2 Chronicles 7:12-14 – “Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: ‘I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.’”
The bulk of today’s Old Testament reading is a prayer from Solomon to God in regard to the dedication of the temple and prayer that would be offered in the future toward the temple. His prayer has three components to it: 1) “There is none like You;” 2) “Let Your word come to pass;” 3) “Hear our prayers.” The third section is by far the longest and contains several themes that run through it. The first and most prominent is Solomon’s request, “Hear from heaven.” This phrase is repeated eight times (6:21,23,25,27,30,33,35,39). There are different purposes for prayer but one of the objectives is for God to hear from heaven and answer the petition offered. The second theme is that of forgiveness. Solomon prophetically presupposes in several instances that Israel’s plight and the difficulty they encounter will be because they have sinned. Solomon’s request is that when the people pray toward the temple and repent of their sin, that God would forgive their sin and restore them.
When Solomon finishes praying there is a supernatural demonstration. 2 Chronicles 7:1 – “When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.” Prayer, fire, and glory go together. This holy trinity is what’s needed amongst us today.
God’s response to Solomon’s prayer centers upon the two themes mentioned above. God says He will hear from heaven and He will forgive their sin when humility, prayer, and repentance are offered by His people (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Today’s reading highlights the incredible power of prayer. God responds to prayer and changes circumstances in the earth. Why we don’t do it more often beats me. I know the enemy of our soul and of the kingdom will help keep us busy doing everything else but prayer.