Thought for the Week: 1 Kings 3

God Gives Wisdom & Understanding

In the final hours before his death,
David charges Solomon to walk
before the Lord in integrity and
truth – a request which Solomon
fulfills in the early days of his reign
by ruling with justice, humility
and honesty before God and man.
Presented with a “blank cheque”
by God, Solomon asks for wisdom
to rule skilfully rather than wealth.
In return, God Gives him both!

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to
Solomon: Ask! What shall I Give u?
And Solomon said: O Lord my God,
You have made Your servant king…
Therefore give to Your servant
an understanding heart to judge
Your people, that I may discern
between good and evil. For who
is able to judge this great people
of Yours? The speech pleased
the Lord that Solomon had asked
this thing. Then God said to him:
Because you have asked this thing
understanding to discern justice…
I have given you a wise and
understanding heart, so that there
has not been anyone like you…
And I have also given you what
you have not asked: both riches
and honour, so that there shall
not be anyone like you among
kings all your days (1Kgs 3:5-13).

Lord, we are grateful that whenever
we are lost or unsure of what to do,
we can always seek You for wisdom.
Thank You Lord for divine wisdom,
which we can readily find in Your
Word as well as asking You for it.
Your word assures if I lack wisdom,
I can ask God who gives generously.
Thank You that the wisdom from
heaven is full of good fruit. Amen.

Lord, help us not only to hear
and meditate on Your Words
but also put them into practice
so that we can be like a wise man
who built his house on the rock.
And help us take care how we live,
not as the unwise but as wise;
making most of every opportunity
to be a source of blessing and to
lead others to Your kingdom. Amen

Lord, help us seek Your wisdom;
open our ears to it and help us to
recognise wisdom when we hear it.
Give us Lord the wisdom to know
what to do, how to do and the
courage to follow through on it.
And we know even as we put
You God and Your agenda first
that You will satisfy all our needs.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Reflection on 1&2 Kings

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The central purpose of First Kings
is contrast the lives of those who
live for God and those who refuse
to do so through the history of
the kings of Israel and Judah;
whilst that of Second Kings
is to demonstrate the fate
that awaits all who refuse
to make God their true leader.

On Monday, we learn fr 1 Kgs 3
that God Gives us Wisdom.
On Tuesday, we learn from 1Kgs 8
that God Fulfills His Declared Word.
On Wed, we learn from 1Kgs 17
that God Provides for His Servants.
On Thursday, we learn from 2Kgs 4
that Mighty God Performs Miracles.
On Friday, we learn from 2Kgs 13
that God Rescues His People.
On Sat, we learn from 2Kgs 18-19
that God Answers our Prayers.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:
For You Give Wisdom, Fulfil Your Word & Provide for Your Servants;
For You are worthy of our Praise
being our Mighty God who Performs
miracles and Rescue Your people;
For You are worthy of our Thanks
as You Amswer our prayers.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Adoring God In 2 Kings 18-19

God Answers Prayers

The epitaph over the tomb of King
Hezekiah might well have read:
Hezekiah, “Best King of Judah.”
Taking the throne at a young age
of 25, he soon establishes himself
as a great reformer by destroying
all traces of heathen worship.
Choosing to put his trust in God
rather than in armies, Hezekiah
often found himself on his knees.
In response to the king’s prayers,
God strikes 185,000 Assyrian dead
& extends Hezekiah’s life by 15 yrs.

Lord, we Seek Your Deliverance:
The Assyrian king’s chief of staff…
gives this message to Hezekiah…
What are you trusting in that makes
you so confident?… What god…
has ever been able to save its pple
from my power? So what makes
you think that the Lord can rescue
Jerusalem from me (2Kgs 18:19,35).
When King Hezekiah heard their
report, he tore his clothes and
put on sackcloth and went into
the Temple of the Lord to pray. And
he sent the palace administrator,
the court secretary, and the leading
priests, all dressed in sackcloth, to
the prophet Isaiah… They told him:
This is what King Hezekiah says:
This is a day of trouble… Pray for
those of us who are left(2Kgs19:1-4)
Then Isaiah sent to Hezekiah saying:
Thus says the Lord God of Israel:
I have heard Your prayer about King
Sennacherib of Assyria. And the
Lord has spoken agst him (v20-21).

Lord, we learn from 2 Kings 18 the
character qualities of Hezekiah who
was likely the best king of Judah:
He did that which is right, trusted
and followed the Lord (v3-6).
And when challenges beset him,
he ran to the Lord who helped him.
Help us Lord to be like Hezekiah
who trusted and obeyed You.
Help us in the challenges we face;
we seek You for protection and
we seek You for deliverance. Amen.

Father God, help me to remember
to run to You when I need help.
Help me to swallow my pride and
ask others to pray for me when
circumstances seem overwhelming
or even before they get to that point.
For to wrongly think we are whole
and need no help is a great disorder.
Thank You God for the peace that
You give when we run to You. Amen.

Lord, grant us the experience
of king Hezekiah that as he cried
out to You God for deliverance
and poured out his pain, he felt
confident You answering his prayer.
Grant us dear Lord grace to cry
out to You when we face troubles.
Thank You that when we cry out to
You for help, You hear and answer
our prayers in Your timing. Amen.

Adoring God In 2 Kings 13

Gracious God Rescues His People


Time is running out for the nation of
Israel. Though God’s patience with
His wayward people is enormous,
His hand of judgment is poised
and will not be stayed much longer.
Following the death of Elisha,
Israel’s downward spiral accelerates.
Inspite of the able rule of Jeroboam
II, the kings who succeed him
lead the people ever deeper into
idolatry and immorality. Not one
of the last nine monarchs looks to
God for direction in earthly affairs.

Lord, You are the God who Rescues:
Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became
king over Israel in Samaria and
reigned 17 years. And he did evil
in the sight of the Lord, and followed
the sins of Jeroboam… who had
made Israel sin… Then the anger of
the Lord was aroused against Israel
and He delivered them into the hand
of Hazael king of Syria (2Kgs 13:1-3)
Jehoahaz prayed for the Lord’s
help & the Lord heard his prayer.
The Lord could see how terribly
the king of Aram was oppressing
Israel. So the Lord raised up a
deliverer to rescue the Israelites
from the tyranny of the Syrians.
Then Israel lived in safety again
as they had in former days (v4-5).

Lord, we noted even though
Jehoahaz had lived an evil life
as a king, when he sought the
Lord’s help, You God intervened.
You raised up a deliverer and
rescued the Israelites from tyranny
and they lived in safety and peace.
Grateful and relieved that if You
God will help an evil king when
he called on You, how much more
will You hear and respond to the
prayers of Your children. Amen.

Lord, I thank You that Your ear
is open to the cry of Your children
and that You will act on our behalf.
With that knowledge, we should
not hesitate to cry out to You for
help and intervention in our lives.
What a wonderful Father You are
as a God who comes to our rescue.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, thank You for listening to
our prayers and answering not
according to our character but
according to Your goodness.
Help us not let anything discourage
us from coming to You in prayer,
thinking we dont deserve blessing.
Remind us You are a good God;
and we come entirely because You
are full of grace and mercy. Amen.

Adoring God In 2nd Kings 4

Mighty God Performs Miracles

Elisha, the great miracle worker
of God, performs no fewer
than eight miracles: providing
an “oil well” for a destitute,
giving new life for a dead boy,
making poisoned stew harmless,
multiplying bread for hungry crowd,
curing a leprous army captain,
making an ax head defy gravity,
reading mind of an enemy king,
enabling servant to see angels of
God & closing eyes of the enemy.
In each case, God’s power at work
shows His readiness to do the same
in the nation He has called His own.

Lord, we Trust Your Provision:
The widow of one of Elisha’s fellow
prophets came to Elisha and (said):
My husband who served u is dead.
What can I do to help? Elisha asked.
Tell me what you have in the house?
Nothing at all, except a flask of
olive oil, she replied (2 Kings 4:1-2).
And Elisha said: Borrow as
many empty jars as you can…
Pour olive oil from your flask into
the jars. So she Did as she was told.
Her sons brought many jars to her
and she filled one after another.
Soon every container was full to
the brim! And then the olive oil
stopped flowing (2Kings 4:3-6).
Elisha said to her as she stood in
the doorway: Next year at this time
you will be holding a son in yr arms!
She cried: O man of God, don’t
deceive me & get my hopes up like
that. But sure enough the woman
soon became pregnant. And at that
time the following year she had a
son, just as Elisha had said (v15-17).

Lord, thank You for the lessons from
Elisha’s mighty miracles showing
that You God in full control and
You care for those who follow You.
Help us Think from Your Angle and
help us Look with Eyes of Faith.
And even as we listen, follow
and obey Your instructions, show
us Your Power to transform any
situation for U care for us. Amen

Lord, give me a Vision of all
that You want to do in my life.
Help me to think not in terms
of what is humanly achievable
but what is Divinely Achievable.
I avail to whatever You’ve installed
for me & not limit Your blessings by
being not prepared to receive them.
Enlarge my mind to understand how
You can take what I have and expand
it beyond what I can imagine. Amen.

Lord, some of us need the miracle
for our friends and loved ones
to be brought from death to life.
We are helpless to breathe spiritual
life into the lives of those we care;
but You Lord of resurrection can.
Won’t You warm our loved ones
to the wonderful truth of the gospel.
Won’t You Lord speak to them and
call them to awaken to You. Amen.

Adoring God in 1 Kings 17

God Provides for His Servants

Backgrounder to 1 Kings 15-19:
1 Kings 15 begins a pattern that will
extend thru the rest of 1 & 2 Kings.
The writer flip-flops between
the nations of Israel and Judah,
first describing the reigning power
in the North, then moving to the
South. He traces the parallel
stories of two nations in spiritual
decline; taking time occasionally to
highlight a prophet (such as Elijah)
or a king (like Ahab) who contributes
significantly to the spiritual rise
or fall of one of the two nations.

Lord, we Trust Your Provision:
And Elijah…said to Ahab: As the Lord
God of Israel lives, before whom
I stand, there shall not be dew nor
rain these years except at my word.
Then the Lord came to Elijah saying
Hide by the Brook, which flow into
the Jordan. You shall drink from
the brook & I’ve commanded the
ravens to feed you (1Kgs 17:1-4).
Widow did as Elijah said. And she,
her son & Elijah continued to eat
from her supply of flour and oil
for many days. For no matter how
much they used, there was always
enough left in the containers,
just as the Lord had promised
through Elijah (1 Kgs 17:15-16).
O Lord my God, have You brought
tragedy on the widow with whom
I lodge, by killing her son? O Lord
my God I pray, let this child’s soul
come back to him. Then the Lord
heard the voice of Elijah; and the
soul of the child came back(v20-22)

Lord, I know You are God of miracles
and nothing is impossible for those
who pray in the power of Your Spirit.
Help me to pray boldly and believe
for miracles in answer to my prayers.
Teach me how to not pray too small;
for I don’t want my prayers to stop
short of what You God want to see
happen in my life and in the lives
of those for whom I pray. Amen.

Father, remind us of Your amazing
provision for Elijah and the widow
because they followed Your way.
Grateful for Your constant care
& for Your plan in uncertain times.
But it is so easy to panic and do
what seems most reasonable
rather than to trust You & follow
Your pleading in those times.
Remind us Your deeds and assures
us that Your way is best. Amen.

Lord, You bless those whose hearts
are in tune with You and trust You.
Teach us live in abundance of
Your promise instead of in the
evaluation of our circumstances.
Grant us the grace to turn to You
in every adversity, to trust You
when the future looks uncertain.
Remind us that You are Able and
Good and that You are Jehovah
Jireh who Provides our needs. Amen

Adoring God in 1 Kings 8

God Fulfills His Declared Word

Before his death, David had
charged his son Solomon with the
responsibility of building a house
for God in Jerusalem. Now at last
it’s time to make that dream a reality.
For seven years Solomon plans and
prepares the Temple. When at last
the ark of the covenant is installed
in the Holy Place, the cloud of
God’s presence fills the house of
the Lord. Once again, God’s glory
dwells in the midst of His people.

Lord, we trust You Fulfil Your Plan:
It came to pass when the priests
came out of the holy place, that the
cloud filled the house of the Lord…
So the Lord has fulfilled His word…
and I have built a temple for the
name of the Lord (1 Kgs 8:10,20).
But will God indeed dwell on earth?
Behold, heaven… can’t contain You.
How much less this temple which
I have built! Yet regard the prayer
of Your servant and his supplication,
O Lord my God, and listen to the cry
and the prayer which Your servant
is praying before You (v27-28).
Praise the Lord who has given
rest to His people Israel, just as He
promised. Not one word has failed
of all the wonderful promises He
gave through His servant Moses.
May the Lord our God be with us…
may He never forsake us.
May He give us the desire to do
His will in everything and to obey
all the commands (v56-58).

Lord, noticed that it wasn’t until the
temple was completed that God’s  
glory took residence there – God’s
stamp of approval of a job well done.
We remember Your past deeds in
our life showing Your faithfulness
And we trust that You will fulfil
Your promises in Your way and time.
Though sometimes it may seem late
to us, it will still be on time. Amen.

Lord, I thank You for Your presence,
and I am humbled that You through
Your Holy Spirit live inside of me.
Help me to never be full of myself,
but rather to always be freshly filled
with more of You Lord each day.
Help me to have a sense of Your
presence, especially as I read Your
Word and pray and live in obedience
to Your ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord, we praise You for keeping
covenant & fulfilling Your purposes!
Grant me O Lord the desire to do
Your will in more spheres of life.
Trust in Your infinite faithfulness
that You will fulfill Your promise
and purpose in my life just as You
fulfilled all Your promises to Moses.
Not one of them failed and neither  
will Your promises to me. Amen.

Adoring God In 1 Kings 3

God Gives Wisdom & Understanding

In the final hours before his death,
David charges Solomon to walk
before the Lord in integrity and
truth – a request which Solomon
fulfills in the early days of his reign
by ruling with justice, humility
and honesty before God and man.
Presented with a “blank cheque”
by God, Solomon asks for wisdom
to rule skilfully rather than wealth.
In return, God Gives him both!

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to
Solomon: Ask! What shall I Give u?
And Solomon said: O Lord my God,
You have made Your servant king…
Therefore give to Your servant
an understanding heart to judge
Your people, that I may discern
between good and evil. For who
is able to judge this great people
of Yours? The speech pleased
the Lord that Solomon had asked
this thing. Then God said to him:
Because you have asked this thing
understanding to discern justice…
I have given you a wise and
understanding heart, so that there
has not been anyone like you…
And I have also given you what
you have not asked: both riches
and honour, so that there shall
not be anyone like you among
kings all your days (1Kgs 3:5-13).

Lord, we are grateful that whenever
we are lost or unsure of what to do,
we can always seek You for wisdom.
Thank You Lord for divine wisdom,
which we can readily find in Your
Word as well as asking You for it.
Your word assures if I lack wisdom,
I can ask God who gives generously.
Thank You that the wisdom from
heaven is full of good fruit. Amen.

Lord, help us not only to hear
and meditate on Your Words
but also put them into practice
so that we can be like a wise man
who built his house on the rock.
And help us take care how we live,
not as the unwise but as wise;
making most of every opportunity
to be a source of blessing and to
lead others to Your kingdom. Amen

Lord, help us seek Your wisdom;
open our ears to it and help us to
recognise wisdom when we hear it.
Give us Lord the wisdom to know
what to do, how to do and the
courage to follow through on it.
And we know even as we put
You God and Your agenda first
that You will satisfy all our needs.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Thought for the Week: 2 Samuel 5

God Provides the Direction

With the death of Ish-Bosheth,
the people of Israel transfer their
allegiance to David as their rightful
king. As his first official act, David
conquers the strategic Jebusite
stronghold of Jerusalem and makes
it the new capital of the nation.
But something more than political
and military reform is necessary.
The worship of God must be
returned to its place of primacy.
Knowing this, David makes plans
to bring the ark of the covenant
to Jerusalem and build a fitting
place for it. In the process,
he learns some hard lessons
about doing God’s Will in
God’s Way and in God’s Timing.

Lord, we’ll Follow Your Direction:
Then all the tribes of Israel went
to David at Hebron and told him:
The Lord told you: You will be the
shepherd of my people Israel… So
there at Hebron, King David made
a covenant before the Lord with all
the elders of Israel & they anointed
him king of Israel (2 Samuel 5:1-3).
David inquired of the Lord: Shall
I go up against the Philistines?
And the Lord said: Go up for I’ll
doubtless deliver the Philistines
into your hand. So David went to
Baal Perazim and defeated them…
Then the Philistines went up once
again and deployed themselves
in the valley of Rephaim. So David
inquired of the Lord and He said:
You shall Not Go Up; circle around
Behind them. And David Did As
the Lord commanded him and he
drove back the Philistines (v19-25)

Lord, even as we pray for grace
to grow in submission to You
King Jesus, realize that we have
the tendency towards autonomy.
Forgive us for believing the lie that
Your rule in our lives will somehow
diminish our lives and freedom
rather than give us life and freedom.
Grant us the grace of submission &
the joy of having You as King. Amen.

Lord, praise You for Your faithfulness
and we are inspired by David on
his dependence on You for success.
Help us Follow Your Instructions
and not stray from Your will.
Help us Accept Your answer
to our prayers even when the
answers are not what we expect,
for You know what is best for us.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, You don’t want us to make
decisions without Your leading.
For You care about the details
of our lives and want to guide
us in the way we should go.
When we step off the path of Your
blessing, redirect us back to it.
Help us not stray from Your perfect
will; which is good for us, Amen.

Reflection on 2nd Samuel

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of 2nd Samuel is
to record the history of David’s
reign; to demonstrate effective
leadership under God; to show
the qualities that please God;
to depict David as an ideal leader
of an imperfect kingdom and to
foreshadow Christ, who will be the
ideal leader of a perfect kingdom.

On Monday, we learn fr 2 Sam 1/2
that God Gives the Direction.
On Tuesday, we learn from 2Sam 5
that God Provides the Direction.
On Wed, we learn from 2Sam 8-10
that Working w God Brings Success
On Thursday, we learn from 2Sam 12
to Thank God for Forgiveness.
On Friday, we learn from 2Sam 15
that God Cares of our Challenges
On Sat, we learn from 2Sam 22
that God Is My Rock & My Salvation)

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:
For You are concerned of our Challenges and Give us Direction;
For You are worthy of our Thanks
as You forgive our shortcomings
& working with You brings success;
For You are worthy of our Praise
being our Rock and salvation.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.