In 1 Kings 8:22-53, Solomon stands up before the people of Israel and dedicates the newly built temple to the LORD. Solomon’s prayer was spoken long ago, right after building a physical temple for God; but, today, we are building a spiritual temple for God. The church is described as a “spiritual house” in 1 Peter 2:4-8 (NASB95). We are collectively built into “a holy temple… into a dwelling of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22, NASB95). And we are individually described as the temple of God: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19, NASB95), and “…what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people”” (2 Corinthians 6:16, NASB95). So, what might Solomon’s temple dedication prayer look like, if it were spoken by us?
Solomon begins his prayer by praising God for His covenant faithfulness (verses 22-24. Included in that is a recounting of an example of God’s faithfulness to His covenant to David (verse 24). Then Solomon prays for God to continue to follow through on His promises, even quoting God’s promise to David, and praying, “…let Your word, I pray, be confirmed…” (verses 25-26, NASB95). - We can also begin our prayers by praising God for His covenant faithfulness, maybe even using the exact words of verse 23. We, too, can recount the ways that God has kept His promises in the past (both in scripture and in our own lives), and we can request for God to continue to confirm His words. In fact, praying the words of scripture and asking God to fulfill His words is a wonderful prayer that we can make.
In verse 27, Solomon recognizes that the temple that he had made (and was currently dedicating to God) was insufficient. “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!” (NASB95). Nevertheless, Solomon humbly requests for God to hear his own prayer and the prayers of all who would come to that temple to cry out to God, to hear and forgive (verses 28-30). - The temples that we are making, today, for the LORD are also insufficient, and we fall short of His glory. Let us humbly recognize God’s greatness and our shortcomings, then plead for Him to hear our prayers, to hear and forgive.
Then, in verses 31-53, Solomon elaborates on that request for God to hear their prayers, by going through a series of specific situations when people may come to the temple to pray to the LORD, and asking for God to hear their prayers in each situation. - Do our prayers reflect the supplications of Solomon?
When someone sins against his neighbor: Solomon prayed for God to hear and judge, condemning the wicked and justifying the righteous (verses 31-32). - When someone oppresses another, do we pray for God to judge righteously between the wicked and the righteous?
When Israel is defeated by an enemy, due to their sin: Solomon prays for God to hear their confession and forgive and bring them back (verses 33-34). - When we fall to our enemy (the devil) and sin against God, do we pray for God to hear our confession of sin and to forgive us and bring us back to Him?
When God withholds the rain, because of their sin: Solomon prays for God to hear the confession, when they repent, and then to forgive them and teach them His good ways in which they should walk (verses 35-36). - When things are going poorly for us, perhaps due to our sin, do we pray for God to hear our confession of sin (when we have repented) and to forgive us and teach us the way that He would have us to walk?
Whenever there is any kind of disaster to their land (famine, pestilence, blight, mildew, locust, grasshopper, besieging, plague, sickness): Solomon prays that God will hear the prayer of any individual or the collective (“each knowing the affliction of his own heart” - vs. 38, NASB95), and that God would forgive and act according to the hearts of each person, that they may learn to fear Him (verses 37-40). - When we suffer today (collectively or individually afflicted in our hearts), do we pray (individual and/ or collectively) for God to hear and forgive and render appropriate judgement to us, teaching us to have reverence for Him?
Whenever any foreigner comes to the temple to pray, because they had heard about the greatness of the LORD: Solomon prays for God to hear the prayers of the foreigners, so that all people may know His Name and His temple (verses 41-43). - When people who are not part of our congregation come to pray with us, because they have heard about the greatness of Jesus, do we pray for God to hear their prayers, so that all people may know God and His church?
When the Israelites go out to war, according to God’s instructions: Solomon prays that God will hear their prayers and to maintain their cause (verses 44-45). - When we go out to spread the gospel, according to God’s instructions, do we pray for God to hear our prayers and to maintain our cause?
And when the Israelites eventually sinned against God so much that His anger was poured out on them and He sent them into captivity: Solomon prays for God to hear their prayer (when they confess their sins and repent by fully turning back to seek Him) and forgive them and bring them back from captivity, for His Name’s sake and according to His promises (verses 46-53). - When Christians (perhaps even ourselves) fall away and are taken back into the captivity of sin, do we pray that God will hear their/our prayers (when they/we confess, repent, and fully return to seek the Lord) and forgive and bring them/us back out of the captivity of sin, for God’s sake and according to His promises?
In 1 Kings 9:1-9, the LORD responded to Solomon’s prayer, saying that He had heard Solomon’s prayer, and that He had consecrated that temple. If they were to follow Him with all of their heart, then God promised to hear them, heal them, and establish them. However, if they turned away from following the LORD, then God promised to cast them out of His sight. - The LORD also hears our prayers, and He has consecrated His temple with the blood of Jesus. If we follow Him with all of our heart, then He will hear, heal, and establish us. But, if we defile His temple by turning away from following Him, then He will cast us out of His sight.