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Solomon’s Exhortation To Pray - 2Chron 6
Solomon’s Exhortation To Pray - 2Chron 6
When the temple of Solomon was finished, the people were gathered in front of it and Solomon prayed (read again 2Chron 6). It was a prayer about prayer! Note the various circumstances that are mentioned by Solomon:
· Vs. 22: If a man sins against his neighbor…
· Vs. 24: If Israel is defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against the LORD…
· Vs. 26: When God withholds the rain because of the people’s sin…
· Vs. 28: Whenever there is famine, pestilence, blight, mildew, locusts, enemy attack… WHATEVER plague or whatever sickness…
· Vs. 32: Even concerning the foreigner who comes “for the Lord’s great name’s sake”…
· Vs. 34: When Israel would go out to battle…
· Vs. 36: When they were sent into captivity because of their sin against the LORD
People indeed are prone to pray whenever such problems and calamities crash into their lives, and so they should! Yet along with the prayer, Solomon repeatedly also talked about repenting and returning unto the LORD: “return and confess Your name” (24), ‘turn from their sin (26), repent (37), return with all their heart and with all their soul (38).
We, as the people of God, are given similar exhortation concerning prayer except it no longer is tied to the physical temple or the city of Jerusalem. We can and are encouraged to pray wherever we are.
· James 5:13 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.
· 1 Peter 5:6-7 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
· Philippians 4:6 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
· 1 Thessalonians 5:17 17 pray without ceasing.
We too are also exhorted to repent (Acts 17:30; Rev. 2:5, 16, 21-22; Acts 8:22). Let us learn to be a praying people!
Hugh DeLong
