Afflicted Heart
1 Kings 8:38
and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel—each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple-
Afflictions can mean, simply, something that makes you suffer.
The paragraph containing this verse--continuing Solomon's prayer--begins with a list of problems. Disasters and diseases. From agricultural pests to siege warfare. In the case of any of these, the Israelis were to pray, placing themselves spiritually if not physically in the temple. Holding in each heart a microcosm of the bigger disaster, they were to hold out empty hands to Yahweh.
This section of Solomon's prayer has a refrain: Hear from heaven. He's already admitted that God is too big to live in the beautiful temple. But He can hear from where He is.
Forgive, Solomon asks. Act. Verse 39 says both: Forgive and act.
God, I'm asking you the same. Hear from heaven, where you live. Forgive. Forgive and act. Act today for the Jews of Gaza, and all your people everywhere.
and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel—each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple-
Afflictions can mean, simply, something that makes you suffer.
The paragraph containing this verse--continuing Solomon's prayer--begins with a list of problems. Disasters and diseases. From agricultural pests to siege warfare. In the case of any of these, the Israelis were to pray, placing themselves spiritually if not physically in the temple. Holding in each heart a microcosm of the bigger disaster, they were to hold out empty hands to Yahweh.
This section of Solomon's prayer has a refrain: Hear from heaven. He's already admitted that God is too big to live in the beautiful temple. But He can hear from where He is.
Forgive, Solomon asks. Act. Verse 39 says both: Forgive and act.
God, I'm asking you the same. Hear from heaven, where you live. Forgive. Forgive and act. Act today for the Jews of Gaza, and all your people everywhere.
posted by ruthees @ 1:24 PM
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