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Day 112 2 Chronicles 6:12 And he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands: 13 For Solomon had made a brazen scaffold, of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven, 14 And said, “O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keeps covenant, and shows mercy unto thy servants, who walk before thee with all their hearts: 15 “Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spoke with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. 16 “Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, ‘There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.’ 17 “Now then, O LORD God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David. 18 “But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built! 19 “Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prays before thee: 20 “That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou would put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prays toward this place. 21 Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hear, forgive. When you pray, do you give thought to your prayers? Do you respect God for who He is or are you only interested in what you need? Solomon didn’t take God for granted when he dedicated the temple to God. He acknowledged who God is and that there is no one like Him in heaven or in earth. Solomon acknowledged God’s mercy toward His people and the covenant He made with them. He then reminded God of His promises to His people. Only after Solomon acknowledged God, then he asked God to consider His people and forgive them when they remembered their sin and prayed to Him. Most Christians want to dive into the heart of their prayer. They bypass the order of prayer. Jesus gave you an example of how to pray. Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (KJV) Acknowledge God’s sovereignty first and then pray for your needs. Don’t start with your needs forgetting who God is. Solomon acknowledged God. He reminded God of His promises. Matthew 6:5 And when thou pray, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou pray, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which sees in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knows what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. God knows your needs. Solomon acknowledged God. He reminded Him of His promises to His people, and then Solomon prayed for the needs of the people and asked God to forgive them when they remembered Him. When you remember who God is, acknowledging His sovereignty in your life, He will hear you. He will be attentive to your prayers and act on your behalf. Let’s pray: Father, You alone are God. You created me to give You praise in everything You do in my life. Help me to give You praise in everything. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 2 October 2021 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay.