Teach Us
(NIV) 1Kings 8:35 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 36 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.
Today’s scripture is just a portion of Solomon’s prayer, whereby he asks God for His forgiveness of the sins of Israel in response to her repentance. Further, Solomon asks that the people be taught God’s laws, and as a tangible blessing, that God send rain.
I love that rain is both a way to increase prosperity and is thus a physical blessing and is a metaphor for spiritual renewal. Solomon reminds God of His own nature, knowing that God will not withhold His blessings WHEN we are obedient. Obedience is dependent upon two things: understanding what is expected and then fulfilling it.
Reminding God of His promises is not because we fear He may have forgotten, but rather it is about demonstrating our own understanding and trust in His word. By recalling His promises, we acknowledge His authority, our dependence on His faithfulness, and we reinforce our own commitment to His guidance.
In Solomon’s prayer, he invoked God’s promises as a way of seeking forgiveness, thereby renewing God’s blessings for Israel. This act signified Solomon’s recognition of God’s covenant along with his understanding that God’s mercy was dependent upon Israel’s fulfillment of their part of the agreement. This powerful form of prayer aligns our hearts with His will, and when we pray “in Jesus’ name” that is exactly what we are doing.
May we be diligent in learning and faithful in following.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Seeking Holiness 