Today’s Reading, 1 Kings 8-9
Focal Scripture: 1 Kings 8:22 “Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire congregation of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.”
There is an old saying that gets repeated often and not in a positive way. It goes like this “Do what I say, not what I do.” This saying happens when people want others to follow a certain path but are not willing to follow that path themselves. It shows a different expectation for others and not for yourself. This happens in many leadership situations. Do what I say but not what I do. For instance a boss who demands employees be at work by a certain time but they show up whenever they want. It creates a culture problem that must be addressed.
In today’s reading we see the opposite take place. Solomon leads by example. He demonstrates what true biblical worship looks like to the nation. Solomon was at the altar before the nation. Solomon committed sacrifices before the nation. He worshipped before the nation. Then he prayed publicly before the nation. He honored God. He kept the statutes. He pursued holiness. He worshipped how he wanted the people to worship.
The takeaway for believers is to demonstrate our faith boldly and publicly. Solomon prayed publicly. It was heartfelt and powerful. I know of many believers who will not and have not prayed publicly in front of others. On one hand I understand the fear of doing this act in front of others. On the other hand I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to encourage other believers by pouring our praise to God publicly.
Prayer is a window into the heart of a person. You get to see what they honor and value. You get to see how they communicate with the God of the universe. It shows their faith and their heart for others. Their theology or lack of it gets exposed before the ones who listen. Public prayer is just the private prayer between God and an individual heard by others.
My challenge for you today is to be bold with your faith. Especially in the area of prayer. It will encourage others. It will help them see that faith is not private. It will help you lead people. Public prayer is one of the best leadership tools that never gets discussed. The prayer life of a person reveals who is in charge of their heart.
So pray. Pray where others can hear. It is to encourage the saints but also to reveal any gaps in our faith and theology. Having an open heart with open hands makes a world of difference.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading 1 Kings 10-11
