Let your eyes be open to the plea of your servant, and to the plea of your people Israel, listening to them whenever they call to you. I Kings 8:52 

Jesus said, “If you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” John 16:23

The verse from I Kings is from Solomon’s prayer of dedication of the temple. He stands and delivers the prayer from the area before the altar of the newly built temple in front of the “whole assembly of Israel”.   (verse 22) The temple was finally completed, now the people could go there to pray and to be in God’s presence. In his prayer he appeals to God to remember His promises, the covenants that were made between God and the people. In our verse for today Solomon prays that God will always be watching over Israel, that He will see and hear their pleas. At the end of the prayer he stands and blesses the assembly and says, “Praise be to the Lord.” (verse 56)

Jesus tells us that we can pray and ask for “anything.” That, as we ask in Jesus’ name the Father will give it to us. We remember how Peter tried to walk on water, started to sink, and Jesus answered his prayer, allowing him to walk and return to the boat. But can we just ask for stuff and get it? For those who watch the TV show “Young Sheldon” there was an episode where the daughter in the family is playing baseball with the boys and it isn’t going well. Her mother tells her she can pray, and then offers her a cross the mother used to wear. The daughter treats the cross like a magic talisman, feeling as long as she has it, she will do well. She does better in practicing. However, she is using the cross for others on her team to touch, or touch to their bats, and her mother swoops in and says, Nope, that is not how prayer works.

So, how does prayer work? We are assured that God is listening, that Jesus promises we can ask for anything and He will do it. Somewhere in the listening and then answering we may get answers we don’t expect. We don’t pray to get stuff; we pray to be in relationship with our Lord. We can pray for strength and healing. We can pray for help in finding the right words to say, or to write in devotions. (I do that,) We can pray for others, and we can share the Good News about Jesus. We can pray in grief, in sadness, in happiness. We can even pray in times when we can’t find the words, as the Holy Spirit is there to help us.  And we can and should pray in gratitude. 

Praise the Lord who listens to us and answers our prayers!

Most holy Father, thank you for the gift of salvation through Jesus our Lord and savior. Thank you that we can just offer whatever is on our hearts. Thank you for hearing our deepest cries and even our sighs as prayers. Save us, we pray, from the perils of this life. In Jesus’ name.  Amen

 Chris Gabel

Ministries
Teaching Mission Party