Praying Through 1 & 2 Kings

Good times...bad times...horrible times. Nothing could better describe the timeline of 1 & 2 Kings. After the death of David, Solomon's rule prospered and lifted Israel to the best national position it had ever seen. But the best of times turned quickly into the worst of times. A civil war led to a national split. Two nations emerged-Israel, a coalition of ten nations, and Judah, two nations, Judah and Benjamin. The nation of Israel quickly turned to idolatry and, through the army of Assyria, God scattered the inhabitants as punishment for their sins. Judah, while highlighted with amazing leadership every now and then, collapsed much like the nation it split from and turned to idols. God sent Babylon to destroy Judah and the city of Jerusalem. 1 & 2 Kings show us the patience of God despite our evil sprints away from His love. The two books show us a simple formula for staying in God's goodness-follow His commands and don't honor any other gods. 1 & 2 Kings are also frustrating books to read because they reveal our human nature to always turn from God. They encourage us also, showing that God will do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to win our hearts back. PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIES What is God's word? Simply put, it is the word of God spoken to people long ago who transcribed that information into writing. That writing was meticulously passed down for thousands of years to speak to us today. How did God speak to people in Bible times? - Audibly - God spoke directly to people who heard him with their ears or in their heart. - Through situations - God spoke through the actions and events of this world. - Through people - God spoke through leaders, kings and prophets who proclaimed God's purpose. - Through prophecy - God spoke about future events, then those events happened. - Scripture - God spoke through his written word when people read those words later. - Prayer - God spoke through the prayers of people. PRAYING THROUGH THE BIBLE SERIES recognizes the power of God speaking to mankind through His Scriptures. God's word was not only meant to be read, but applied. We must apply ourselves to these passages and adjust our lives to God's will. Today, God uses many ways to speak to us. This book incorporates those avenues of communication to ensure that God will speak to you during your quiet time with Him. Each section asks the reader to do six things. 1. Read the passage. Open up the Bible and read His Word. 2. Memorize the passage. A certain verse is given special focus. Commit it to memory. Remember it all day. 3. Understand the passage. Background information (Time, Characters, Place, What's Happening) help you to understand the context of the section you are reading. 4. Read the prayer. Read the written prayer as if it is from your heart. Don't recite them as words from a page, but a plea from your soul. 5. Keep praying. Prayer prompts are there to help you continue praying about other specific areas. Listen to the Holy Spirit and see if there is more you need to pray. 6. Journal your thoughts. In the space provided, write down some thoughts that you feel God said to your during this time. Every five sections I've included a "Prayer Thoughts" page to give you more room to journal your thoughts and write down prayer requests as you go through the Bible. Get ready to spend some quality time with God. Get ready for God to speak to you through His Word.