prayer

Prayer

In addition to being Israel’s king, Solomon was a spiritual leader of the people. His prayer of dedication was an important one because it was made “before all the congregation of Israel” (2 Chronicles 6:13). In order to be certain that everyone could see him, Solomon had a platform erected that was “five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high.” Then he, “kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven” (2 Chronicles 6:13). Most likely, Solomon wanted everyone to know that he worshipped the LORD like his father David had and would depend on God for guidance as he led the people.

Solomon’s prayer of dedication was quite long for a public prayer. He recounted many details of God’s covenant with Israel. The words recorded are probably a summary rather than an exact dictation of what he said. The entire prayer may have lasted as long as 30 – 60 minutes. For Solomon to be on his knees with his hands raised heavenward for that length of time was an excessive display of devotion. I doubt he could not have done it unless he was accustomed to praying in that posture.

It is likely that David taught Solomon how to pray and the two of them may have even prayed together. Solomon had a much different relationship with the LORD than his father David did, but it is clear that Solomon understood the importance and power of prayer.

He will answer

A personal testimony is a unique attestation to the truth of a particular scripture based on individual experience. When we share our testimony, we are validating God’s word. I can personally attest to the verse, “They called upon the LORD, and he answered them” (Psalm 99:6) because I have experienced it.

On the night I overdosed on sleeping pills, I called upon the LORD and he answered me. I said, “God, all I want to do is come and be with you in heaven and take care of the little babies there.” Immediately, I heard a voice, not my own, say, “Some day you will come and be with me, but until that time, I have much work for you to do where you are.”

My own experience validated the words found in Psalm 99:6, therefore, I believe they are true. This truth is what I would describe as a foundational truth. Much of the Bible is based on the fact that we are able to communicate with God. When we speak to God, he can hear us. He listens and he responds in an understandable way.

The purpose of a personal testimony is explained in Psalm 98:2. “The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.” When the LORD saves a person, he expects him to talk about it, but often times a person that has been saved doesn’t have to talk about it because people can see what God had done, “for he hath done marvelous things” (Psalm 98:1).

The word translated marvelous, pala’ means to “be beyond one’s power to do” (6381). On the night I overdosed on sleeping pills, I took two handfuls of pills and laid down to go to sleep. I listened to music for about half an hour. Just as I was about to fall asleep, knowing I would never wake up again, that I was about to die, I spoke to God for the first time in my life. I didn’t expect him to answer. The fact that he did answer could be a miracle, I don’t know if the same thing has ever happened to anyone else but, what I am certain of is that I am alive today because God kept me from dying. If he had not responded, I would have fallen asleep and never woke up.

It says in Acts 2:21, “and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” I believe this verse is true, but I can’t personally attest to its validity. The word whosoever means everyone (3588, 3739, 3956). I can only say that I am one of the everyone and it is true for me.

He’s still listening

“And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long: for it was 20 years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD” (1 Samuel 7:2). There are periods if time specified in the Bible that it took to accomplish certain things. It took God seven days to create the world. It took 150 days for the waters to subside after the flood and 14 years for Abraham and Sarah to have a child after Ishmael was born.

The word translated long in 1 Samuel 7:2, râbâh (raw – baw´) means to increase or become great (7235). Jacob spent 20 years in the home of his uncle Laban acquiring wives and flocks. Joseph spent 20 years in Egypt, starting out as a slave and ending up as second in command to Pharaoh. Rabah is used in other instances to mean being in authority, growing up, and the process of time.

Another way to interpret the word rabah would be to make a name for oneself, to establish a reputation or become famous. During the time the ark of God was in Kirjath-jearim, David was being transformed from a shepherd into the king of Israel. The reason why the ark of God was not in the Tabernacle during that time was its importance had diminished. The Israelites no longer lived according to God’s commandments and had made a mockery of his sacrificial system. It wasn’t until David set an example of how to worship and honor God properly that the people began to value the ark of the Testimony.

The ark had a twofold purpose. First, it was a container for the tablets on which the Ten Commandments had been written by God. Second, it was where the mercy seat existed so that God could commune with his people. The mercy seat was not an actual seat, it was the lid of the ark. “This slab of gold represented the throne of God and symbolized His real presence in the worship shrine” (3727). The ark’s 20 year absence from the Tabernacle indicated that God was not speaking to his people during that time period. Although God was not communicating as he had previously, he was still conveying messages through his prophet.

The ark’s 20 year absence from the Tabernacle is significant because it shows that even though God was not speaking to his people, he was still listening. It says in 1 Samuel 7:2 that all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD which means they were crying aloud (5091). During that time period, God was developing David into a leader and a true worshipper that would set a good example for his people. Not only was David the greatest king that ever ruled over Israel, he was a man after God’s own heart who was also loved by many people including Saul’s son Jonathon from whom David took the throne.

Because I asked

There are two things that stand out about Hannah. First, she was a woman that prayed to God and second, she made a personal request for herself. These two things may not seem significant today because it is very common for women to pray for God’s help, but in the time Hannah lived, men functioned as the spiritual leaders and made petitions for their entire household. Also at that time, God mostly dealt with his people on a collective basis and was primarily concerned with the establishment of the nation of Israel.

Hannah demonstrated that she had a personal relationship with the LORD and that she believed he cared about her as an individual. Hannah says to the LORD, “if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid and remember me” (1 Samuel 1:11). Previously, God had seen the affliction of his people in Egypt and had remembered his covenant with Abraham. Now, Hannah wants God to pay attention to her personally and remember his covenant with her as an individual.

It says that when Hannah prayed, she spoke to the LORD in her heart and poured out her soul to him. In the Hebrew language, “The heart includes not only the motives, feelings, affections, and desires, but also the will, the aims, the principles, the thoughts, and the intellect of man” (3820). You could say that Hannah was being transparent with the LORD, completely open and honest about what she wanted him to do.

When Hannah’s son is born, she names him Samuel “Because I have asked him of the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:20). The name Samuel which means “heard of God” (8050) is derived from two other Hebrew words, shâma‘ (shaw – mah´) and ’el (ale). El is the Hebrew word for God and is usually “combined with other words to constitute a compound term for diety” (410). Shama means “to give undivided attention” (8085). It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to communicate with God directly and to have his undivided attention, so it is possible Hannah’s prayer was facilitated by the Holy Spirit and she named her son after the third person of the trinity.

Like Jesus, we know that the Holy Spirit is an eternal being that was present at the creation of Earth. Although the work of the Holy Spirit is primarily focused on after Jesus’ resurrection, it appears that he was involved in the lives of Israelites that had a personal relationship with God. Hannah is an example on one such person. Hannah understood that God deals with his children on an individual basis. He cares about us and listens to us as if each one of us is his only child.