Day 104

Heartfelt Prayer

Read: 1 Kings 8

Having completed the temple, Solomon installed the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies and gathered the people for a service of dedication, the central feature of which was a beautiful prayer. Both in the prayer and in his remarks, Solomon dwells on the fact that God keeps his promises. The Bible is full of promises that God has made to us, and he is a covenant-keeping God. Solomon is aware of the fact that many of the promises are conditional, that is, their fulfillment depends on our obedience. When God does not seem to be keeping one of his promises, the first thing to do is to examine our lives to see if we are meeting the conditions God has set forth.

Solomon is aware that God is omnipresent, and therefore cannot be contained in a building. The main thrust of his prayer is a plea that God will answer the prayers of those who pray toward the temple. It represents God’s presence among his people. Solomon sets forth a number of cases: if Israel is defeated but repents and prays, or if there is no rain because of sin but they repent and pray, and the like, then may God hear that prayer and deliver his people from the problems which they have brought upon themselves. We, too, must pray from the heart with a repentant spirit.

PRAYER
Father, we thank you for the promises of Scripture that you will hear our prayers. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.