Prayer of Adoration
1 Samuel 4-6 & Psalm 18
Misplaced Power:
1 Samuel 4:10 -11
“So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.”
*The Ark of the Covenant represents the presence of God.
1 Samuel 5: 1-5
“After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.”
The Philistines captured the Ark of Covenant was traveled city to city. When they reached the Dagon temple the Ark was placed next to the Dagon. The Dagon was in its rightful place as being the king of that particular temple. The Dagon fell multiple times while being on the same level as the Ark. The head and hands were broken off, only leaving the body. The city was afflicted with devastation and tumors by the hand of God. The Philistines moved the Ark to two more cities bringing afflictions with them. The Philistines had no choice but to return the Ark to its rightful place.
This is us! Sometimes we misplace the power of God. We put our conviction and the cross on the same playing field. We’ve grown so accustom to magnifying our problems and minimizing God. Its time to resize our giants and magnify God.
The Prayer:
Psalm 18
“I love you, Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
The Lord is my rock – Hiding place or weapon
My fortress – Protection
My deliverer – Sets me free
My God is my rock – Hiding Place or weapon
In whom I take refuge – Sheltering place
My shield – Protection
The horn of my salvation – Victory
My stronghold – Protection against attack
Mind play:
Starting my prayers with adoration has caused me to forget just how worried I was going into the prayer. We all like reassurance and so does God! Adoration not only puts God in his rightful place but it builds an altar. Give God a place to rest while you rest in his presence. It is also a reminder to us of who God really is. He is such a big God! We cannot continue to allow our circumstance to eclipse his power! Tell God who and what he is to you!