7/22/2020 Wednesday Devotional
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication – 1Kgs.8.12- 61
At a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bobby Richardson, former New York Yankee second baseman, offered a prayer that is a classic in brevity and poignancy: “Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen.” – Bobby Richardson.
Background:
The chapter containing the dedicatory prayer has three sections.
- First, the Ark is brought from the house of Obed-edom and placed in “the oracle”, that is, the innermost sanctuary prepared for it by Solomon, 1Kgs.8.6.
- In the second section of the chapter, vv.12-21, he recalls some of Israel’s history, reminding all gathered of the covenant promises that God has fulfilled so faithfully in raising up a son to sit on David’s throne.
- The larger part of the chapter now being considered, vv.22-53, constitutes the prayer of dedication. In v.28 Solomon designates it in three different ways. He speaks of it as “a prayer”, as “supplication” and as “a cry”.
Lessons to learn:
Solomon presented to the Lord seven specific requests:
- Justice in the land (vv. 31–32; 2 Chron. 6:22–23)
- Military defeat (vv. 33–34; 2 Chron. 6:24–25
- Drought in the land (vv. 35–36; 2 Chron. 6:26–27).
- Other natural calamities (vv. 37–40; 2 Chron. 6:28–31)
- Foreigners who came to pray (vv. 41–43; 2 Chron. 6:32–33
- Armies in battle (vv. 44–45; 2 Chron. 6:34–35)
- Defeat and captivity (vv. 46–53; 2 Chron. 6:36–39)
The dedicatory prayer being ended, Solomon rises from off his knees to bless the congregation. He and the entire nation proceed to offer sacrifices to the Lord: 20,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. The middle of the outer court of the house had to be hallowed as a place of sacrifice because the “brazen altar that was before the LORD was too little to receive the offerings” of dedication,
1Kgs.8.64.
Discussion idea:
- The Preparation for The Prayer (2 Chr. 5:1–14)
- Can you trace the posture that was taken in this prayer ( 1Kings 8)
- Note the particulars in this prayer. (Leading aspects of prayer throughout Scripture appear here—affirmations of truth, praises, intercessions, and petitions.)