Day 7 – Prayer

2 Chronicles 6:1 Then Solomon said, “JEHOVAH said He would dwell in the dark cloud. 2 I have surely built You an exalted house, and a place for You to dwell in forever.”

 3 Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while the assembly of Israel stood. 4 He said, “Blessed be JEHOVAH Elohiym of Israel, who fulfilled with His hands what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, saying, 5 ‘Since the day I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city from the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man to be a ruler over My people Israel. 6 Yet I chose Jerusalem, that My name may be there; and I chose David to be over My people Israel.’

 7 “Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple for the name of JEHOVAH Elohiym of Israel. 8 However, JEHOVAH said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well in that it was in your heart. 9 Nevertheless, you will not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he will build the temple for My name.’ 10 Thus, JEHOVAH fulfilled His word which He spoke, and I filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as JEHOVAH promised; and I built the temple for the name of JEHOVAH Elohiym of Israel. 11 There I put the ark, in which is the covenant of JEHOVAH which He made with the children of Israel.”

 12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of JEHOVAH in the presence of the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands 13 (for Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long (7.5 feet), five cubits wide, and three cubits high (4.5 feet), and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt down on his knees before the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven); 14 and said, “JEHOVAH Elohiym of Israel, there is no Elohiym in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with their whole hearts. 15 “You kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You both spoke with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. 16 Therefore, JEHOVAH Elohiym of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, ‘You will not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’ 17 Now, O JEHOVAH Elohiym of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David. 18 However, will Elohiym indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! 19 Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O JEHOVAH my Elohiym, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant prays before You; 20 so that Your eyes may be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant prays toward this place. 21 May You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive.

 22 “If anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple, 23 then hear from heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, bringing retribution on the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

 24 “Or if an enemy defeats Your people Israel because they sinned against You, and return and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this temple, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel and bring them back to the land which You gave to them and their fathers.

 26 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain 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, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

 28 “When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; 29 whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by Your people Israel, when each one knows his burden and his grief, and spreads out his hands to this temple; 30 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men), 31 that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.

 32 “Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but who comes from a far country for the sake of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this temple; 33 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to everything for which the foreigner calls to You, that the peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know this temple which I built is called by Your name.

 34 “When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, wherever You send them, and when they pray to You toward this city which You chose and the temple which I built for Your name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication and maintain their cause.

 36 “When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to a land far or near; 37 yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We sinned, we did wrong, and committed wickedness’; 38 and when they return to You with their whole heart and with their whole soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been carried captive, and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You chose, and toward the temple which I built for Your name; 39 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who sinned against You.

 40 “Now, my Elohiym, I pray, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place. 41 Now, therefore, arise, O JEHOVAH Elohiym, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests, O JEHOVAH Elohiym, be clothed with salvation, and let Your saints rejoice in goodness. 42 O JEHOVAH Elohiym, do not turn away the face of Your Anointed; remember the mercies of Your servant David.”

God’s names:

JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal

Elohiym – Supreme God

Yeshuwa – Jesus

God’s character:

Promise Keeper

Covenant Maker

Forgiver

Merciful

Listener

Often when you complete a major project you commemorate the project and give honor to those who helped you complete it.

Solomon commemorated the temple to JEHOVAH and prayed for His mercy and forgiveness when His people prayed for help when they sinned and came before Him with a contrite heart. He acknowledged JEHOVAH’S faithfulness, mercy, and forgiveness. He asked for Elohiym to listen to their prayers when His people prayed toward Jerusalem and the temple he built for His Name.

When you accepted Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord, you became His temple. When you pray, asking for forgiveness for your sin, you pray to Yeshuwa who dwells in your temple. You also know He will hear your prayers and forgive you.

However, many Christians don’t believe Yeshuwa hears them because their prayers go unanswered. They want immediate answers to their prayers and when they don’t receive the answer they give up and tell themselves and those who will listen that Yeshuwa doesn’t hear them or answer their prayers so why pray.

Everyone sins. Everyone falls short of JEHOVAH’S glory. No one is perfect in everything they do or say. JEHOVAH knows what you need before you ask. He also knows the perfect time to answer your prayers.

Don’t give up when you don’t see your prayers answered. Yeshuwa hears you and will answer in His timing.

When Israel went into captivity, they bemoaned their captivity for seventy years when they remembered their sin and prayed and Elohiym brought them back to their homeland.

When you acknowledge your sin, Yeshuwa will hear you. He will forgive you and answer your prayers.

Let’s pray: Father, I know I am a sinner. Forgive me when I sin and pray for Your forgiveness. Give me a contrite heart, ready to acknowledge my sin against You and receive your mercy and forgiveness. Thank you for listening to my prayers. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 25 January 2025 by Valerie Routhieaux