Breakthrough Prayers: The Prayer That Changed a Nation - Solomon (Part 9)
Main Text: 1 Kings 3:3-15 (AMP)
Why God Gives More to Those Who Seek Him First
Solomon's breakthrough did not begin with wealth, fame, or success. It began with a prayer for wisdom. When we seek God's priorities first, He often adds blessings we never asked for.
Many people pray for:
- More money
- A better job
- A bigger house
- Better health
- More opportunities
But Solomon prayed for wisdom.
Solomon's Prayer
1 Kings 3:3-4 (AMP) 3 Now Solomon loved the Lord, walking [at first] in the statutes of David his father, except [for the fact that] he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places [ignoring the law that required all sacrifices to be offered at the tabernacle]. 4 The king went to Gibeon [near Jerusalem, where the tabernacle and the bronze altar stood] to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
The Thousand Offerings Represented Extraordinary Generosity
A thousand animals was an enormous sacrifice. This was not a casual act of worship. Solomon was demonstrating the value he placed on honoring God.
Consider the contrast:
- Cain brought an offering.
- Abel brought the firstborn of his flock.
- David refused to offer God something that cost him nothing.
Key principle: The value of a sacrifice is revealed by what it costs the person making it.
Solomon's offering was:
- An extraordinary act of worship
- A substantial material sacrifice
- A public demonstration of devotion
- A defining moment at the beginning of his reign
The number emphasizes the magnitude of the event. It is not a spiritual formula that guarantees a particular response from God.
Key 1: Worship Before You Ask
"Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings."
Before Solomon asked for anything... he worshiped.
Romans 12:1 (AMP) 1 Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.
2 Samuel 24:24 (NLT) But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing." So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.
Principle: Our giving is a part of our worship that prepares our hearts to receive from God.
1 Kings 3:5 (AMP) 5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask [Me] what I shall give you."
Here is the million-dollar question: what would your answer be?
1 Kings 3:6-7 (AMP) 6 Then Solomon said, "You have shown Your servant David my father great lovingkindness, because he walked before You in faithfulness and righteousness and with uprightness of heart toward You; and You have kept for him this great lovingkindness, in that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today. 7 So now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of David my father; and as for me, I am but a little boy [in wisdom and experience]; I do not know how to go out or come in [that is, how to conduct business as a king].
Key 2: Pray with Humility
James 4:6 (AMP) 6 But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, "God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness]."
In the Bible, grace is often defined as unearned or undeserved favor from God.
Principle: God fills people who admit they are empty.
"God fills hearts that are humble enough to admit they need Him."
1 Kings 3:8-9 (AMP) 8 Your servant is among Your people whom You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9 So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart [with which] to judge Your people, so that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge and rule this great people of Yours?"
Key 3: Ask for Wisdom Above Wealth
Solomon asked for wisdom instead of riches.
James 1:5 (AMP) 5 If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him.
Principle:
- Wisdom creates what money alone cannot.
- Money without wisdom is easily lost.
- Wisdom can create wealth again and again.
Illustration:
- Giving someone a fish feeds them for a day.
- Teaching them to fish feeds them for a lifetime.
Key 4: Pray Beyond Yourself
Solomon prayed so he could lead God's people well. His prayer wasn't selfish.
Philippians 2:3-4 (AMP) 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves. 4 Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Principle: God blesses prayers that serve others.
God's Answer
1 Kings 3:10-13 (AMP) 10 Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 God said to him, "Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself a long life nor for wealth, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize justice, 12 behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise and discerning heart (mind), so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall anyone equal to you arise after you. 13 I have also given you what you have not asked, both wealth and honor, so that there will not be anyone equal to you among the kings, for all your days.
Key 5: God Rewards Right Priorities
Because Solomon didn't ask for:
- Riches
- Long life
- Revenge
God gave him wisdom and riches and honor.
Matthew 6:33 (AMP) 33 But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right - the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.
Psalm 84:11 (AMP) 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord bestows grace and favor and honor; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Principle: When God is first, everything else finds its proper place.
Illustration: When the first button on a shirt is buttoned correctly, the rest line up. When God is first, life aligns. One right priority affects everything else.
Key 6: Walk in Obedience
God promised continued blessing if Solomon walked in obedience.
1 Kings 3:14 (AMP) 14 If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and My commandments, as your father David did, then I will lengthen your days."
Deuteronomy 28:1-2 (AMP) 1 "Now it shall be, if you diligently listen to and obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all of His commandments which I am commanding you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you pay attention to the voice of the Lord your God.
Key 7: God's Blessing Is Meant to Bless Others
1 Kings 3:15 (AMP) 15 Then Solomon awoke, and he realized that it was a dream. He came [back] to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and he prepared a feast for all his servants.
Solomon woke up, went back to Jerusalem, worshiped before the ark, and threw a feast for his servants. The blessing didn't stop with him.
Genesis 12:2 (AMP) 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you [abundantly], And make your name great (exalted, distinguished); And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others];
2 Corinthians 9:8 (AMP) 8 And God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you, so that you may always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in Him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity.
God blesses us to become a blessing.
Seven Keys from Solomon's Breakthrough Prayer
- Worship before you ask.
- Approach God with humility.
- Ask for wisdom above wealth.
- Pray beyond yourself.
- Put God's priorities first.
- Walk in obedience.
- Use God's blessings to bless others.
"Don't chase blessings - chase God and let Him decide the blessings."
Final Challenge
Solomon's breakthrough was not that he became wealthy - it was that he sought God with the right priorities. When you ask God for wisdom, He changes how you think, how you lead, how you serve, and how you live. A wise heart will open doors that money, talent, and influence never could.
This Week's Scriptures
Jeremiah 33:3, Luke 18:1, Matthew 7:7-9, Matthew 6:33, Matthew 22:37, Psalm 84:11, Deuteronomy 28:1-2, Genesis 12:2, 2 Corinthians 9:8, 1 Peter 5:7, James 5:16, Romans 12:1, James 4:6, Psalm 51:10, Colossians 1:27, James 1:5 (all AMP)
Discussion Questions
- Worship before you ask. Solomon offered a costly sacrifice before he made a single request. What does worship that "costs you something" look like in your life right now, and is there an area where you've been asking God for things without first giving Him your best?
- The million-dollar question. If God appeared to you tonight and said, "Ask what I shall give you," what would you honestly say? What does that answer reveal about your current priorities?
- Humility. Solomon called himself "a little boy" who didn't know how to lead. Where in your life (family, work, relationships, finances) do you need to admit you're empty so that God can fill you? What would it look like to ask Him for help this week?
- Praying beyond yourself. Solomon asked for wisdom so he could serve God's people well. Who is God asking you to serve, and how could you shift one of your regular prayers from "bless me" to "equip me to bless them"?
- First button. The message compares right priorities to buttoning the first button on a shirt correctly. Which area of your life feels "misaligned" right now, and what is one practical step you can take this week to put God first in that area and walk in obedience?