In worship, it’s better to have heart without words than words without heart. But why not both? The climax of Solomon’s prayer is an invitation from a little man on a little planet that’s like a grain of sand on the shore of trackless space. The God of whom he said, “Behold, heaven and the heaven […]
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God” (1 Cor 2:12). Volvo, the Swedish car company, was dissatisfied with the inefficient lap belt and hired engineer Nils Bohlin to find a […]
“Holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ” (Php 2:16). C.T. Studd, who turned his back on a promising career in England to give his life to worldwide missions, wrote of his early life: “Instead of going and telling others of the love of Christ, I was […]
“I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit” (Isa 57:15). At the heart of Solomon’s prayer were two main ideas: the imminence and preeminence of God. These are expressed in the two “locations,” so to speak, of God: “may You hear the supplications of Your servant and of […]
“Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, ‘O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God…’” (Jdg 16:28). Strange, isn’t it. When we ask of others, we might say something like, “Just this once! I’ll never ask for anything ever again!” But with the Lord? When we need […]
“If our gospel is hid, it is hid to those who are lost” (2 Cor 4:3). Procrastination is very often a main reason why we don’t evangelize as we should. Urgent things push out important things. If we delay for months or years, then tell someone that they are in danger of hell fire, they […]
“Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness.” —Martin Luther Apart from the prayer of rededication in Nehemiah 9, this prayer of dedication by Solomon is the longest recorded prayer in the Bible. We see immediately that engaging with the Lord in true prayer is, at the same time, both elevating and […]
Read More… from October 29, 2024 — Solomon’s Prayer Of Dedication
When the disciples—seasoned sailors that they were—cried out in terror, “Lord, don’t You care that we’re perishing?” it wasn’t the last time one of His followers said such a thing. He understood. And before He gently chided their wavering faith, He first rebuked the storm. Are you in a storm, Christian? Good news! The Master […]