Then Hear from Heaven

The wisest man on earth, King Solomon, understood human nature, our tendency to be inflated with pride during prosperity, and our propensity to sin. Upon completion of his own dwelling and more importantly, the Lord’s awesome temple, an undertaking assigned by God especially for him and not his father, King David, King Solomon approached all the assembly of Israel and in a massive dedication ceremony he acknowledged the greatness, sovereignty, and mercy of God. From the bronze platform King Solomon proceeds to offer supplications to the Lord and targeted requests in a series of ‘If/When’ statements hoping that the Lord’s gaze would continually be upon His people and that when the nation prayed at the temple, the Lord would hear their prayer in heaven and forgive.

If we sin in this manner... then hear from heaven and act and judge. 2 Chronicles 6:22

If Israel is defeated because they have sinned against You, but then return and confess, and pray and make supplication before You in this temple, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive their sin. 2 Chronicles 6:24-25

When there is a drought because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, 27 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants. 2 Chronicles 6:26-27

When there is famine, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers  in the land, then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men), 2 Chronicles 6:28-30

When Your people go out to battle against enemies and they pray to You toward this temple, then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, 2 Chronicles 6:34-35

“When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them…when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You…then hear from heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.” 2 Chronicles 6:36-39

King Solomon's prayer is a foreshadowing of Israel’s future and in the presence of all the people and God, he gave them the template of worship: humble oneself, pray, confess, repent and wait. Then the Lord, affirming his prayer from 2 Chronicles 6,  speaks to Solomon and says in 2 Chronicles 7:12, 14, “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 14 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.”

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we have sinned against You in word, thought, and deed. Please forgive us. You said we can come boldly to the throne of grace and obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.(Hebrews 4:16 ) We pray, Jesus, that  we who know Christ as Savior, if there is any unconfessed sin that we would humble ourselves and  “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” {Isaiah 55:6-7) Yes Lord, please hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land.
By Sis. Paula Smith