November 17th
6And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it. 7On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?” 8And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great mercy to David my father, and have made me king in his place. 9Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. 10Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?” 11Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life–but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king– 12wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.” 2 Chronicles 1:6-12 NKJV
When we put God’s interests first in our lives, God will bless us in our own interests. This extraordinary passage illustrates this principle. King Solomon, the son and successor to King David, honored God with a thousand burnt offerings. Later that night, Solomon acknowledged that God had established his kingdom. He asked God for wisdom and knowledge so he could best lead God’s people. God recognized that Solomon had asked according to God’s interests and not his own greed or lust for power. He granted Solomon’s request and also promised to bless Solomon with the riches and power he didn’t ask for.
In our daily prayers with God, we can do a similar thing to what Solomon did. Instead of asking for blessings according to our interests, we can ask for blessings according to God’s interests. It’s not wrong to ask for wealth, honor, health and other blessings, but as Solomon discovered, it would be best to first ask for the blessings that help us fulfill God’s purposes. Some of us may not be as certain as Solomon was about what God’s purpose is for our lives. If that’s the case, we can simply pray according to Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (NKJV).
Questions for further thought:
Placing faith in Christ obligates us to live according to what instead of the sinful desires of the flesh? (1 Peter 4:1-2)
How can we be sure that God has a special and specific purpose for our lives? (Ephesians 2:10, Psalm 139:1-18, Psalm 119:73, Psalm 32:8, Philippians 1:6)
What sacrifices can we offer to God that will honor him in conjunction with our prayers? (see sacrifices)
Prayer:
“Lord God in heaven, thank you for making me and establishing me in this world. I praise you, for you are my God and the Creator of all things. I embrace your perfect plan for my life and I pray that your will be done in it on earth as it is in heaven. Please forgive me for any selfish motives that I’ve harbored. I submit my will to your will and trust you. Please cause me to hunger and thirst for righteousness. Please equip me with the talents, resources and circumstances that will help me best fulfill your mission for my life. Holy Spirit, please guide me in offering holy sacrifices as spiritual forms of worship. Thank you, Lord! I praise you now and forever, Amen.”