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(Thursday, 10-18-07) Prayer 14 - David's Prayer of Praise for God's Kindom

2 Samuel 7:1-29

There came a time in King David’s life when he began to think about the blessings he enjoyed, and it bothered him that he lived in a fine house, but the Ark of the Covenant still resided in a tent. He decided to build a house for God.

At first, Nathan the prophet encouraged him, but God revealed to Nathan that He did not want David to build such a house. Instead, God was going to build David a house that would exceed anything he could ever imagine, and that permanent blessings would come to his descendants.

David’s prayer of praise not only glorifies God, but expresses stunning awe at what God was planning to do.

What Can We Learn?
1. This prayer of praise came in response to God’s declaration that he was going to build a house (dynasty) for David.
2. David’s prayer shows that he was stunned that God would make such a promise to him.
3. Note the elements of history, repentance and gratitude included in the prayer.
4. It is also important to identify specific statements of the following elements of the prayer:
a) Praise
b) Acknowledgement
c) Awe and amazement
d) Glorification of God’s name
e) Magnifying God’s name
f) Courage
5. Despite being stunned at God’s promise, David also accepts the promise, rather than refuse it.

Questions to Ponder
1. Why do you think David started to think about the disparity between his house and God’s?
2. Were there some things that David misunderstood about God?
3. What did Nathan mean when he first told David to go ahead with his plans for God was with him?
4. What is the “house” God built for David?
5. Who is the “descendant” of verse 12?
6. What are some implications of verse 16?
7. Why do you think David was so surprised, stunned, shocked?
8. Why do you think David repeatedly used the term “servant” to refer to himself?
7. How does Acts 2:29 relate to God’s promise and David’s prayer?
8. In what ways do we still benefit from God’s promise to David?

1 comment:

Christina Ketchum said...

I really relate to today's prayer because I often feel guilty for being so blessed while millions of other people are abused or go hungry. God gave me comfort when I heard a pastor admit he had struggled with this very thing. He said God made clear to him that our blessings are for us to be thankful for and not for us to judge.