Choose to Pray
(Examples of fervent, effective prayers found in I and II Kings – Old Testament)
In I Kings 8, in Solomon’s Prayer when dedicating the Temple of the Lord, he mentions several situations when people find themselves in need:
1) when someone wrongs another
2) when defeated in battle
3) when there has been no rain
4) when calamities and disaster strikes
5) when someone needs mercy
6) when people go into battle
7) when they sin against God
8) when they repent and return.
Solomon continues by asking the Lord, “when they return to you with all their heart and all their soul … and when they pray to you … may you hear in heaven, your dwelling place, their prayer and petition and uphold their cause. May you forgive your people who sinned against you and all their rebellions against you, and may you grant them compassion…” I Kings 8:48-50
Yes, our Heavenly Father hears, forgives, acts, and gives!
“May you hear in heaven, your dwelling place, and may you forgive, act, and give to everyone according to all their ways, since you know each heart, for you alone know every human heart, so that they may fear you all the days they live on the land you gave our ancestors.” I Kings 8:39-40
“The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.” James 5:16b – 18
The goal of prayer is to focus on God, and the purpose of prayer is to bring Him Glory by revealing Him to all.  The most powerful tool we have is prayer! As Hezekiah, present everything to the Lord. Lord, I’m taking my hands off this situation; I’m not going to run off and search for answers from other sources. Express real faith in our real God.
“Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers’ hands, read it, then went up to the Lord’s temple, and spread it out before the Lord. Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord: Lord God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you are God – you alone – of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.” II Kings 19:14-15
Praise, Problem, Plea – simple approach.
“Listen closely, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see. Hear the words that Sennacherib has sent to mock the living God. Lord, it is true that the kings of Assyria have devasted the nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but made by human hands – wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. Now, Lord our God, please save us from his power so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are God – you alone.” II Kings 19:16-19
Complete dependence on God yields amazing results:
“That night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians… So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and left.” II Kings 19: 35-36
Choose to pray. Respect Who He is and What He can do. Pray daily for His Guidance.
Share your testimony of how God is at work in your life. Reveal Him to all. Let God rekindle your faith and commitment as you present everything to Him. Lay everything all out before Him. Watch how He moves to hallow His Name!
