God tells Solomon: "Ask Me What You Really Want for COP26." (1 Kings 3)
Climate Bible Study: September 2021
"Dream of Solomon" Luca Giordano (1634-1705)
We know King Solomon for the wisdom of his proverbs and the wisdom of his royal rulings, but he is not given enough credit for his role in the prayer life of God's people. The prayer Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple (I Kings 8) is the second longest prayer recorded in Scripture. (Nehemiah's is the longest (Neh. 9), and Jesus's High Priestly prayer in John 17 comes third, but it's not a competition!) Solomon's most consequential prayer however is recorded in I Kings 3. "At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, 'Ask for whatever you want me to give you.'" (v5). Young Solomon was at least wise enough already to ask for wisdom and discernment. "The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this" (v10).
God himself indicates that his offer to Solomon was genuine and that Solomon was free to ask for what might considered to be the standard "wish list" for a new potentate: a long life, wealth, or the death of his enemies. Sometimes it is hard to read this passage without suspecting that God might be testing Solomon--"Will he answer rightly or selfishly?" Or that Solomon slyly manages to answer in such a way as to get it all, as if God were a genie and Solomon were Aladdin. But, no, God is REALLY that generous as we come to him in prayer. And God truly is interested in the "real life" interactions we have with him, the way we grow in discernment as children mature in those moments when they seek their father's assistance.
What Solomon chose to pray about was based on two things: 1) that God had been kind and faithful to this father David (v. 6); and 2) that in his own capacity, Solomon was inadequate to the royal duties upon which he was embarking. "But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number." Consequently, of all the things that Solomon could have prayed for, he chose what he thought was the most crucial request: "So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"
Who shall we cast in the role of "only a little child" in the face of climate change? You and I for sure, but really how adequate are the nations of the world, given their own internal weaknesses? How adequate is COP26 itself or the entire "Paris Process"? As a result, we as the Climate Intercessors network are in the middle of a discernment project, trying to determine from the Lord's voice and from our own analysis and discussions: what are the ten strategic prayers to pray for COP26? We only get one chance to pray for COP26. What do we sense are the high leverage interventions to ask from our kind and faithful Father God?
You can review our first five prayer requests that we have previously unveiled at the last two monthly global prayer meetings. Our webpage is "10 Strategic Prayer Requests for COP26." You'll notice that at the end of each of those requests is a "Send Comment" button. Prayers, once prayed, are meant to be revised time and again under the Holy Spirit's leading and our own maturation. Please e-mail us comments, suggestions, or just encouragement. The remaining five prayer requests are just blank space holders. There the button is "Send Suggestion." We are compiling a brainstormed list to pare down into five more strategic requests which we will unveil at the September and October meetings. We would love to have your input. Thanks.
You are very dear to God,
Lowell Bliss
On behalf of the Climate Intercessors leadership team