Prayer

 Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day,
1 Kings 8:28 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1ki.8.28.ESV

In the context, Solomon reflected that the universe cannot contain God, never mind the temple he built for Him! Yet he still asked God in faith that He would hear his prayer. We might not deserve for God to have regard for our prayers, but we long that He would.

I love how Solomon described himself as God's servant. He may have been the richest, most powerful earthly rulers Israel would ever have, yet he knew that at the end of the day, he was simply God's servant. There's real humility in that self-designation.

If we pray, which we should, we would do well to echo Solomon here. Whether we're the king of Israel or a beggar, we are at best servants of the Lord. We don't pray just to repeat empty mantras, but to do business with the King of kings.

We don't need to come to a literal temple to pray to God. Christ, the ultimate temple of the Holy Spirit, was killed so that we might have free access to God. Now we ourselves can become temples of the Holy Spirit.

'Lord of glory, may we worship and pray to You as we ought, in and through the name of Jesus, and by His Spirit. In Christ's name we pray, amen'

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