Solomon prayed at the dedication of the Temple. At the conclusion of his prayer, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house. The priests couldn’t enter into the Temple, due to the glory of the Lord. The children of Israel bowed down in reverence and worship at the sight of the fire and the glory.
The Lord appeared unto Solomon by night, and spoke unto him. The Lord said, “If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chr. 7:13-14).
Let’s walk through this promise through prayer. While there are those who’d like to accuse New Testament Christians of taking this scripture out of context, the principles found in this text are timeless and true, no matter which testament they maybe found in.
“If my people.” Only two letters are used for this large word “if.” The condition of God’s promise was based on a conjunction. If Israel prayed, then God would answer. But if they refused to pray then the plagues and pestilence persisted. Prayer shouldn’t be a matter of ‘if’ but a matter of ‘when.’
“Called by my name.” Israel was God’s possession. They were His people, and they were called by His name. As an example a newborn child takes on the last name of its parents and the name proves possession. New Testament believers, who have been born again of water and Spirit (Jn. 3:1-21) through baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ and have received the Holy Spirit have become Christ’s possession (Acts 2:38; Rom. 8:9).
“Humble themselves.” The apostle Peter wrote, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Pt. 5:6). We are to humble ourselves, or risk being humbled of the Lord.
“Pray and seek my face.” Someone has said we are to seek God’s face, not just His hand. In other words, it’s important to love God more than His gifts. The writer of Hebrews said, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6). If you will seek Him, you will find Him!
“Turn from their wicked ways.” Repentance is to turn from our wicked ways. This is more than just asking forgiveness, it’s turning away from sin and doing an about face to God. Jesus, John the Baptist and the Apostles all called for people to repent and put their trust in Christ (Matt. 3:8; Mk. 1:15; Acts 2:38).
“Then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”God is willing to hear our prayers, forgive our sins, and to heal our land. All of this depends, however, on people praying, humbling themselves, seeking God, and turning from their sins. What promises to obtain! Why wouldn’t we pray?