We know that prayer is the Christians vital breath of life. How is your prayer life? How long has it been since you really dwelt in the presence of God? It can be convicting to come to the realization we have drifted, and our prayer life is not what it once was. What can we do about it? The answer is not complicated. We start praying right now.
Think about how Jesus prayed. Remember how he rose up early while it was still dark to get away to a solitary place and pray. Before Jesus chose his disciples, he spent the whole night in prayer.
The night he was betrayed Jesus was on his face before God. It was an intense time of prayer. Twice he told his disciples to watch and pray and they fell asleep. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is often the verse we go to when we are seeking to stir more prayer and revival.
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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
This verse is often quoted in connection with various prayer campaigns, like National Day of Prayer and other times when we are called to seasons of prayer. We are familiar with this verse, but now let’s look at the background of this verse.
The context is the triumphant moment for Israel. These words are said at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple. It is considered the costliest and most magnificent structure ever built. There is a great national gathering at the event. There is the sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats.
In the previous chapter Solomon knelt as King of Israel before the whole assembly and prayed. His prayer is recorded in 2 Chronicles 6:14-42. When Solomon finished praying fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice on the alter. God’s glory filled the temple.
When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 2 The priests could not enter the temple of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled it. 3 When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying,
“He is good; his love endures forever.” (2 Chronicles 7:1-3)
This is how I have applied Solomon’s words into a poem:
He is good, He is good,
His love endures forever, He is good.
Then the Temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud,
And the glory of the Lord filled that place.
He is good, He is good,
His love endures forever, He is good.
Then the Temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud,
Let the glory of the Lord fill this place.
He is good, He is good,
His love endures forever, He is good.
Then the Temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud,
Let the glory of the Lord fill my life.
When the people saw this, they all knelt with their faces to the ground, celebrated with praise. The instruments played and they went out with joy.
So the context of our passage is God appearing to Solomon in response to His prayer.
When Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, 12 the Lord appeared to him at night and said: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. (2 Chronicles 7:11)
We see the responsibility of God’s people. The Lord said, “if my people, who are called by my name.” The focus here is not on the actions of those who do not worship God. The focus is on the action of God’s people. Why would God, at the historical highpoint of His people, put his finger on the point they may go wrong? The clue is in this verse.
“When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to a land far away or near “ (2 Chronicles 6:36)
Solomon says, it is inevitable that God’s people will sin, but when they turn back to God He will restore them. Part of being God’s people means being submissive to God. We must continually humble ourselves. We must realize that our own existence is totally dependent on God.
The dedication of the temple, as magnificent as it was, looks forward to something more glorious. It is a prefigure of the church, God’s people called out. All those in Christ are now God’s people as Israel was at the time of the dedication of the temple.
Of course, those who are not God’s people are not living by God’s way, but his people should be. There is a blessing to being God’s people, but there is a responsibility too. God has called us followers of Christ, as his people to live in obedience to his Word.
The immediate verse of our text speaks of troubles that come because God’s people have been disobedient. Troubles have come and will come through Israel’s disobedience. “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, (2 Chronicles 7:13)
We are to be seeking God in prayer. His people ……will humble themselves and pray and seek my face. Prayer is the clear call for God’s people throughout the whole Bible. As believers we are to continue in prayer. We are to pray without ceasing. We are to watch and pray.
Just what does God expect from us in prayer? God expects much more than a mindless habitual prayer. God has promised to answer what we pray for. We are to humble ourselves and we are to repent. God does not listen to the prayers that come from a prideful heart, but from us when we pray with a humble heart.
God expects us to come to him in repentance. We are to turn from our wicked ways. Solomon said it, for there is no one who does not sin. We will all need repentance.
and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong and acted wickedly’; 38 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, and pray toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name; (2 Chronicles 6:37-38)
We are to acknowledge our wrongs. We are to turn back to God with all our heart and soul. A real soul-searching prayer speaks of true repentance. We need to pray. Every relationship is built on communication and prayer is our communication with God.
Moses stayed in the presence of God for forty days and forty nights. Jesus had extended solitary times with his heavenly Father. God wants you to dwell in his presence. We must get beyond the hurried prayer and then off to our own agenda.
Prayer is the heart of worship. You are in intimate contact with the creator of the universe when you pray. In our discipleship group we had a challenge to spend 4 hours praying with God. I went through that discipleship class that called for this extended prayer with different groups 6 times. No one ever came away from extended prayer without being amazed at what a blessing extended time with God really means.
Solomon’s prayer in chapter 6 he prays kneeling. In other passages there is prayer standing and also there is prayer sitting. We can pray in any posture. We can pray in any language. When you really pray guess what happens? God answers the prayer. I have kept a spiritual notebook for 40 years. It is exciting to pull out a box and look through old prayer requests and realize God answered those prayers.
The result of our prayer is revival…. then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. When believers really pray, the results are that God hears. The great revival movements point back to a time of prayer.
Solomon has been talking about sin so severe that it brought the judgement of drought, war and even captivity. But God says because of prayer I will forgive. I will restore.
In Daniel chapter 9 Daniel in sackcloth and ashes is praying when the captivity is a reality. He says, Oh Lord, hear. Oh Lord, forgive. While he is praying the angel Gabriel comes and tells him his prayer is heard.
God will hear. God will forgive. God will restore. Humble yourself and pray. Turn from your sinful ways. Change your heart. Solomon is right, there is no one who does not sin. God will hear and God will forgive.
Believer in Christ turn your heart to God.
