May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us. May he give us the desire to do his will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and regulations that he gave our ancestors. And may these words that I have prayed in the presence of the Lord be before him constantly, day and night, so that the Lord our God may give justice to me and to his people Israel, according to each day’s needs. Then people all over the earth will know that the Lord alone is God and there is no other. And may you be completely faithful to the Lord our God. May you always obey his decrees and commands, just as you are doing today.”

 (1 Kings 8:57-61)

We have this prayer from 1 Kings printed out and posted on our refrigerator. I call it “organic” because it is straight from the Word of God. Go before the throne of God today and pray this on behalf of yourself and your family and your nation. Here are some of the subjects of prayer that Solomon offered as he was dedicating the temple in Jerusalem:

1. For the presence of God to be with his generation. He knew that God had been present with His people historically. Solomon is simply asking for that sweet, holy, and strength-giving presence to remain.

2. He’s asking for hearts that desire to obey and follow God. This is the prerequisite for the request he had just uttered, for God will never leave us. The question is, will we leave Him?

3. He offers an audacious request, but a clever one:  that this prayer would resonate throughout the throne room of God perpetually.

4. That each day justice would be granted.

5. For God to become famous through His people. That His merciful and miraculous acts would be spread throughout the earth.

King Solomon closes with an admonition to his people:  be faithful and continue to do what God has prescribed in His Word, for that is the path to a quality life and a successful nation. So, pray this prayer out loud for yourself and your loved ones today, and believe that it will continue to resonate in Heaven and be heard and answered.