“God will revive us through prayer,” said a person I trust. She has coordinated prayer meetings in our area for a middle schooler named Zoe. As my friend has prayed, Zoe’s condition has improved. How do you dedicate a building dedicated to God? No scissors. No ribbon. Solomon prayed, asking God to hear the prayers of the Israelites and the foreigners who prayed in that place. The temple was to be a house of prayer for all nations.
God answered Solomon’s prayer. Audibly. The words Solomon heard eventually became a song in my youth. People put them on coffee cups and plaques to this day. Often, I see these words with an American flag behind them. As we did this year at Tallowood, we often sing them on weekends like July 4.
Who are God’s people today? To be clear: God’s people in the Old Testament comprised Israel. This passage is about ancient Israel. God’s people in the New Testament comprise the church. We are called by the name of Christ when we refer to ourselves as Christians. What is God asking his people to do? Notice the verbs: humble, pray, seek, turn. God resists the proud. Humbly we pray, seeking God’s face. As soon as we see our holy God, we know we need to turn from our sins.
Notice God’s promises when his people pray in this way. God will hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal the land. God hears our prayers. One older man who prayed at the wailing wall in Israel was asked what it felt like. “Like I am talking to a wall,” he answered. God is not in a place. He is the Lord of all the earth. But he hears us when we pray, forgiving us as we confess and repent. Karl Barth wrote, “Every day we ought to begin; we may begin with the confession: I believe in the forgiveness of sins.” Even if we don’t believe in forgiveness, God does.
What if these words were not only on plaques and coffee cups but inscribed on our hearts? There is still hope for God’s people and the world if we will pray.
