2 Chronicles 6

Chapter is a long consecrating prayer for Solomon's new temple. Anyone have to sit through a long prayer? Often invocations can be long. Sometimes I get restless. Well, in fact usually I do. Yet there are times for long prayers. After my first reaction I try to be patient and listen. Prayer for healing often seems like it should be long. The consecration prayer in the Episcopal church every Sunday for communion is pretty long. I may not really pay attention to any of, often just one thing. Yet it seems appropriate to have a long consecration for such a serious thing.

People often think they must take a long time when they lay hands on someone and pray for healing. Often a prayer like that includes elements of encouragement and teaching for the person being prayed for. Solomon's prayer of consecration includes elements of that. The prayer is directed at the listener as well as to God.

Yet prayers for healing or for important needs do not have to be long. Who was it, James? who said, "The prayer of the righteous man is powerful." How well you walk before God in obedience to his commandments has a lot more to do with whether your prayer gets answered than how long it is. I know God has shown me that some of my prayers got answered not because of how good I am but because of how good the person I pray for is. Or even it could be how good someone agreeing with me in prayer is. And God answers prayer sometimes simply because he is compassionate and he wants to.

Well anyway the consecration prayer of Solomon is pretty long. The consecration of such a spectacular building, devoted to God certainly deserves to be long. And Solomon does a great job. He thanks God. He tells of God's character, his might and his faithfulness to Israel. Then he asks God to dwell in his temple and pay attention to his people. Then, taking the role of prophet he foretells (pretty much) that the people will fall away. He asks God to forgive them when they have suffered because of their iniquity and make an effort to repent. Solomon tells God and he tells the people that when they have worshiped other Gods and done evil if they humble themselves and repent, resolve to do better God will forgive them. Jesus, remembering God the Father, tells the disciples to forgive 70 time 7 if someone sins against you and comes back and asks forgiveness. That is God's way. It is what Solomon, in wisdom, ask God to do, because it is already God's way.

We too may suffer for our sins, for our wrongdoing. If we use that as an opportunity to repent, ask God for forgiveness, we will be restored to fellowship with Him. It is God's promise in John's epistles, in Paul's epistles, here in Solomon's prayer.

God gave a tangible answer to Solomon's prayer by sending down fire and consuming the sacrifice (7:1).

I think I will leave God's response, chapter 7, until tomorrow.