Key Verse: 2 Chronicles 1:10
Now 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?

Putting God first, the people second, and himself last was an excellent beginning for young King Solomon. God responded to Solomon’s prayer and gave him such wisdom and favour that Israel rose to even greater prominence and prosperity than ever before. Trade, imports and exports flourished with surrounding nations. When Solomon was blessed by God, so were all the people of Israel, and so were millions of others.

By this time the tent Tabernacle of Moses was at least 500 years old. Building the Temple to permanently house the Ark of the Covenant was essential. The wealth of Israel enabled them to build such impressive structures that people, such as the Queen of Sheba, came to marvel at the wonder of it all.

Had this initial recognition of Solomon’s need for divine guidance continued, the future would have been very different for Solomon’s descendants. But forsaking spiritual purity for business expediency led to spiritual poverty; compromise with the evil practices of surrounding nations eventually led to national disintegration.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, there’s a very serious lesson here for me to learn. Please grant me not only wisdom, I pray, but also a consistency of purpose to be spiritually pure, to live a life of holiness, every day, in every way. I ask these mercies in the Name of the One who always did that, Jesus, Himself. Amen!!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:
Notice the papers in the cracks in the picture below. This act of placing prayer requests in the Wall does not necessarily make prayers more effective, but, like fasting, it underlines the fervency with which we desire God’s will in our individual lives and in the lives of those for whom we pray. I encourage written prayers. The act focuses our attention. I’ve often written my most urgent prayer request, put it on the wall where I pray and also place the request in the centre drawer of my work desk where I cannot miss praying about it several times a day. Often, if the request is not too personal, I’ll drop it in the offering receptacle at church along with my tithe and offering envelope. In addition to expressing the need in writing, I also write a statement of my confidence in God’s promise of His provision.

Yours because I believe, like Solomon, that there is a personal God who hears and answers prayer,

David

Image:
The Western Wall or “Wailing Wall” is located in the Old City of Jerusalem at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount. A fence separates the areas where the men pray (the larger space on the left) from where the women pray (on the right).