Then the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had done before at Gibeon. ³ The Lord said to him,

“I have heard your prayer and your petition. I have set this Temple apart to be holy—this place you have built

where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.

“As for you, if you will follow me with integrity and godliness, as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations,…

 – 1 Kings 9:2-4 New Living Translation

1 Kings 9

CONTEXT: From Matthew Henry’s Commentary we read: In this chapter we have, I. The answer which God, in a vision, gave to Solomon’s prayer, and the terms he settled with him (v. 1-9). II. The interchanging of grateful kindnesses between Solomon and Hiram (v. 10-14). III. His workmen and buildings (v. 15-24). IV. His devotion (v. 25). V. His trading navy (v. 26-28).

John Gill also summarizes this chapter as follows: This chapter relates a second vision Solomon had at Gibeon, in which he received an answer to his prayer in the preceding chapter, 1 Kings 9:1 that passed between him and Hiram king of Tyre, 1 Kings 9:10, the places that Solomon built or repaired, 1 Kings 9:15, the Canaanitish people that became bondmen to him, and the officers he had among the children of Israel, 1 Kings 9:20 the removal of Pharaoh’s daughter to the house built for her, 1 Kings 9:24. Solomon’s attention to religious services, 1 Kings 9:25 and the navy of ships he employed, which brought him in great riches, 1 Kings 9:26.

Our text today is about answered prayer. Without being a spoiler for the sermon to come let me point out a few things about our text:

• God hears prayers and supplications – if we search scriptures it would seem to imply that God hears all prayers and supplications BUT that He only acts upon, according to His will and Grace, those that are righteous in nature. If we look back at Solomon’s prayer in Chapter 8 we see it was just such a prayer.
• We can build anything we want any temple any building structure but only God can sanctify it, that is set it apart as Holy.
• God expects obedience to His commandments from all His people, especially those in charge.

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SERMON

Essential Points in Prayer

Charles Haddon Spurgeon / February 10, 1887

Scripture: 1 Kings 9:2-3 / From: Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Volume 35