1 Kings 8:23-26  and he prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion. You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you have fulfilled it today. “And now, O Lord, God of Israel, carry out the additional promise you made to your servant David, my father. For you said to him, ‘If your descendants guard their behavior and faithfully follow me as you have done, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’ Now, O God of Israel, fulfill this promise to your servant David, my father.” (NLT)

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If you want to learn how to pray, 1 Kings 8 is a good resource to include in your course of study. 

If you want to learn how God responds to our prayers, add 1 Kings 9:1-9 to the curriculum. 

Solomon’s prayer focused on the future by remembering the lessons of the past. He trusted God to be who he has always been and believed God would behave consistently with his nature and character. Three times (8:15, 20, 24), Solomon recalled the promises God had made and kept. He asked God to remain true to the dynastic promise he had made (verses 25 and 26). 

Another aspect of Solomon’s prayer deserves attention. In verses 37-39, Solomon asks God to hear the people’s prayers when bad things happen. Verse 39 says, “then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve, for you alone know each human heart.”

God knows our hearts, knows what we deserve, and forgives us when we are truly repentant. God’s gracious forgiveness and restoration are a testimony to others. (See verses 41-43.) 

We pray best when we base our prayers on who God has shown himself to be. We pray well when we trust God’s promises because he never fails to keep them. We pray most personally when we are honest with God regarding the motivations of our hearts, the intentions of our minds, and the actions we take contrary to what he says is good, right, fair, and just. Other people are drawn to his tender mercies when they are displayed in our repentant lives. 

Today is a good day to pray with renewed focus and sincerity.

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I will pray with deep appreciation for who God is and the highest gratitude for how he hears, forgives, and restores.

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Our Father, thank you for your consistent character. We can trust everything you say and do. You know us better than we know ourselves. You know what I deserve for how I live, yet you offer me forgiveness and restoration when I turn my heart toward you in repentance. Thank you for such kindness. When I am honest with you, and when you forgive me and restore me, it leads others to see how good you are. May they also experience your tender mercies, grace, and salvation. Amen.