Praying to the Temple

READ 2 Chronicles 5-6

In Solomon’s prayer of dedication for the temple he expresses a recurring theme in his requests to the Lord. He lists many different circumstances that might arise in the lives of the people that would cause them to pray “toward this house” (6:20, 29, 32) or “toward this place” (20, 21, 26) and asks God to listen to their pleas and hear from heaven and forgive (21, 25, 27, 30, 29). In other words, the temple is the place to go to commune with God in prayer and know that they will be heard.

Again, we have a beautiful picture in the OT of the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Fast forward to his post-resurrection life and ministry as the writer of Hebrews tells us we have a great High Priest who is the pathway for us in prayer into the very presence of God. Jesus himself said that we ask anything of the Father “in his name” we will have it (John 15:16, 23, 24). So now, it seems, that praying in the name of Jesus, i.e., according to who he is and his will, is the New Covenant way of assurance of the Father hearing our prayers. We do not pray through an earthly temple but through our risen Savior who is our heavenly temple.

Prayer: In the name of Jesus and on the basis of his redeeming work on the cross I ask that you would help me and my brothers to be men of prayer. Help us to know that when we come in our Lord’s name to you that you hear and answer. So help us to pray as he would pray were he in our place and with our needs. Help us to pray according to your will.