We need it, pray for power, pray for the fullness of the Holy Ghost, you know, but like I said
in Matthew 6, 6, you know, God will reward you openly, so that should be some motivation
to pray, it's never in vain, and realizing that God will always answer your prayers better,
better than you expect, better than you ask, see we'll get into that later, but a great
example is Solomon, go to 1 Kings, you're right there in 1 Samuel, just go to the right,
1 Kings chapter number 3, just go ahead and go to 1 Kings chapter number 3, meet me in
verse number 5, while you go there, I'm going to read from Luke 11, 9, it says, and I say
unto you, ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened
unto you, John 14, 12 says this, verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth on me the
works that I do, shall he do also in greater works than these shall he do, because I go
unto the Father, and whatsoever ye ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may
be glorified in the Son, 1 John 5, 14, and this is the confidence that we have in him,
that if we ask anything, anything, even a Ferrari, hold up, I didn't say that, even
a big house, a mansion, I never said that, but it's a grand million dollars, if I ask
him am I going to receive it, hold up a little bit, alright, alright, let me get a little
bit more clear, the Bible says and this is the confidence that we have in him, that if
we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us, I don't know if it's his will,
well just pray, you'll find out, how am I going to find out, if you get it or not, that's
just how it is, but you're right there in 1 Kings, let's look up a perfect example that
a man that prayed in secret but yet was rewarded openly, and I recommend we aim to be like
this man, and this is Solomon, it says in 1 Kings chapter number 3, in Gibeon the Lord
appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said ask what I shall give thee, and Solomon
said and thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as
he walked before thee in truth and in righteousness and of rightness of heart with thee, and thou
hast kept from him this great kindness that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne
as it is this day, and now O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of
David my father, I am but a little child, I know not how to go out or come in, and thy
servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people that cannot
be numbered nor counted for multitude, give therefore thy servant an understanding heart
to judge thy people that I may deserve between good and bad, for who is able to judge this,
thou is so great a people, and the speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this
thing, and God said unto him, because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked
for thyself long life, nor hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast the life of thine enemies
but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment, behold I have done according
to thy words, lo I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, so that there
was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee, and I
have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that there
shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
Talk about a heavy reward, heavy reward, he was rewarded openly, became the richest,
wisest man on the planet, how spread the word of the Lord, got a lot of people to believe
on the Lord.