FWD: Morning Manna (Feb. 25); BP: I Kings 8:22-61; RBTTY: Mk. 5:1-20;

 
Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net

 

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-----Original Message-----
From: Apostle Tom <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:31:57 -0600
To: <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Subject: Morning Manna (Feb. 25); BP: I Kings 8:22-61; RBTTY: Mk. 5:1-20;
 

February 25                                                                                                   “On Praying for Guidance”

 

“When Heaven is shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You, if they pray toward this place and confess Your Name and turn from their sin when You afflict them, then hear in Heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and of Your people, Israel, that You teach them the good way wherein they should walk and give rain upon Your land, which You have given to Your people for an inheritance.”

                                                                                                                                           I Kings 8:35-36

     Cleansing always precedes commissioning, just as a downward road always precedes an upward one.

     Dear Pilgrim, why does the Lord save us?  To simply “forgive us and cleanse us from all sin and unrighteousness” (I Jn. 1:8-9)?  Did Jesus die on the Cross simply to “redeem us from the curse of the Law by being made a curse for us” (Gal. 3:10, 13)?  Or, did He also have something else in mind?

 

     King Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the new Temple is a quite moving one (vv.22-61; II Chron. 6:12-42).  There’s no doubt this was a special time for him, particularly in light of the fact that his father, David, had longed to built this “House of God,” but was forbidden to do so (I Chron. 17:3-14; 22:6-19) and had died before the building could begin (29:26-30).

 

     We shouldn’t be surprised that Solomon’s dedicatory sermon suddenly gave way to impassioned praying (I Kings 8:12-22; II Chron. 6:1-12), for sometimes the greatest message is heard on our knees rather than sitting on a pew.

 

     Regardless, this Godly king began his prayer by praising God for Who He is and what He’d done (vv.23-24).  He asked the Lord to “have respect to his prayer, hearken to his cry and have His eyes continually open when they prayed in that Holy Place” (vv.28-30).  He then asked the God of Abraham to “forgive them when they’d sinned, confessed and turned from their sins” (vv.33-36a).  And, interestingly enough, he asked Him “to teach them the good way wherein they should walk.”

 

     How we need to pray this way!

     So often, we pray for cleansing and forgiveness, but stop short of praying for guidance.  Somehow we think that revival carries no accompanying responsibility—but nothing further could be from the truth!  When the Heavenly Father cleanses us. . . making us a “vessel fit for His use” (II Tim. 2:21). . .He then plans to use us for His glory and others’ good (cf. Is. 6:1-8).  He never intended for us to be “saved and satisfied;” instead, He plans for us to be “saved, sanctified and serving” (Rom. 12:1-2).

 

     When Jesus called out His first disciples, He said “Come, FOLLOW Me” (Mt. 4:19).  He didn’t say “Take a correspondence course and then apply for duty.”  No, He said, “Come, follow Me and I WILL MAKE you into what I want you to be.”  Thus, let it be said again:  Cleansing precedes commissioning.  Are you walking in His footsteps today?  Are you letting the Holy Spirit “guide you in the strait and narrow” (Jn. 16:13)?  Remember:  Following Jesus doesn’t mean you’ll always know where you’re going (Heb. 11:8); however, it does mean you’ll always know with Whom you’re going.