The One Thing God Wants From You in PrayerSample

DAY 3: God Responds to King Solomon’s Prayer

Immediately after Solomon’s prayer to dedicate the temple is finished, the chronicler records that fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offerings and sacrifices. The glory of the Lord filled the temple, which led the people to bow down and worship, saying, “He is good, for his steadfast love endures forever” (2 Chronicles 7:3).

Solomon and the people of Israel dedicated the Temple and celebrated for seven days.

Still God has not responded to Solomon’s prayer. That is, until the chronicler records that during the night the Lord appeared to Solomon.

Side note: For whatever reason, God seems to respond to Solomon during the night.

God did the same thing in chapter 1.

Another side note: It took weeks for God to respond to Solomon’s long prayer in chapter 6.

Humble hearts wait weeks for God to respond.

On this night though, the Lord assured Solomon that He has chosen this temple as His house of sacrifice. God also addressed some of Solomon’s prayer, acknowledging not if, but when due to sin, He shuts up the heavens so that there is no rain, or commands the locust to devour the land, or sends pestilence among my people, “If my people who are called by my name 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” (7:14).

The Hebrew word here for humble is kana. In order to understand this Hebrew word, it might be helpful if we reread the sentence and insert some of the other cognates for kana. For example,

“If my people who are called by my name bend a knee…”

“If my people who are called by my name bring themselves down…”

“If my people who are called by my name subdue themselves…”

“If my people who are called by my name bring themselves low…”

“If my people who are called by my name bring themselves under…”

God promises, “Then I will hear from heaven…”

As a long as a person, or a group of people, or a nation, is self-sufficient and arrogant with pride, then God will do nothing for them.