How do we articulate the myriad problems of life to our Heavenly Father? Having voiced my needs, does the Heavenly Father truly hear? Perhaps He hears, but have I prayed according to His will? Will He bring it to pass for me? Have these questions ever troubled you? Christian, do you know how to pray? In this chapter, the teacher will guide us to learn from Solomon on how to pray!

Reflection Questions:

• Of Solomon's seven prayers, which one resonates with you the most? When similar situations arise, how can you apply this prayer to your daily life?

• Why does Solomon emphasize the importance of praying in God's temple? What is the difference between praying in the temple and praying alone?

• What problems do you often encounter in life? How do you usually view and resolve these issues? After reading this chapter, what insights have you gained?

Solomon offers a brief summary, followed by seven types of prayers. These seven prayers address common problems we face in life. When you encounter difficulties, you can find answers here.

• First Prayer: Verses 31-32

• Second Prayer: Verses 33-34

• Third Prayer: Verses 35-36

• Fourth Prayer: Verses 37-40

• Fifth Prayer: Verses 41-43

• Sixth Prayer: Verses 44-45

• Seventh Prayer: Verses 46-53

There is a crucial aspect within these seven prayers, which I had read before but hadn't felt so deeply. I began to see a marvellous act of God. You know, we new immigrants often rent houses, and praying at home can be difficult. Therefore, our brothers and sisters return to the church to pray, which perfectly aligns with the phrase, …praying and pleading in this temple (see verse 33), …when they pray toward this place (see verse 35), …and spread out their hands toward this temple (see verse 38). This is a remarkable thing. This temple is the church, the temple of God, and the temple of God is the church. Prayer in the temple is fulfilled.

We must understand that God's will is to establish a dwelling for His name. God resides in the relationship between you and me. God is a God who values relationships. If you and I are united, God dwells among us. United in the name of Jesus, not superficially but genuinely sharing a dream and bearing a mission, loving one another in the church. Your problem is my problem, and my problem is your problem; your family is my family, and my family is your family. Together, we bring about transformation, which is unity. Unity fosters relationships, and relationships create the temple of God, where God dwells among us.

Therefore, Jesus said, if two or three of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven (see Matthew 18:19). In other words, a crucial concept: The temple of God is the church, and the church must be a united church. If a church is divided, with some claiming allegiance to one faction and others to another, it is difficult to see God's presence. Instead, you will witness strife, sickness, and various calamities within the church. The unity of the church is not optional. I urge my brothers and sisters to learn to lay aside their differences. United in the Holy Spirit and having a common vision in the Word of God, I believe these calamities will not befall us. For God is not a God who burdens us with calamities; He is a God who blesses us, a God who hears our prayers. Therefore, we must build a united church!

First Prayer

“If anyone wrongs their neighbour and is required to take an oath and they come and swear the oath before your altar in this temple, then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by rewarding them in accordance with their innocence. (1 Kings 8:31-32)

Brothers and sisters, our God is a God who requites, be sure to underline the word requites. Even those who do not know God understand that there is retribution in this world, but they do not know that God also requites. Some people bear false witness without fear, and they suffer curses and retribution. Today, we know that since this is a God who requites, if we wrong our neighbour, we come before God according to His righteousness, not according to our own. Even if you think you are right, you will suffer retribution. Do not assume your own reasoning is correct; God's reasoning is what matters. According to what does God requite? The Bible says, …condemning the guilty and bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent. What, then, are your deeds? If you forgive your neighbour, God will forgive you. But if you hate your neighbour with bitterness, God will requite you according to your deeds.

Therefore, we must learn to broaden our hearts and not make excuses for ourselves, because what you do is what God will requite, and that is no joking matter. So God continually wants us to know how we should act. Our conduct should be like God's, filled with grace, love, and mercy. If someone wrongs us, we should not hold grudges but quickly forgive. If we cling to the offenses of others and feel particularly aggrieved and burdened, it is unnecessary. For God requites us according to what we do.

Christians do not try to please God through their actions. Relying on the flesh only makes it easier to provoke God's wrath. If, by faith, we continually invite the Holy Spirit to mould and illuminate us, enabling us to live a reborn life, we can easily overcome the evil desires of the flesh. Underline the word requites. If your actions are those of people whom God blesses, God will surely bless you!

Second Prayer

“When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and give praise to your name, praying and making petition to you in this temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors. (1 Kings 8:33-34)

This is good! It gives us great hope. Our God is not a God who wants us to die. Whenever we sincerely turn back to Him and come to His temple to pray: Hear from heaven and forgive our sins, and bring us back to the land of promise, back into Your promises. We see some people who have sinned against God, speaking rebellious and arrogant words. Do not judge them by their arrogance today or the blasphemous words they may utter. If they turn back to God, He will still accept them. We humans cannot do this. After someone offends me once or twice, I simply cannot be bothered with them anymore, but our God is not like that. As long as a person turns back, whether it be an individual or a nation, He will accept them in the same way.

So do not act as God, do not judge, saying, Such a person will never be saved. Sometimes we say such things, truly angry, because some people have experienced God's transformation but quickly forsake Him. God, I thank you that I am not God. If I were God, I would have destroyed them long ago. I truly cannot bear it. We truly feel our own inadequacy. Thank the Lord, so I am increasingly learning to be like Jesus. They offend me, insult me, offend God, and speak arrogantly, but I set my heart on knowing that God hears and forgives. In fact, YF's transformation has greatly encouraged me. It is truly a great blessing!

Third Prayer

“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance. (1 Kings 8:35-36)

Brothers and sisters, if you encounter problems everywhere in your work, you need to know one thing: you have offended God. Although it is not 100% accurate, I believe it is 99% correct. The remaining 1 per cent is the possibility of being like Job. If it is Job, you will be blessed in half a year. God's will is not for people to see a multitude of problems in their workplace. It is like the heavens being shut up and there is no rain; whatever you do, you encounter misfortune. There is definitely a problem, and that problem is offending God.

Today, too many of us offend God. Let me give you some examples. We see some people who are unwilling to save time for godly matters. Even though they have seen many testimonies, they still do it. Moving house, when do they move? On Sunday. Pastor, I am moving house on Sunday. They seem to say it to me with great confidence. My heart is weeping; I grieve for this brother, for this sister. When else could you move? Why must you rush to move during the time of worshiping God! Pastor, I am taking a flight back on Sunday night. When else could you come back? Why must you rush to be on the plane during the time of worship. What exactly is this person's mindset? We offend God in too many ways, and it is difficult for God to bless you.

Many brothers and sisters in our church have a characteristic. Sunday is the company's annual dinner, and they say, Boss, I am not going. I have to worship my God. The boss says, You are so obsessed with your faith? What happens? They are blessed. They are truly blessed.

Among us, there are not many who are noble, not many who are learned, and not many who are influential. They are basically people on the fringes of Singaporean society, but they are blessed. It is this group of people who have set out to build a glorious church, having the audacity to tell their boss that they would not attend. What happens? God still blesses your work. But those who went, their contracts are about to end, and they have not yet found their next job. Our sisters and brothers have seen God's wonderful guidance and have come through. You say they are clever, but they are not very clever; you say they are good at dealing with people, but they are not very good at it. They simply please God!

Do not offend God! No matter how clever or talented you are, do not offend God! I have always encouraged those whom I lead to believe in Jesus to begin to learn to please God. Set your heart on it, and nothing will fall apart; nothing will fall apart. Do not think that your business is doing well today or that your work is doing well because of your personal abilities. It is actually because God has had mercy on you. If God causes the heavens to be shut up and there is no rain, I wonder where your business would be! You must know that God's will is for us to enjoy all the goodness of life in His promises.

The Fourth Prayer

If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, blight, mildew, locust, or caterpillar; if their enemy besieges them in any of their cities; whatever plague, whatever sickness there is; when your people Israel, one and all, know each his own affliction, and hold out his hands toward this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive, and act and give to each according to all his ways, whose heart you know (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind), that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers. (1 Kings 8:37-40)

Understand that disasters like famine are very spiritual matters. In fact, the situation we are in today in China is not good, an era of rampant disasters. One and all, know each his own affliction. Solomon was so wise. If you must require everyone to confess and repent, it would be very difficult. Today, we are that one, aren't we? We are that one in our family, feeling guilty ourselves. My family has offended you, God. Please help me, hear my prayer, forgive their sins, and deliver them, bringing them all into your kingdom and then begin to receive your blessings. This brings us great comfort: And spreads his hands toward this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive. That is to say, if there is such a person, God will listen. Once God hears the prayer, God will execute deliverance.

Among us, there is a sister who was terribly possessed by demons and was in severe depression. When her parents came to Singapore, she fasted and prayed for the salvation of her parents for three days. Such a child is a remarkable child, one who is in the grip of depression and can actually begin to pray for the salvation of her parents. I think such parents are truly blessed, fortunate to have such a child in their home. Brothers and sisters, aren't you all very normal? If you are normal, do you put all your energy into your work and the things you are busy with? We are the first believers in our family, aren't we? If your family perishes because you dare not preach the gospel to them, or because your evangelism does not truly intercede for them, asking God to forgive their sins and execute deliverance, it is really hard for us to account to God.

Recently, I often encounter weak brothers and sisters in their families, and I painstakingly teach them how to restore their influence in their families. Some people's ears are almost calloused from listening. Pastor’s wife said, Don't think that everyone is like you, a king at home. Yes, today we are not kings, but sooner or later we must be kings, we must reign, because we are all princes of God. We must reign in the family, because God chose you to be the first to believe, and you must take on this mission, you must take on this mission and pray and call out for them.

If a sister in the grip of depression can fast and pray for her family for three days and three nights, do we not feel ashamed? Right? Usually when we pray, we pray for all things, and in the last minute we say, Lord, please save my father! I think this is a bit perfunctory, isn't it?

Thank the Lord, I don't know where the answer is, I don't know how much we should do to be enough. But I think, if you see your family members standing there chatting on the train tracks, and the train is roaring and coming, and you stand by and watch the fun, what kind of person are you? Don't you have the urgency to push him away from there, regardless of everything, first save him from the edge of death? Do you still care about what kind of relationship you have? Do you still care about what kind of hurt we have suffered? Forget it, put it all down.

If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, blight, mildew, locust, or caterpillar; if their enemy besieges them in any of their cities; whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, when is this? This is when you intercede. If your family members have cancer, if your family members are facing famine, if their business goes bankrupt, all kinds of difficulties, at this time, start asking them to seek God with you, ask boldly.

The Fifth Prayer

Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name's sake (for they shall hear of your great name and your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house, hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name. (1 Kings 8:41-43)

This gives me a great impact. A person who does not believe in the Lord, hears about what God is doing among us, and he comes to this place, God will also hear his prayer. Miracles happen here like mushrooms after the rain, because this is the dwelling place established for His name. So don't be surprised, everyone, God is such a God, God is not willing to send disasters, God is willing for His people, even those who do not know His name, to experience His grace, to know that the God of Israel is the God of all things. So here, the temple we have built, don't be stingy, and don't be narrow-minded. This temple that we have established in the name of the Lord, is this house of prayer. Even if a person on the street hears about what God is doing among us, and he comes among us, even if he does not know God in the future, and does not believe in the Lord with us, what does it matter! We are really willing for him to experience God's wonderful grace among us. Once, I forgot whether it was a dream or a vision, I saw many, many people coming to visit us, and I couldn't figure out who they were. Later I understood, isn't the temple that God has built among us for this purpose? What does it matter if people come and go? So isn't this temple we have built in the name of the Lord for those who do not know God to know Him through this temple?

The Sixth Prayer

If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to the Lord toward the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, then hear in heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause. (1 Kings 8:44-45)

Aren't we all sent by God to preach the gospel? Isn't God sending you? If you go out to preach the gospel in the name of the Lord Jesus, that is warfare, and God will make you victorious, but this victory is obtained through constant prayer in the temple of God. One day in the future, if you need to return to your home country, I encourage you, don't use all your vacations to return to your home country, you will not be able to overcome. Two days before you return to your home country, take a vacation to fast and pray, call on the name of God, and God will make you victorious in the things you are fighting for. You must pray to the temple built for His name by the Lord, and today this temple is the church.

So God will hear us and make us victorious, through our prayer warfare. When we pray, you will see countless angels and heavenly hosts fighting for us. Don't think that just because you can't see it, it hasn't happened, because the Spirit of God and the angels and heavenly hosts will fight for us. When you go out to fight, you will be victorious. This is a very wonderful thing.

Underline the previous sentence, verse 44, If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them. Today we are all preaching the gospel in the name of God, sent by God. You don't need God to tell you again, Oh, you must hurry to preach the gospel; you don't need any additional revelation and touch, you must know that preaching the gospel is our mission, God has already sent us. Before Jesus ascended to heaven, didn't he say so? The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and you will receive power, from Jerusalem, to all Judea, to Samaria, to the ends of the earth, to be my witnesses, that is to preach the gospel, that is to go out to fight, that is to bind the powers of darkness.

The Seventh Prayer

If they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to the enemy, so that they are carried away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near, yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned and have done wrong. We have acted wickedly,’ if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity to which they were carried, and pray toward their land that you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them (for they are your people, and your heritage, which you brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace). Let your eyes be open to the plea of your servant and to the plea of your people Israel, whenever they call to you, and hear them. (1 Kings 8:46-52)

Do Christians sin against God? Some do. If you find yourself captured, in a very difficult state of oppression; if you begin to know that you are guilty, in the land of captivity, if you turn to God with all your heart and with all your soul, you will also be forgiven (this is the key). Today, some Christians have fallen, but I believe that as long as they turn to God with all their heart and with all their soul, and begin to call out to God, God will still forgive them. Our responsibility today is not to condemn someone for being guilty, or to condemn a certain church for being guilty. Our responsibility today is to begin to re-know our God. These captives, those oppressed by demons, whether they are Christians or not, we know that God still has a heart of mercy on them, as long as they turn to God with all their heart and with all their soul, God will still hear them. I don't want our church's brothers and sisters to experience these things, these are not good experiences.

In this long passage, how many times is offending God, sinning mentioned? Basically 80 or 90 percent, or basically all. So don't think that there are so many Jobs in our time, maybe there is not even one, only one Job before ancient times. Today, everyone should reflect on themselves. I used to think I was Job, but later I found out that I had offended God. Until today, I am especially grateful. Offended God, began to confess and repent, and I began to become what kind of person, God actually had mercy on me, and began to see so many wonderful acts of God among us. I think if it were not for such a God, we would really lose this hope. If it is such a God, shouldn't we have greater gratitude? Very grateful! If people sin and turn away from God, and go to the land of captivity, and are oppressed, in the workplace, things that should go wrong will definitely go wrong, and things that should not go wrong will also go wrong, and then they will be besieged on all sides. In those days, they had to stretch their arms every day, do some radio exercises, and then be able to walk into the office, it was difficult, it was very difficult to think about.

People often don't know when they offend God. So today, I tell everyone, don't be like me, I really don't want everyone to be as stubborn as I used to be, offending God and not knowing it. So, once you encounter this situation, don't think you are Job, think that I have offended God. Reflect on yourself well, it took me a long time to reflect. Thank God! Even though it took so long, God still had mercy on me.

So I encourage everyone, don't be self-righteous, don't be self-righteous. If there is a problem with yourself, whether it is in the family, in the workplace, or if there is a problem with your health, you should know that we still have many areas to deal with, and we still have many areas that provoke God's wrath to deal with. Maybe God didn't deal with this problem last year, but this year God will start to deal with this problem; maybe you did the same thing the year before, God didn't care about you, this year he will start to care about you.

So we must often reflect on ourselves, don't think, it's very good, everything is very good, isn't it the same as last year? I was like this the year before. No, you were a freshman the year before, but this year you are already a junior, a junior has junior's courses, you can no longer do the basic courses of a freshman, you must do the professional courses of a junior. So, we begin to fight against the devil and the enemy, spiritual warfare, even if we still have problems, we must also rely on God to fight, God will make us victorious!

These are the seven prayers!