Sunday, April 6

Scripture: 1 Kings 8-10, Psalm 96

Imagine the excitement of crowds at the Super Bowl and on New Years Eve in New York City. Now multiply that by a lot, and that is the level of excitement the people of God would have had in Jerusalem in 1 Kings 8-9. It was the grand unveiling of the first temple! 

Now imagine the crackle in the atmosphere as the temple was filled “with the glory of the Lord.” It was just like when God inhabited the tabernacle in Exodus and when his glory shook Mount Sinai after he rescued the people from Egypt.

Solomon was right to gasp: “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27)

This was the uncontainable, untamable, uncontrollable God descending into a building built by human hands. Solomon did not know that God would actually dwell on earth in his Son Jesus Christ. The untouchable God became the touchable descendant of Solomon! But even in Solomon’s moment, the earth shaking God was open to Solomon’s approach and heard his prayer. And he spoke to Solomon, giving him instruction.

In these chapters, Solomon gives us a four-fold prayer pattern to follow in OurStory.

1. Praise God.

2. Pray for people.

3. Speak blessing over people.

4. Listen to God.

Household Challenge:

1. Find your favorite upbeat praise song and listen to it loudly, imagining yourself in God’s glory-filled presence.

2. Write or speak a list of prayer requests.

3. Find someone to say a blessing over. Send a text/call of           encouragement.            

4. Listen to God. What is he saying to you?

~Pastor Josh Kleinfeld

 Daily Prayer Focus: All families, broken or whole.