servant David, my father, what you have 265 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:04,120 promised him, saying you shall not lack a man to sit before me 266 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:06,320 on the throne of Israel if only your sons play. 267 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:09,600 Pay close attention to their way to walk before me as you walk 268 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:11,680 before me. Look at verse 26. 269 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:14,280 Now, therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed. 270 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:15,760 So he's saying it again in a different way. 271 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:18,040 Verse 25. Now, therefore, O Lord, God of 272 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:20,640 Israel, keep for your servant, well, you promised him. 273 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:23,160 Verse 26 Let your word be confirmed. 274 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:26,920 The courage that Solomon had to approach the Lord in this way 275 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:31,200 was because he had to grasp what God had said, what God had done 276 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:33,080 in the past. That was what gave him the 277 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:34,760 boldness to come before the Lord in this way. 278 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:36,880 And that's important because you know how most people view 279 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:39,760 prayer? They view prayer as a way of 280 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:44,000 trying to persuade a reluctant God to do something on their 281 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:46,440 behalf. All right, let's see if God is 282 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:49,120 in a better mood today. Lord, I'm going to stay a little 283 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:51,200 bit longer in prayer, and hopefully this will convince you 284 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,520 that I'm worthy to receive the answers to my request. 285 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:57,120 And you know how the Bible presents prayer. 286 00:16:58,160 --> 00:16:59,880 Bible presents prayer in the following way. 287 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,160 It's really a response to an invitation that God already gave 288 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:06,000 you. To tap into and to access the 289 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,480 rewards and the blessings that he wants to pour out on your 290 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:12,000 life, if you see it that way. It makes prayer much more 291 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:14,560 exciting, does it not? God had said some things, and he 292 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:17,079 had given you a key to unlock it, and that key is called 293 00:17:17,079 --> 00:17:19,640 prayer. And so as you come to the Lord, 294 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:22,160 you're coming based on something that he had said. 295 00:17:22,319 --> 00:17:25,760 And then you're connecting that promise with faith, trusting 296 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:28,160 that the Lord will unlock it and provide it for you at the right 297 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,200 time. That's what prayer should look 298 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:32,480 like. As much as we are invoking the 299 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:34,880 Lord, we're also responding to an invitation that he gave in 300 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:38,480 His word. So don't drag your feet to pray 301 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,000 when you realize that there is a wealth, there is a treasure 302 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:44,040 waiting to be discovered if you just believe it. 303 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:47,880 And so this this king here is asking Lord, with specific 304 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:51,160 promises, Lord, would you do what you said? 305 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:56,240 Can I ask you a question? When you read the Bible, does it 306 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:58,400 in any way stimulate you to be more prayerful? 307 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:03,680 If you're a consistent student of the word of God, I will make 308 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:06,960 a very bold claim. It should make you more of a 309 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:10,160 prayerful person. If not, maybe you're not 310 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:13,440 studying the Bible, right? Because if what you're hearing, 311 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:16,560 even a Bible study, what you're hearing on Sundays is not 'cause 312 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:19,840 you to be drawn to a personal place of communion with the 313 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:21,960 Lord, you're not hearing it, right? 314 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:27,720 You know, one of the prayers of any person who preaches the word 315 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:29,760 of God should be this. This would be my this would be 316 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:34,120 my my counsel that whatever subject you are declaring, let 317 00:18:34,120 --> 00:18:38,200 the goal be this, that it would draw people closer to the Lord 318 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:41,040 Jesus no matter what it is. Even if you're talking through 319 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:45,920 Leviticus, let the word 'cause people to want closer communion 320 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:50,040 with Him, a deeper intimacy with him, And if the. 321 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:53,000 Word is not drawing you toward that place. 322 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:56,120 Maybe you're on the quest for knowledge more than intimacy 323 00:18:56,120 --> 00:18:58,720 with the Lord. And there's a big difference. 324 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:02,560 You can tell when somebody has Bible knowledge but doesn't have 325 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:07,200 the knowledge of God's presence in their lives. 326 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:12,040 And it's a sad sight to me. It's a sad sight to me. 327 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:17,280 So we talk about these three PS. There's posture, there is 328 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:20,400 praise, there is the power of promise. 329 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:26,840 But now we come to five types of prayer that God is willing to 330 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:31,480 hear, and they're categorized in these requests. 331 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:34,320 But let's Let's put them under these five headings. 332 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:38,560 If you're taking notes based on what Solomon asked for, the 333 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:41,120 first thing that we could be confident in knowing that God is 334 00:19:41,120 --> 00:19:43,120 willing to hear is that He's willing to. 335 00:19:43,120 --> 00:19:48,960 Hear and help with difficult, almost impossible matters. 336 00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:54,800 Let's read here in verse 31, and depending on what kind of Bible 337 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:58,680 you have, you'll even see how these requests are separated by 338 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,160 the way they designed the the format of the text. 339 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:05,040 Look at verse 31. If a man sins against his 340 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:08,840 neighbor and is made to take an oath, and comes and swears his 341 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:12,040 oath before your altar in this house, then hear in heaven and 342 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:15,240 act and judge your servants condemning the guilty by 343 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:18,280 bringing his conduct on his own head and vindicating the 344 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:21,560 righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness. 345 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:25,440 Here's what Solomon has as a primary concern, justice in the 346 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:27,000 land. And he realizes that what's 347 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:31,440 going to follow naturally are disputes, problems, conflict, 348 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:34,000 relational problems, accusations. 349 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:37,120 He's already dealt with some, and he's planning to see more. 350 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:40,440 And so he asked the Lord for something very specific, because 351 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:44,680 Solomon's aware that there are even some predicaments that are 352 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:48,480 void of eyewitnesses. They were done in private. 353 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:51,080 They were done in secret. They were done without public 354 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:54,080 knowledge. And So what that would demand at 355 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:56,600 this time was that when there was an accusation made against a 356 00:20:56,600 --> 00:21:00,920 brother, that brother was called to appear before the temple, 357 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:02,920 before the altar, and make an oath. 358 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:08,000 And to make an oath in that setting was far more than for 359 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:10,440 him to have his conscience pricked. 360 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:12,960 Like how what we see in our courts today where people put 361 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,280 their hands on the Bible to make them feel the holiness of that 362 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:19,920 moment, It's far more than that. What we're guaranteed here and 363 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,760 based on this prayer, based on what Solomon's asking the Lord, 364 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:27,000 is that when this would happen, God would supernaturally expose 365 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:30,200 the wrongdoer and you would confirm the innocent. 366 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:32,360 How that happened, we are not told. 367 00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:35,480 Perhaps the strongest clue we have is through the Urim and the 368 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:38,680 Thummim of the priest, where there would be something 369 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:41,480 revealed to the leadership that would expose the guilty and 370 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:45,400 would confirm the innocent. And so, Solomon asked the Lord, 371 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,560 when these situations come about, where it's humanly 372 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:51,840 impossible to find out who's right and who's wrong, would 373 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:54,000 you? Would you make it known? 374 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,680 You know what I find so fascinating about what Solomon's 375 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,840 asking here? This is a man who, just a few 376 00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:04,640 chapters ago, solved A humanly impossible situation, Remember, 377 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,720 with two prostitutes came before him, both claiming the life of 378 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:11,080 one child, both blaming that they are the ones who are lying. 379 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:14,520 Remember that And Solomon had wisdom from God to discern who 380 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:16,480 was in the right and who was in the wrong. 381 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:20,040 And this kind of man, who was praised with such heavenly 382 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:24,800 wisdom, sees the need to ask God to do what only he can do. 383 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:27,160 Well, Solomon, you were able to do it, but here's what Solomon 384 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:28,600 believed. No matter what kind of mind get 385 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:33,560 God gave me, I still need God. Yeah, no matter. 386 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:35,360 What kind of gifting he has provided me? 387 00:22:35,360 --> 00:22:38,840 I still am in need. Moment by moment, day by day, 388 00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:41,760 case by case, I need the Lord to intervene. 389 00:22:43,360 --> 00:22:45,840 I need the Lord to intervene. I can't depend on my strength. 390 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:48,520 I can't depend on my history. I can't depend on my track 391 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:50,880 record. I can only depend upon the Lord 392 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:54,120 providing my daily bread and doing what only He can do. 393 00:22:54,120 --> 00:22:57,680 I realize that even this mind is given by God, and if he doesn't 394 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:00,120 sustain it, He gave it. But if he doesn't sustain it, 395 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:02,120 then I will never know true success. 396 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:05,560 God has started many things, but because of people's pride, the 397 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:07,480 thing that God started wasn't sustained. 398 00:23:08,360 --> 00:23:11,200 God can start a church miraculously, but if the 399 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,480 leadership and the people are not remaining humble and 400 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:15,760 dependent on God, God will shut that church down. 401 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:17,560 He has no problem. He's not concerned about his 402 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:22,240 reputation in that sense. He's not concerned about what 403 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:24,600 people will say. He's concerned about his name, 404 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:26,880 and he's concerned about his people walking in his ways more 405 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:29,360 than anything else. When they veer off, he's willing 406 00:23:29,360 --> 00:23:31,120 to make it very clear that he's not pleased. 407 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:34,160 But here's Solomon, at this juncture of his life, realizing 408 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:37,840 God, if you don't do it, it's not going to happen. 409 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:39,880 So what's the principle behind this? 410 00:23:40,360 --> 00:23:43,040 What if, Solomon asked him, what is prayer able to unlock? 411 00:23:43,360 --> 00:23:45,720 Well, it's able to unvault heavenly wisdom, is it not? 412 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:49,280 It's able to reveal what is hidden in the dark, bringing it 413 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:51,920 to light. It's able to dissent, dismantle 414 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:57,080 the deceptive schemes of man. Satan will have a very difficult 415 00:23:57,080 --> 00:23:59,600 time. Those who have footholds in 416 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:01,320 their lives for Satan work through will have a very 417 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:03,960 difficult time taking advantage of prayerful people. 418 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:08,600 You do not know what you're up against, my friend. 419 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:12,200 When you try to come against a Saint of God, a man or woman 420 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:15,400 who's in tune with God in prayer, you have no idea what 421 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:17,320 you're messing with. Why? 422 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:21,400 Because a man who seeks Lord and humility and walks and conscious 423 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:25,720 obedience. To him has God on his side, and 424 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:28,120 we talked about this a couple weeks ago in Joshua Chapter 9 in 425 00:24:28,120 --> 00:24:31,160 our prayer meeting, that Joshua and the Israelites of that 426 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:33,360 generation were entered into the Promised Land. 427 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:36,440 They had a promise. They had God's presence to some 428 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:38,640 extent. But in that particular case, 429 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:40,920 when the Gibeonites came and deceived them, thinking that 430 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:43,800 they were from a faraway land, when in fact they were 431 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:47,560 inhabitants of the land of Canaan, they did not. 432 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:50,640 The scripture says to Joshua and I, they did not inquire of the 433 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:53,920 Lord and they were deceived. That's the reason why they were 434 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:56,920 overcome by the lies of the enemy, because they did not 435 00:24:56,920 --> 00:24:59,200 pause to look at the all the elements and all the 436 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:00,680 presentation. Say Lord, is this of you 437 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:04,240 implying that if they had prey, they would have been rescued 438 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:07,880 from deception? The schemes and the trickery of 439 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:10,880 Satan. And so Solomon says here, Lord, 440 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:14,120 I'm praying because I believe that in and through this prayer 441 00:25:14,120 --> 00:25:18,480 you're willing to answer and keep us from being overcome by 442 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:21,560 deception, by lies, by doing something unjust, by doing 443 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:26,280 something that is missing. The Mark prayer that God is 444 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:31,200 willing to hear is 1 that He's able to help with concerning 445 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:33,080 matters that seem impossible or difficult. 446 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:35,360 But it's more than that. We come here and we read what 447 00:25:35,360 --> 00:25:37,040 what's next? Look at verse 33. 448 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:42,600 When your people are defeated before the enemy because they 449 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:45,440 have sinned against you, and if they turn again to you and 450 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:47,840 acknowledge your name, and pray and plead with you in this 451 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:51,520 house, then here in heaven, and forgive the sin of your people 452 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:54,840 Israel, and bring them again to the land that you gave to their 453 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:57,960 fathers, highlight that. When your people Israel, 454 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:01,320 defeated before the enemy. But look here at verse 35. 455 00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:04,880 This is the same thought when heaven is shut up and there is 456 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:06,560 no rain, because they have sinned against you. 457 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:09,320 If they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and 458 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:11,680 turn from their sin when you afflict them, then here in 459 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:13,520 heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants your people 460 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:15,840 Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should 461 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:17,880 walk. Look here at verse 37. 462 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:22,120 If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight 463 00:26:22,120 --> 00:26:25,200 or mildew or locust or Caterpillar, if their enemy 464 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:27,480 besieges them in the land, at the gates, at their gates, 465 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:30,120 whatever plague, whatever sickness there is. 466 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:34,760 OK, so it seems long winded, but it fits under one category. 467 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:38,720 Solomon now begins to describe the potential consequences of 468 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:40,920 unrepentant sin and continual rebellion. 469 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:44,680 And he knows the word of God very well, because Deuteronomy 470 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:48,640 and Leviticus spell out the exact acts of discipline that 471 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:52,040 will ensue from the nation who choose to turn their back on 472 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:54,640 God. And what Solomon has in mind 473 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:59,760 here is that God would answer the prayers of those who are 474 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:03,440 enduring the chastisement for their trespass. 475 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:06,480 And so here's the. Second type of prayer that God 476 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:09,840 is willing to hear and answer. God is willing to hear and 477 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:14,520 answer those who pray as they endure the consequences of their 478 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:19,320 sin. Why is that important? 479 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:27,840 Because for many people sin as they pursue it feel hopeless, 480 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,480 especially when they are faced with the consequences of their 481 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:32,960 actions. Some consequences are more 482 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:34,920 severe than others, but sometimes those consequences 483 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:39,560 could be so intense and life altering that in in doing that 484 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:41,280 they think to themselves and believe. 485 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:44,840 Perhaps I've been cut off from God's mercy altogether. 486 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:50,160 This is it. I can't see how moving forward 487 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:54,880 from this place, I can have God's full favor again, His full 488 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:58,240 pleasure over my life again. I am forever scarred with the 489 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:01,880 consequence of the sin. I can never undo what my sin has 490 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:04,600 done. And Solomon here begins to 491 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:08,160 describe the different kind of scenarios that sin can lead the 492 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:10,640 people into. But with every scenario, he 493 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:13,800 asked the Lord to be able to hear them if they in that moment 494 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:17,600 come to their senses, cry out to God, say, oh God, please forgive 495 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:22,480 me, please restore me. God is willing to hear the 496 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:27,360 prayer of those who have gone so far away from him, so deep in 497 00:28:27,360 --> 00:28:30,640 darkness, so contrary to the convictions that they once held 498 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:34,960 to if they pause and pray and look to the Lord. 499 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:38,280 Solomon here, by way of principle, teaches us that God 500 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:42,800 is willing to say, I hear you and I will do something about 501 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:46,840 your predicament. What kind of sin? 502 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:48,560 Notice again. Look here at the end of verse 503 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:54,880 37. He says here, whatever plague, 504 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:58,760 whatever sickness there is, there is no category of 505 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:01,960 wrongdoing, regardless of what kind of judgement it invites 506 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:06,320 into your life, that God's grace is unavailable for. 507 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:09,160 There's not one single think about that. 508 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:11,840 Think about how significant that is. 509 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:16,360 And all that is required to reach God in restoration is a 510 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:19,400 contrite heart, right? Notice what Solomon says here in 511 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:23,280 verse 38. Whatever prayer, whatever plea 512 00:29:23,280 --> 00:29:27,040 is made by any man or by your people, all your people, Israel. 513 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:28,840 Each. Knowing the affliction of his 514 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:31,960 own heart and stretching out his hands towards his house, you 515 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:34,480 know, he didn't say. Just stretching out his hands 516 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:35,920 toward his house. He could have said that. 517 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:38,000 Lord, if you see anybody stretching out their hand 518 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:40,160 towards his house, hear them. But what is he? 519 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:43,240 What is he followed up with? What's preceding That Rather 520 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:49,080 says here if they know the affliction in their heart, it's 521 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:51,560 not about some external thing that God has to see. 522 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:55,040 You've been coming to church 10 weeks in a row. 523 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:57,080 I think I'll take you out of the penalty box now. 524 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:02,160 That's not how God works. No, it's it begins internally. 525 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,480 It's the heart that's broken and contrite. 526 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:08,040 That is what is required for the Lord to move favorably. 527 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:11,760 Again, in your life when you realize this is the mess, that 528 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:14,400 this is the offense that I have brought about to the name of 529 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:16,720 God. And then when God sees that he's 530 00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:19,840 willing to do miracles in your life again and bring reversal to 531 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:22,040 the mess that you brought into your life again. 532 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:30,080 And Solomon here shows that there's still hope and prayer is 533 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:32,240 still something that can be utilized even when you don't 534 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:34,520 deserve it because of your performance lately. 535 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:40,120 So what happens? He says here, please hear them. 536 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:43,880 Look at verse 39 very quickly. This is just a side note worth 537 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:46,120 mentioning. Then here in heaven your 538 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:49,000 dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose 539 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,520 heart you know according to all his ways. 540 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:56,000 Look what's in parentheses here. For you, you only know the 541 00:30:56,000 --> 00:31:00,280 hearts of all the children of mankind, that they may fear you 542 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:04,280 all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our 543 00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:05,760 fathers. Who's Solomon praying to? 544 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:09,480 Who's he praying to? God. 545 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:11,520 What's His name? Yahweh. 546 00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:16,600 And what prerogative, What exclusive ability does he pin on 547 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:21,520 Yahweh and Yahweh alone for you? You only what? 548 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:26,600 Know the hearts of all the children of mankind. 549 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:29,840 That only belongs to you. Only Yahweh can scan the hearts 550 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:33,280 of all inhabitants of the lands. The nations, the cities, the 551 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:36,520 streets, in the neighborhoods and be able to perfectly 552 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:38,480 interpret what's going on in their hearts. 553 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:44,760 That's powerful, what said. Of Jesus, let me remind you in 554 00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:48,840 Revelation 2 as Jesus speaks through John to a particular 555 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:52,960 church, and he mentions this in verse 23 concerning Christ and 556 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:56,280 Revelation 223 as a warning to them who thought that they can 557 00:31:56,280 --> 00:32:00,840 live and sin, We're told that Christ in his love for his 558 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:02,880 church. Says the following in Revelation 559 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:06,040 223 and I will strike her children dead. 560 00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:09,000 Speaking of Jezebel in the church, the spirit of Jezebel in 561 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:11,680 the church and all the churches will know. 562 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:14,480 Look what Jesus says. I am he. 563 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:19,840 Who searches mind and heart? And I will give to each one of 564 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:24,080 you according to your works. So Christ claims to be able to 565 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:27,080 do what only Yahweh is able to do, and that's search the hearts 566 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:31,400 and minds of men and be able to give the specific reward or 567 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:35,120 punishment in accordance with the cleanliness or the 568 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:38,640 corruption in that heart. If you want another verse to add 569 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:41,040 to your arsenal, it's Jeremiah 1710. 570 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:43,080 Notice what's said about the Lord. 571 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:47,200 Again Yahweh and Jeremiah 17. 10 And and connect that with how 572 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:50,360 Christ is spoken of, and how Christ speaks of himself in the 573 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:52,560 New Testament. Here's Jeremiah 1710. 574 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:59,160 I, the Lord, search the heart and test the mind to give every 575 00:32:59,160 --> 00:33:02,360 man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his 576 00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:04,680 deeds. Isn't that what he said to the 577 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:06,480 church? He said it. 578 00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:08,800 Let me read it to you again. I am E who searches mind and 579 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:12,880 heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 580 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:14,520 Well, Yahweh said that in Jeremiah. 581 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:17,520 Solomon said that that belongs to the Lord alone. 582 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:19,520 And Jesus comes and says I can do that. 583 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:23,200 Why? Because Jesus is Yahweh, that's 584 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:25,720 why. Just a side note. 585 00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:31,000 So we see here that Solomon believe that God will hear 586 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:33,760 prayer of those who endure the consequences of sin. 587 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:37,480 But that's that's not it #3. Let's come again back to first 588 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:40,400 Kings eight. Look at verse 41. 589 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:46,840 Likewise when a foreigner Solomon says who is not of. 590 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:49,560 Your people. Israel comes from a far country 591 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:53,240 for your name's sake, for they shall hear of your great name 592 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:56,240 and your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm, when he 593 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,920 comes and prays toward this house here in heaven your 594 00:33:59,920 --> 00:34:03,720 dwelling place, And do according to all for which the foreigner 595 00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:06,240 cost you, in order that all the peoples of the. 596 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:09,320 Earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people 597 00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:12,760 Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have 598 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:15,440 built is called by your name. So now Solomon. 599 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:19,960 Zooms from his people, from the people of Israel. 600 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:23,880 Zooms out and considers the alien that extraterrestrial 601 00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:28,120 aliens, foreigners and neighboring nations who worship 602 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:30,400 heathen gods. But at some point come to their 603 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:32,080 senses and realize that's the true God. 604 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:34,679 And I want to know this God. I want to pray to this God. 605 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:38,960 And so Solomon now is very much in tune with the heart of God. 606 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:42,159 He he knows God's word enough to realize that God has a heart for 607 00:34:42,159 --> 00:34:45,239 the Gentiles. Even here, God has a heart for 608 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:48,360 the neighboring nations. Don't get into this false notion 609 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:51,480 that Jesus in the New Testament introduces grace for the 610 00:34:51,480 --> 00:34:54,000 Gentiles. Whereas God in the Old Testament 611 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:57,280 was hesitant and it wasn't in his mind, God always had the 612 00:34:57,280 --> 00:35:00,360 Gentiles in mind in electing the nation of Israel, making a 613 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:03,080 covenant with them. That covenant with Israel was 614 00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:05,840 not an end in itself, it was a means to a different end. 615 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:08,200 Israel was raised up to be a nation. 616 00:35:08,200 --> 00:35:11,320 Yes, God in his sovereignty has the right to choose any nation 617 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:13,520 and to deal specially with that nation. 618 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:17,520 But we see in this book that God through the election of Israel, 619 00:35:17,680 --> 00:35:21,480 wanted to bless all the families of the earth, and he wanted this 620 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:24,240 house, even in the old covenant, to be a House of prayer for what 621 00:35:24,240 --> 00:35:28,840 all peoples, all nations. You read about Jesus and Isaiah 622 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:31,880 49, where we're told of the servant of the Lord that it was 623 00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:34,120 too light of a thing to redeem Jacob alone. 624 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:36,960 I will make you a light to the nations, and you will go, and 625 00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:39,760 you'll redeem the. The coastlands and everybody 626 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:43,320 else across the world. So we see, This is why you need 627 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:46,760 to know the Old Testament. And the more you study and the 628 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:49,240 more you learn about it, the more you realize that there is a 629 00:35:49,240 --> 00:35:52,440 consistent thread with the character, nature and the will 630 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:55,400 of God. You think about the Black Hebrew 631 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:56,680 Israelites. Have you seen these guys on the 632 00:35:56,680 --> 00:35:57,800 streets? Yeah. 633 00:35:57,800 --> 00:35:59,080 OK, so you know what I'm talking about. 634 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:00,600 If not, I encourage you not to Google them. 635 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:04,840 You might run into them if you walk in any major city long 636 00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:08,400 enough downtown or something. These guys believe that one, 637 00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:10,600 they are the true nation of Israel, that they are the true 638 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:14,640 people of God, and in their theology, they're called in 639 00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:17,200 their theology. They totally deny that God has 640 00:36:17,240 --> 00:36:19,840 any favorable will for the Gentiles. 641 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:23,680 So what do you do as a Christian when you meet these kind of 642 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:25,680 people who believe these things? And by the way, it's getting 643 00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:29,560 greater popularity, especially for African Americans and those 644 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:34,080 from that background. What do you do when you're 645 00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:35,880 confronted with that and they quote scripture about how 646 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:38,600 Gentiles will bow before the Jews and how Israel rise above 647 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:40,240 all their nations? What do you need to know your 648 00:36:40,240 --> 00:36:42,640 Hebrew Scriptures? You need to show from the Hebrew 649 00:36:42,640 --> 00:36:44,120 scriptures they'll deny the New Testament. 650 00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:47,320 Show from the Hebrew Scriptures this is what the God of the 651 00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:51,600 nation of Israel, the true nation of Israel, has in mind 652 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:53,840 for Gentiles, not just for that people. 653 00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:57,680 So Solomon had the mind of God in this, and this is the request 654 00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:00,320 that he makes. So what's the principle here? 655 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:02,640 Here's point number three of the kind of prayers that God is 656 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:05,120 willing to hear. God is willing to hear any man 657 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:08,960 who comes to him. God is willing to hear any man 658 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:11,800 who comes to him. That's the truth from this 659 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:14,240 request. And this shows that the Lord 660 00:37:14,240 --> 00:37:18,240 does not discriminate based on personal history, current 661 00:37:18,240 --> 00:37:22,040 status, spiritual heritage, or any other measure that might 662 00:37:22,040 --> 00:37:26,760 make us as humans, even dear Christians, to look at somebody 663 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:29,680 and to evaluate through human standards whether or not they 664 00:37:29,680 --> 00:37:33,800 are worthy enough to be used by God in a special way, to be 665 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:37,200 heard by God favorably. How do you modernize that? 666 00:37:37,200 --> 00:37:40,400 Well, you have some people, honestly, who might think you 667 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:44,000 know the descendant of a Christian family will receive 668 00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:47,680 God's favor more than a guy like me who escaped from a heathen 669 00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:50,240 family and decided to align myself with the truth. 670 00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:54,160 Because who am I in comparison to somebody who has that kind of 671 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:58,960 background That might not mean much to you, the point that I'm 672 00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:00,800 presenting to you because most of us in here grew up in the 673 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:02,000 church. Most of us. 674 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:03,960 Not all of us. But I'm telling you what I'm 675 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:06,440 saying, I'm sure will bring great comfort and joy to the 676 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:08,040 person who has a criminal record. 677 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:13,640 Person who's been raised by parents who were involved in 678 00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:15,600 witchcraft and taught their kids to blasphemy. 679 00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:16,440 The true. God. 680 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:21,520 God is willing to, if you just simply humble yourself and 681 00:38:21,520 --> 00:38:24,320 acknowledge him as the true God, receive you, hear you. 682 00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:30,360 And in this case, Solomon, I'm sure, blew some people's minds 683 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:32,040 who are unfamiliar with the heart of God. 684 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:36,480 Psalm is actually asking God to do something of blessing those 685 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:38,800 who are not in covenant by way of inheritance. 686 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:40,840 Wow. Wow. 687 00:38:43,480 --> 00:38:45,760 And so no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, no 688 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:50,240 matter what you've done, if you're washing the blood, you're 689 00:38:50,240 --> 00:38:52,840 no greater than the greatest Saints that the Church has ever 690 00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:56,000 known. You have same access to God. 691 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,840 You have the same privilege and promises to you. 692 00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:02,680 And this is what Solomon is asking the Lord to do, knowing 693 00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:07,440 that the Lord was somebody who is willing to answer it. #4 the 694 00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:10,040 4th kind of prayer that God is willing to hear and answer. 695 00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:13,840 God is willing to hear us as we face adversity and danger. 696 00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:18,120 Notice what's said in verse 44, the situation, the circumstance 697 00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:21,120 that Solomon presents. If your people go out to battle 698 00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:25,400 against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, that's 699 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:29,320 an important thing to highlight even at this time. 700 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:32,200 Whenever Israel was engaged in war, it had to be commanded by 701 00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:33,360 God. They didn't have the freedom to 702 00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:38,200 go and lay siege of different lands and bring conquest into. 703 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:40,000 They did not have that kind of right. 704 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:43,600 So that's an important text to make note of if your people. 705 00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:47,320 Go out to battle against their enemy by whatever way you shall 706 00:39:47,320 --> 00:39:50,080 send them. It has to be divinely ordained, 707 00:39:51,120 --> 00:39:53,520 so keep that in mind when people criticize the God of the Old 708 00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:57,800 Testament as being genocidal. Keep that in mind for the idea 709 00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:02,360 that the people of God who in the Old Testament did engage in 710 00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:05,960 wars, we're not doing so with liberty and with subjective 711 00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:08,040 reasonings. They took it from a righteous 712 00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:12,200 and holy God who knew when to attack and when to bring about 713 00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:17,960 discipline to a people who deserve it by whatever way you 714 00:40:17,960 --> 00:40:21,200 shall send them. And they pray to the Lord toward 715 00:40:21,200 --> 00:40:24,800 the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built 716 00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:27,640 for your name. Then here in heaven their prayer 717 00:40:27,640 --> 00:40:29,760 and their plea, and maintain their cause. 718 00:40:29,960 --> 00:40:32,760 So now Psalm has something in mind even when our army is out 719 00:40:32,760 --> 00:40:35,200 in battle and they are at a great distance from the House of 720 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:37,200 God. Lord, would you consider the 721 00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:40,680 request as they turn their face toward the House of worship and 722 00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:43,000 implore and inquire for your intervention? 723 00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:48,840 Prayer brings assistance to us in adversity and in the face of 724 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:51,360 many dangers. And what I love about what 725 00:40:51,360 --> 00:40:55,120 Solomon is saying here is that he himself, even as a military 726 00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:59,520 leader, as a king, did not believe that human, you know, 727 00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:03,560 resources and abilities where salvation comes from, no matter 728 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:06,400 what kind of thing you got going on, no matter what kind of 729 00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:09,320 network you have, no matter what kind of connections deliverance 730 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:13,880 is of the Lord solution comes from the sovereign God. 731 00:41:15,120 --> 00:41:19,960 The best results come from the one who can only do the best 732 00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:23,120 possible outcome in any given situation, and this is what 733 00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:25,200 Solomon is asking for. Lord, even with our army we 734 00:41:25,200 --> 00:41:27,440 don't put our trust. In the arm of the flesh, we're 735 00:41:27,440 --> 00:41:29,920 asking even in this very physical reality, would you 736 00:41:29,920 --> 00:41:33,400 intervene and make away And the principle? 737 00:41:33,400 --> 00:41:35,000 We're not called to any holy war. 738 00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:37,560 We're not called to engage in any physical battle. 739 00:41:37,720 --> 00:41:39,960 Our battle is not against flesh and blood. 740 00:41:40,680 --> 00:41:43,000 Here's the principle. No matter what kind of because 741 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:44,800 we do have an enemy and there is warfare. 742 00:41:44,800 --> 00:41:47,040 And no matter what kind of situation presents itself 743 00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:50,480 against you, you can pray and believe that God will find the 744 00:41:51,240 --> 00:41:54,600 best way to give you victory in it, the best way. 745 00:41:57,560 --> 00:41:59,120 The praying man is out of advantage. 746 00:41:59,120 --> 00:42:02,120 I said earlier that Satan has at a greater disadvantage when he's 747 00:42:02,120 --> 00:42:04,640 up against a praying woman, a praying man, a praying mom, a 748 00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:08,000 praying father, praying church. So let me flip it. 749 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:11,240 You are at a great the greatest advantage when you know how to 750 00:42:11,240 --> 00:42:13,560 call upon the Lord and everything and for all things. 751 00:42:13,920 --> 00:42:17,320 May I remind you of Ahithophel when it was told to David while 752 00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:20,160 he was in exile. This man, whose words were like 753 00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:23,320 the oracles of God, has chosen to divorce himself from you, 754 00:42:23,320 --> 00:42:25,200 David. And line up with your rebellious 755 00:42:25,200 --> 00:42:29,800 son, Absalom. Humanly speaking, David would 756 00:42:29,800 --> 00:42:33,760 have been finished. And one of my favorite prayers 757 00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:35,280 in all of the Bible is what prayer? 758 00:42:35,480 --> 00:42:38,760 The prayer David prayed in that moment when he learned we're in 759 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:40,600 trouble. What did he did? 760 00:42:40,600 --> 00:42:43,160 He sighed. A prayer, O Lord, turned the 761 00:42:43,160 --> 00:42:46,880 wisdom of Ahithophel. Into what Foolishness. 762 00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:49,440 Foolishness. Did God answer that prayer? 763 00:42:49,960 --> 00:42:53,120 He did answer that prayer. Whatever was presented to 764 00:42:53,120 --> 00:42:58,200 Absalom was rejected by Absalom, and God did even more than what 765 00:42:58,200 --> 00:43:02,120 prayer, What David pray for Ahithophel was eliminated as a 766 00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:04,320 threat for the rest of David's life. 767 00:43:05,720 --> 00:43:07,520 You know what that teaches. Let me remind you from that 768 00:43:07,520 --> 00:43:10,720 Bible study that teaches that a man of prayer is at a greater 769 00:43:10,720 --> 00:43:12,600 advantage in the most brilliant mind. 770 00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:16,800 That's what that teaches the man of prayer. 771 00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:19,360 The woman of prayer is at a greater advantage than the 772 00:43:19,360 --> 00:43:22,920 strongest man, the richest man, the smartest man. 773 00:43:23,760 --> 00:43:26,880 When God finds a man who is praying, he is the strongest. 774 00:43:29,840 --> 00:43:32,320 And this is what Solomon believed, even with his standing 775 00:43:32,320 --> 00:43:35,240 army. Lord, if it's if it ever comes 776 00:43:35,240 --> 00:43:39,040 to the point that this would happen, please hear our prayers 777 00:43:39,040 --> 00:43:40,760 and the prayers of your people when they call upon you. 778 00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:44,560 And we read of stories in kings where certain kings believe that 779 00:43:44,880 --> 00:43:48,400 Hezekiah right ASA where they ask the Lord. 780 00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:51,720 The Lord came through and brought about victory and it is 781 00:43:51,720 --> 00:43:55,280 rooted in this. Lastly, what kind of prayers is 782 00:43:55,280 --> 00:43:57,320 God willing to answer? What kind of things is God 783 00:43:57,320 --> 00:44:00,840 willing to do in prayer? God is willing to hear the 784 00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:03,720 prayer of one man on behalf of so many others. 785 00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:07,840 You're not going to see that based on what I'm about to read, 786 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:11,440 but you will in a moment. This is the longest portion of 787 00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:14,760 Dave, or rather Solomon's Petition in this one prayer. 788 00:44:15,320 --> 00:44:19,000 It's from verse 46 down to verse 53. 789 00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:22,800 I'm not going to read all of it, but let me read the first few if 790 00:44:22,800 --> 00:44:25,160 they sin against you. So now he revisits his idea of 791 00:44:25,160 --> 00:44:26,720 sin. Solomon seems to be very 792 00:44:26,720 --> 00:44:28,880 concerned of the future spiritual state of the nation of 793 00:44:28,880 --> 00:44:32,240 Israel, and here's why. Look what he says. 794 00:44:32,240 --> 00:44:34,240 For there is no one who does not sin. 795 00:44:34,600 --> 00:44:38,440 He's aware of human frailty and faithlessness. 796 00:44:39,080 --> 00:44:41,600 And you are angry with them, and give them to an enemy, so that 797 00:44:41,600 --> 00:44:44,720 they are carried away, captive to the land of the enemy, far 798 00:44:45,120 --> 00:44:47,880 off or near. Yet if they turn their heart in 799 00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:51,520 the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and 800 00:44:51,520 --> 00:44:54,160 plead with you in the land of their captors, saying, We have 801 00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:56,840 sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly. 802 00:44:57,200 --> 00:45:01,000 If they repent with all their mind and with all their heart in 803 00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:03,520 the land of their enemies who carried them captive, and pray 804 00:45:03,520 --> 00:45:06,640 to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the 805 00:45:06,640 --> 00:45:09,520 city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for 806 00:45:09,520 --> 00:45:14,040 your name, we'll stop there. So the the situation that 807 00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:15,840 Solomon has in mind, because you already talked about the 808 00:45:15,840 --> 00:45:18,680 consequences of sin, now he speaks about the worst of the 809 00:45:18,680 --> 00:45:20,880 worst outcomes. Exile. 810 00:45:21,840 --> 00:45:23,600 You couldn't get any lower than that as the people of. 811 00:45:23,600 --> 00:45:25,400 God. Because this land was promised, 812 00:45:25,400 --> 00:45:28,640 there was so much promise of security and longevity for 813 00:45:28,640 --> 00:45:32,560 generations to come. But Solomon understood that 814 00:45:32,560 --> 00:45:35,680 there is there was a time that could come where the people 815 00:45:35,680 --> 00:45:37,800 could sow sin against God, and so where At his. 816 00:45:37,800 --> 00:45:40,560 Patience, the Lord says, I'm bringing a nation, You're out of 817 00:45:40,560 --> 00:45:43,960 here, And this is what Solomon asked. 818 00:45:43,960 --> 00:45:46,920 Lord, even in the land of their captors, whatever generation 819 00:45:46,920 --> 00:45:50,320 that might happen in, even in the land of captivity, would you 820 00:45:50,320 --> 00:45:52,840 hear their prayers if they turn their face towards Jerusalem and 821 00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:55,400 implore and seek. You with a repentant heart 822 00:45:56,400 --> 00:46:00,400 question. Do you ever see in the Old 823 00:46:00,400 --> 00:46:06,160 Testament a situation, whether that be the Assyrian exile that 824 00:46:06,160 --> 00:46:09,120 took over the north or the Babylonian exile that took over 825 00:46:09,120 --> 00:46:12,600 the South, where the nation of Israel cried out to the Lord in 826 00:46:12,600 --> 00:46:14,120 this way while they were in exile? 827 00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:21,480 You got it. Did you hear it? 828 00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:27,160 You'd be hard pressed to find a national movement during 829 00:46:27,160 --> 00:46:30,480 captivity where the people as a whole, or at least a large 830 00:46:30,480 --> 00:46:34,520 population, remember the words of Solomon and cried out in 831 00:46:34,520 --> 00:46:36,160 order to be restored to their home. 832 00:46:36,720 --> 00:46:38,520 But he speaks about them in the plural, does he? 833 00:46:38,520 --> 00:46:42,200 Not if they turn their heart. Verse 47 verse 40. 834 00:46:42,200 --> 00:46:44,800 Eight if they. Repent with all their mind. 835 00:46:45,040 --> 00:46:48,040 The only instance that you see of a fulfillment of this is with 836 00:46:48,040 --> 00:46:50,440 one man. Who's that man? 837 00:46:50,480 --> 00:46:54,240 You heard it, Daniel. Go to that chapter very quickly. 838 00:46:54,240 --> 00:46:55,960 We're almost done here, Daniel. Chapter nine. 839 00:46:55,960 --> 00:47:00,440 Look at the first few verses. I love Daniel. 840 00:47:01,880 --> 00:47:11,560 Not for the obvious reasons why. I have a friend and we were 841 00:47:11,560 --> 00:47:14,280 talking about, he's a dear brother in the Lord and we were 842 00:47:14,280 --> 00:47:18,880 talking about how we were named. And and he told me he said my 843 00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:20,560 father was planning to call me Daniel. 844 00:47:21,000 --> 00:47:22,360 And I said, really? And he goes, yeah, But then he 845 00:47:22,360 --> 00:47:25,560 didn't want me to have to live with that burden, to live up to 846 00:47:25,560 --> 00:47:27,920 such a name. And so he named me a different 847 00:47:27,920 --> 00:47:29,920 name. I thought, oh gosh, I don't even 848 00:47:29,920 --> 00:47:34,960 think about for that my name. But Daniel is a profound person 849 00:47:34,960 --> 00:47:39,200 in the scriptures and we see him praying at a certain point in 850 00:47:39,200 --> 00:47:40,640 his life. He's always praying throughout 851 00:47:40,640 --> 00:47:42,440 the book of Daniel. But look at this in verse one of 852 00:47:42,440 --> 00:47:46,560 chapter nine in the first year of Darius, the son of Ahusurus 853 00:47:47,160 --> 00:47:49,440 by descent Amede. Who has made? 854 00:47:49,440 --> 00:47:52,440 King over the realm of the Chaldeans in the first year of 855 00:47:52,440 --> 00:47:56,360 his reign. I Daniel perceived in the books 856 00:47:56,360 --> 00:47:59,080 the number of years that according to the word of the 857 00:47:59,080 --> 00:48:03,120 Lord to Jeremiah, the prophet must pass before the end of the 858 00:48:03,120 --> 00:48:06,320 desolations of Jerusalem, namely 70 years. 859 00:48:06,880 --> 00:48:09,680 I love Daniel. We know Daniel to be a man of 860 00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:12,040 prayer, man of conviction. But you know what? 861 00:48:12,040 --> 00:48:15,720 You can add something to this man's example. 862 00:48:15,720 --> 00:48:20,480 He was a man who knew the Bible. Daniel studied the Bible, and we 863 00:48:20,480 --> 00:48:23,520 see here that Daniel studied. He perceived other translations, 864 00:48:23,520 --> 00:48:27,000 say there in verse two, that he understood the books. 865 00:48:27,640 --> 00:48:30,560 He didn't just read it. He sought to master it and to 866 00:48:30,560 --> 00:48:32,720 seek its applications in his life. 867 00:48:32,960 --> 00:48:36,040 And this is what? He realized Jeremiah divine 868 00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:39,640 revelation revealed in Jeremiah 25 that the Exile will last 70 869 00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:41,400 years and Daniel's been doing some math work. 870 00:48:41,400 --> 00:48:45,080 We're leading up to 70 years again. 871 00:48:46,400 --> 00:48:48,360 Does the Bible fuel your prayer life? 872 00:48:48,360 --> 00:48:51,200 Because it does for Daniel. He understood what was said, 873 00:48:51,200 --> 00:48:52,880 right? And this is fascinating. 874 00:48:52,880 --> 00:48:55,280 This is prophecy. This is an eternal decree by 875 00:48:55,280 --> 00:48:56,960 God. You would think that if there's 876 00:48:56,960 --> 00:48:59,240 anything that you would read in the Bible that would not cause 877 00:48:59,240 --> 00:49:02,160 you to make any actions or response, it would be prophecy. 878 00:49:02,160 --> 00:49:05,120 What can you do about it? God said it's going to happen, 879 00:49:05,120 --> 00:49:08,320 so just enjoy the ride. That's not how Daniel understood 880 00:49:08,320 --> 00:49:10,600 prophecy. He understood prophecy and he 881 00:49:10,600 --> 00:49:16,320 goes, oh, I better get praying. Let me ask God to fulfill this. 882 00:49:16,880 --> 00:49:19,000 It's incredible how this man thought so. 883 00:49:19,000 --> 00:49:20,800 He seeks the Lord, right? And look here, verse 3. 884 00:49:20,800 --> 00:49:23,000 Then I turn my faith. Then I. 885 00:49:23,000 --> 00:49:24,440 What do you mean turned your faith? 886 00:49:24,440 --> 00:49:26,120 You're in Babylon. What do you think he's turned 887 00:49:26,120 --> 00:49:30,200 his face to? Then I turn my face to the Lord 888 00:49:30,200 --> 00:49:35,960 God, seeking him by prayer and please for mercy, with fasting 889 00:49:35,960 --> 00:49:40,440 and southcloth and ashes. Daniel is doing this out of a 890 00:49:40,440 --> 00:49:42,000 response of what he read in Jeremiah. 891 00:49:42,080 --> 00:49:44,920 Only Jeremiah. Do you think he just knew 892 00:49:44,920 --> 00:49:45,560 Jeremiah? No. 893 00:49:45,560 --> 00:49:49,760 He knew first Kings chapter 8 and he knew Solomon prayed and 894 00:49:49,760 --> 00:49:52,200 God answered by fire, saying, I approve that these requests. 895 00:49:52,280 --> 00:49:55,600 Solomon said that whenever his people would be in captivity, 896 00:49:55,600 --> 00:49:58,280 that if they repent with all their heart, turn their face 897 00:49:58,280 --> 00:50:01,240 toward the House of God, and seek the Lord, he's willing to 898 00:50:01,240 --> 00:50:08,000 bring them home. One man, not the whole nation. 899 00:50:08,400 --> 00:50:13,280 He doesn't call for the remnant to seek the Lord by himself. 900 00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:17,000 He bends his knee. He puts on sackcloth and ashes, 901 00:50:17,000 --> 00:50:18,680 and he seeks the Lord on behalf of his people. 902 00:50:18,680 --> 00:50:20,840 When you read this prayer, it's one of the great prayers of the 903 00:50:20,840 --> 00:50:23,200 Bible as well. He includes himself. 904 00:50:23,400 --> 00:50:26,880 We have sinned. We have sinned. 905 00:50:27,480 --> 00:50:28,840 You know how significant that is? 906 00:50:28,960 --> 00:50:30,480 Daniel was a man. He was imperfect. 907 00:50:30,480 --> 00:50:32,480 But try to find a recorded fault in Daniel's life. 908 00:50:32,480 --> 00:50:38,880 In his book, try. And yet this man says, we, we, 909 00:50:39,120 --> 00:50:43,320 we and God heard that prayer. God honor that prayer. 910 00:50:43,320 --> 00:50:46,640 God preserved that prayer. And so I make the point that 911 00:50:46,640 --> 00:50:48,920 here's a man who prayed a prayer that really belonged to the 912 00:50:48,920 --> 00:50:52,960 nation, called the nation to respond to, and he did it on his 913 00:50:52,960 --> 00:50:55,680 own, on behalf of the nation. And God is willing to hear a 914 00:50:55,680 --> 00:51:00,280 man, even if that man prays for a country, even that man prays 915 00:51:00,280 --> 00:51:03,480 for a church. Even if a man prays for a city, 916 00:51:03,480 --> 00:51:06,520 God will honor that one man's prayer. 917 00:51:07,320 --> 00:51:11,720 That's powerful. Can we stay with Daniel a little 918 00:51:11,720 --> 00:51:12,680 bit? Because I really like him. 919 00:51:14,480 --> 00:51:17,840 Think about it. We heard from Pastor Daniel when 920 00:51:17,840 --> 00:51:21,080 he spoke out of Daniel at a couple of Sundays in a row, or 921 00:51:23,040 --> 00:51:26,720 where Daniel was believed to be around how old When he came into 922 00:51:26,720 --> 00:51:29,520 Babylon. He was a teenager, probably 923 00:51:29,520 --> 00:51:32,320 around 15 years old, very zealous in Daniel. 924 00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:34,520 Chapter one, right? I mean, as a teenager he stood 925 00:51:34,520 --> 00:51:38,360 his ground and he had zeal and passion and conviction. 926 00:51:38,880 --> 00:51:41,880 And now based on Daniel Chapter 9, we read that 70 years, close 927 00:51:41,880 --> 00:51:43,600 to 70 years passes by, which would make Daniel. 928 00:51:43,600 --> 00:51:47,640 What if we believe he was 15 in Daniel chapter one close to 85? 929 00:51:49,840 --> 00:51:55,160 Is there any aversion, any dilution to his zeal? 930 00:51:59,000 --> 00:52:04,400 He remained constant, just as passionate, just as solid. 931 00:52:04,800 --> 00:52:09,760 Just as trusting in God, just as Worshipful as an 85 year old 932 00:52:09,760 --> 00:52:12,480 man. So don't buy the lie that the 933 00:52:12,480 --> 00:52:14,800 older you get, things become more familiar and you're just 934 00:52:14,800 --> 00:52:17,440 going to cool off. That's not Daniel. 935 00:52:17,440 --> 00:52:19,040 He didn't cool off. He just burned brighter. 936 00:52:20,680 --> 00:52:25,240 He he was stronger in his faith and so he comes before the Lord. 937 00:52:25,240 --> 00:52:27,440 And what do you think happened from Daniel chapter one to 938 00:52:27,440 --> 00:52:29,200 Daniel Chapter 9? Do you think he just sat in the 939 00:52:29,200 --> 00:52:34,440 same room for 70 years? No kingdoms came and went. 940 00:52:34,680 --> 00:52:37,600 Government shifted. He only received greater and 941 00:52:37,600 --> 00:52:40,920 greater promotion. And with all the promotion, all 942 00:52:40,920 --> 00:52:43,760 the accolades, all the shifts around, one thing didn't change. 943 00:52:43,760 --> 00:52:48,160 This man's prayer life. This man's prayer life did not 944 00:52:48,160 --> 00:52:50,640 shift. Rulers shifted. 945 00:52:52,840 --> 00:52:55,480 His financial and social status changed. 946 00:52:56,120 --> 00:52:59,280 One thing didn't change even when a law was given. 947 00:52:59,280 --> 00:53:01,480 If you pray in these next 30 days. 948 00:53:03,080 --> 00:53:07,640 You'll be killed and he just all right time to pray. 949 00:53:07,720 --> 00:53:11,080 And he just went and prayed. I love Daniel. 950 00:53:11,200 --> 00:53:12,040 You know what he could have done? 951 00:53:12,200 --> 00:53:13,320 What many Christians would have done. 952 00:53:14,000 --> 00:53:16,840 I just 30 days. Some Christians have gone longer 953 00:53:16,840 --> 00:53:21,640 without praying without any law. I just 30 days. 954 00:53:22,040 --> 00:53:24,600 I'll just wait till it's done. And I don't want to step on 955 00:53:24,600 --> 00:53:26,760 anybody's toes. You know I'm a high-ranking 956 00:53:26,760 --> 00:53:29,640 official of course. And Romans 13, right? 957 00:53:29,640 --> 00:53:32,080 Obey the government. Now be the government. 958 00:53:32,840 --> 00:53:35,120 Now we come to concluding thoughts in First Kings Chapter 959 00:53:35,120 --> 00:53:38,200 8. It's a long chapter. 960 00:53:41,160 --> 00:53:45,960 Solomon provides First Kings 52 a summary of what he's trying to 961 00:53:45,960 --> 00:53:49,520 say. First Kings 852. 962 00:53:49,760 --> 00:53:53,400 This is one way we can wrap up the kinds of prayer that God is 963 00:53:53,400 --> 00:53:55,360 willing to hear and answer verse 52. 964 00:53:56,320 --> 00:53:59,160 Let your eyes be open to the plea of your servant and to the 965 00:53:59,160 --> 00:54:03,440 plea of your people, Israel. Giving ear to them whenever they 966 00:54:03,440 --> 00:54:07,400 call to you, Lord, just as a general request, whenever they 967 00:54:07,400 --> 00:54:09,280 call. Upon you would you just answer? 968 00:54:09,520 --> 00:54:12,160 And God answered by fire, he goes, I'm willing, I'm willing. 969 00:54:12,680 --> 00:54:15,120 Now look at these last things that Solomon says he He begins 970 00:54:15,120 --> 00:54:17,640 to now turn and give a benediction to the people in 971 00:54:17,640 --> 00:54:20,120 verse 54. So now as Solomon finished 972 00:54:20,120 --> 00:54:23,040 offering all this prayer and plea to the Lord, he arose from 973 00:54:23,040 --> 00:54:25,480 before the altar of the Lord, where he had knelt with hands 974 00:54:25,480 --> 00:54:27,600 outstretched to heaven. Anything pop out to you in that 975 00:54:27,600 --> 00:54:30,640 verse? Who said it? 976 00:54:31,240 --> 00:54:32,600 He knelt. How did he start? 977 00:54:34,520 --> 00:54:37,600 At some point, based on how the text flows, At some point he 978 00:54:37,600 --> 00:54:41,080 began standing with his hands stretched out, and he felt the 979 00:54:41,080 --> 00:54:46,480 weightiness of that moment, and he began to go to his knees. 980 00:54:47,240 --> 00:54:50,040 So he started on his feet. He ended on his knees. 981 00:54:50,720 --> 00:54:52,840 It's a picture of growing submission in the place of 982 00:54:52,840 --> 00:54:56,760 prayer. So he gets out of off his knees. 983 00:54:56,760 --> 00:55:00,280 He turns to the people, and he stood again in verse 55 And he 984 00:55:00,280 --> 00:55:02,360 stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud 985 00:55:02,360 --> 00:55:05,800 voice, saying, Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his 986 00:55:05,800 --> 00:55:08,160 people, Israel according to all that he promised. 987 00:55:08,440 --> 00:55:12,040 Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke 988 00:55:12,040 --> 00:55:16,080 by Moses, his servant. The Lord our God be with us, as 989 00:55:16,080 --> 00:55:20,320 he was with our fathers. May not leave us or forsake us, 990 00:55:20,680 --> 00:55:23,760 that He may incline our hearts to Him to walk in all His ways, 991 00:55:23,760 --> 00:55:26,120 and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His rules, 992 00:55:26,360 --> 00:55:29,520 which He commanded our fathers. Now look at this in verse 59. 993 00:55:30,080 --> 00:55:33,600 Let these words of mine with which I have pleaded before the 994 00:55:33,600 --> 00:55:38,560 Lord be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he 995 00:55:38,560 --> 00:55:41,520 maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his 996 00:55:41,520 --> 00:55:44,360 people, Israel, as each day requires. 997 00:55:44,800 --> 00:55:47,080 This was Solomon's wish. Lord, this great prayer that 998 00:55:47,080 --> 00:55:49,480 I've prayed as humbly as I could. 999 00:55:49,480 --> 00:55:52,240 Pray it as specifically as I could pray it. 1000 00:55:52,760 --> 00:55:57,280 Lord, may these words stay near to you day and night, day and 1001 00:55:57,280 --> 00:56:04,320 night, day and night. And what was a wish for Solomon 1002 00:56:06,600 --> 00:56:09,360 is later revealed to be a reality for all the Saints. 1003 00:56:10,000 --> 00:56:13,880 When you go to Revelation 5/8 you learn that this the Saints 1004 00:56:14,160 --> 00:56:16,760 and their prayers, more specifically that come up before 1005 00:56:16,760 --> 00:56:20,600 the throne of God, are preserved by God in golden bowls of 1006 00:56:20,600 --> 00:56:23,960 incense. I just love that thought. 1007 00:56:23,960 --> 00:56:25,920 That what? Solomon really longed. 1008 00:56:25,920 --> 00:56:29,440 For God reveals, not only do I remember them, it's a sweet 1009 00:56:29,440 --> 00:56:31,160 fragrance to me. You know what's important to me? 1010 00:56:31,520 --> 00:56:33,400 I forget some of the prayers I've prayed. 1011 00:56:34,840 --> 00:56:38,400 God doesn't. Sometimes we see our prayers as 1012 00:56:38,400 --> 00:56:42,480 just fanciful thinking, and if we throw enough of them up 1013 00:56:42,480 --> 00:56:44,240 there, one of them will eventually be caught by the 1014 00:56:44,240 --> 00:56:45,400 Lord. One of them will land at the 1015 00:56:45,400 --> 00:56:47,280 foot of His throne. That's not how God sees it. 1016 00:56:47,560 --> 00:56:49,880 Every prayer that's been prayed in sincerity of heart and 1017 00:56:49,880 --> 00:56:53,800 truthfulness has been reserved preserved as an aroma. 1018 00:56:53,800 --> 00:56:57,720 To him, that's incredible, Psalmist says Lord. 1019 00:56:57,720 --> 00:56:59,640 Would it be close to you? Revelation says, not only is it 1020 00:56:59,640 --> 00:57:06,360 close to me, I put it in this golden display, and I enjoy 1021 00:57:07,000 --> 00:57:10,080 knowing that you depend on me day and night. 1022 00:57:14,080 --> 00:57:23,400 Solomon here in verse 61 says, Let your heart speaking to the 1023 00:57:23,400 --> 00:57:28,960 people, therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God walking in 1024 00:57:28,960 --> 00:57:33,760 His statutes and keeping His commandments as at this day. 1025 00:57:35,200 --> 00:57:37,840 Go back to how Solomon began his prayer in verse 23. 1026 00:57:38,280 --> 00:57:41,920 O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above 1027 00:57:41,920 --> 00:57:43,640 or on earth beneath. And what is the one thing that 1028 00:57:43,640 --> 00:57:48,320 he highlights in terms of his incomparable greatness? 1029 00:57:48,440 --> 00:57:51,760 Keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants 1030 00:57:52,040 --> 00:57:53,600 who walk before you with all their heart. 1031 00:57:53,600 --> 00:57:56,640 The thing that caused Solomon's heart to praise him as his 1032 00:57:56,640 --> 00:58:00,000 faithfulness, his steadfast commitment to those who walk 1033 00:58:00,000 --> 00:58:02,480 before him. And how does Solomon end this? 1034 00:58:04,360 --> 00:58:06,760 He ends this by turning to the people with a benediction. 1035 00:58:06,760 --> 00:58:09,360 It says God has been faithful to you. 1036 00:58:10,120 --> 00:58:13,880 You be faithful to God. That's what he says. 1037 00:58:14,200 --> 00:58:15,880 Let your heart, you know God's heart. 1038 00:58:15,880 --> 00:58:18,600 You heard about God's heart now. Let your heart therefore be 1039 00:58:18,600 --> 00:58:23,120 wholly true to the Lord our God. And that's how he closes this 1040 00:58:23,520 --> 00:58:27,360 segment of the dedication. For the remaining of the chapter 1041 00:58:27,440 --> 00:58:29,800 he performs great acts of sacrifices. 1042 00:58:30,360 --> 00:58:33,440 Thousands upon thousands of the greatest of beasts were slain to 1043 00:58:33,440 --> 00:58:35,400 the point where they could not even put it on the altar. 1044 00:58:35,600 --> 00:58:38,600 They had to dedicate a whole section of the outer court so 1045 00:58:38,600 --> 00:58:41,360 that they can lay out all these animals and give something of 1046 00:58:41,360 --> 00:58:44,600 great worth to the Lord. And they celebrate the Feast of 1047 00:58:44,600 --> 00:58:48,440 Tabernacles. In verse 66 we read on the 1048 00:58:48,440 --> 00:58:50,200 eighth day. He sent the people away, and 1049 00:58:50,200 --> 00:58:54,040 they blessed the king and went to their homes, joyful and glad 1050 00:58:54,040 --> 00:58:56,880 of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to 1051 00:58:56,880 --> 00:58:59,360 David, his servant, and to Israel, his people. 1052 00:58:59,840 --> 00:59:01,720 Here's the little thought that sprung in my heart when I read 1053 00:59:01,720 --> 00:59:02,880 this today. I thought, Lord. 1054 00:59:03,200 --> 00:59:06,000 In the same way that the people left your house, glad of heart, 1055 00:59:06,320 --> 00:59:08,920 filled with joy, shouldn't it be true every single Sunday? 1056 00:59:10,120 --> 00:59:13,000 Shouldn't it be every Sunday? We should leave here no matter 1057 00:59:13,000 --> 00:59:14,960 how we came in? Filled with joy, Filled with a 1058 00:59:14,960 --> 00:59:18,120 revelation of the goodness of God, bringing laughter to our 1059 00:59:18,120 --> 00:59:19,560 soul. Holy laughter. 1060 00:59:20,080 --> 00:59:22,360 And knowing who it is that we serve. 1061 00:59:25,400 --> 00:59:28,560 And Solomon now finished speaking to God. 1062 00:59:28,560 --> 00:59:31,880 And in Chapter 9, God is going to speak to Solomon. 1063 00:59:32,320 --> 00:59:42,390 Let's pray. Let's pray. 1064 00:59:42,910 --> 00:59:47,110 We heard about prayer. If you want to lift up holy 1065 00:59:47,110 --> 00:59:48,590 hands, you can lift up holy hands. 1066 00:59:48,590 --> 00:59:51,590 If you want your eyes to be open to heaven, your eyes can be open 1067 00:59:51,590 --> 00:59:53,030 toward heaven. If you want to bow your head and 1068 00:59:53,030 --> 00:59:56,320 close your eyes, what's more important is your heart in this 1069 00:59:56,320 --> 00:59:59,160 moment as you were speaking to the living God. 1070 00:59:59,320 --> 01:00:03,640 The same God of Solomon, the same God of David, same God of 1071 01:00:03,640 --> 01:00:05,840 Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the same God of Paul, the same God 1072 01:00:05,840 --> 01:00:08,880 of Peter. James and John is the same God 1073 01:00:08,880 --> 01:00:12,920 who hears us today. Father, we thank you that we get 1074 01:00:12,920 --> 01:00:17,040 to be in your house tonight and we pray that the deposit these 1075 01:00:17,040 --> 01:00:19,720 people had at the end of this dedication, service of great 1076 01:00:19,720 --> 01:00:23,760 joy, gladness of heart would be our portion as well. 1077 01:00:24,480 --> 01:00:29,280 We ask, oh Lord, that we would be rekindled and rejuvenated in 1078 01:00:29,280 --> 01:00:32,520 the place of prayer, and knowing that you're willing to hear, 1079 01:00:32,520 --> 01:00:35,760 knowing that the access we have with our request and our 1080 01:00:35,760 --> 01:00:38,680 circumstances are far beyond what we can imagine. 1081 01:00:39,320 --> 01:00:42,480 And Lord, whatever circumstance any person finds himself in 1082 01:00:42,480 --> 01:00:45,160 today, whether they're in need of help, whether they're in need 1083 01:00:45,160 --> 01:00:48,240 of restoration with you, whether they're in need of wisdom or 1084 01:00:48,240 --> 01:00:52,880 clarity, Lord, may they not fail to look to you in the place of 1085 01:00:52,880 --> 01:00:54,920 prayer. In all things, and for all 1086 01:00:54,920 --> 01:00:58,520 things, believing that you will answer, and believing that you 1087 01:00:58,520 --> 01:01:01,400 will come through and that you will be glorified in it, Would 1088 01:01:01,400 --> 01:01:05,440 you make us a people of prayer? Would you make us Lord years 1089 01:01:05,440 --> 01:01:07,960 from now, people who have not changed in their conviction and 1090 01:01:07,960 --> 01:01:12,880 practice of seeking you sweetly and desperately at times, make 1091 01:01:12,880 --> 01:01:15,200 us like Daniel. Make us like this man who 1092 01:01:15,200 --> 01:01:17,640 whenever he engaged with the word of God, it just added fuel 1093 01:01:17,640 --> 01:01:19,960 to the fire of his personal intimacy with you. 1094 01:01:21,240 --> 01:01:23,840 Oh Lord, make us like Daniel, that no matter what changes come 1095 01:01:23,840 --> 01:01:26,640 to our country, to our own worlds, to the world at large, 1096 01:01:27,040 --> 01:01:30,800 that one thing would not change, and that's our posture of 1097 01:01:30,800 --> 01:01:34,560 humility before you. In the place of prayer, Lord, we 1098 01:01:34,560 --> 01:01:37,840 look to you and we ask make this church a prayer church. 1099 01:01:38,120 --> 01:01:41,040 Keep us as a praying church, and may we see the fruit of our 1100 01:01:41,040 --> 01:01:42,400 prayers. Thank you. 1101 01:01:42,400 --> 01:01:45,560 That even now, what is happening now is that you are collecting 1102 01:01:45,840 --> 01:01:48,080 every prayer that's being offered in every heart. 1103 01:01:48,760 --> 01:01:53,080 And you are securing them and sealing them as a sweet trophy 1104 01:01:53,320 --> 01:01:55,720 before your throne. What a mighty God we serve. 1105 01:01:56,000 --> 01:01:58,000 We crown you with our praise and adoration. 1106 01:01:58,320 --> 01:02:01,240 In Jesus name we pray. Amen and Amen. 1107 01:02:01,720 --> 01:02:05,600 O Saints, it's so great to see so many of you on a Friday 1108 01:02:05,600 --> 01:02:07,040 night. You bless my heart. 1109 01:02:07,040 --> 01:02:08,480 More importantly, you bless the heart of God. 1110 01:02:08,640 --> 01:02:10,280 Let's stand now in the presence of the Lord. 1111 01:02:10,480 --> 01:02:12,920 Sing to the living God. Honor him and worship on a 1112 01:02:12,920 --> 01:02:16,200 Friday night. He's worthy, worthy of more than 1113 01:02:16,200 --> 01:02:19,160 just a Sunday afternoon. He's worthy of day and night 1114 01:02:19,160 --> 01:02:19,640 worship.