The One Thing God Wants From You in PrayerSýnishorn

DAY 2: King Solomon’s Humble Prayer of Dedication 

Second Chronicles 6 is pretty much one long prayer.

The chronicler sets the stage, describing how after the temple was complete, Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord, and in the presence of all Israel he prayed a prayer of dedication (6:12). 

The chronicler first describes a humble king (Solomon) getting ready to dedicate the temple as he knelt on his knees and spread out his hands toward heaven in full view of all Israel (6:12-13). This powerful king, from his knees, declared that there is no God like Him, in heaven or on earth (6:14). That God preserved, by His sovereignty, the throne of his father (David), and was fulfilling the promises made to David through Solomon (6:15-16).

Solomon then told God, in view of all the people, that as a mere man, he was insecure at the thought of building a Temple which would house God (6:18). Yet, Solomon asked God to graciously live in what man had made, and to hear their prayers, and to keep His eyes upon them.

The kind of humble heart that produced these words, should not surprise us because God told us about the kind of heart Solomon had in the very first chapter (1:11).

Solomon’s prayer continues like this:

If a man sins and confesses his sins, then hear from heaven and forgive (6:22-23).

If your people sin and confess their sin, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people (6:24-25).

When there is a drought in the land caused by sin, and if the people pray and confess their sin, then hear from heaven and bring forth rain (6:26-27).

If there is a famine, if there is pestilence, if enemies surround you, if plagues, if sickness, then pray, confess your sin, then he will heal (6:28-31).

Solomon prays, “Whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own sorrow and stretching out his hands toward this house, then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart you know…” (6:29-30).

The only qualifier is that the person praying must be of a humble heart. And God will be the judge of your heart. God alone knows the hearts of the children of mankind.