“Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness.” —Martin Luther
Apart from the prayer of rededication in Nehemiah 9, this prayer of dedication by Solomon is the longest recorded prayer in the Bible. We see immediately that engaging with the Lord in true prayer is, at the same time, both elevating and humbling. This is symbolized by the following: “Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord…Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven” (2 Chron 6:12-13). Bronze is the metal for examination and judgment. The platform, as designed, shared dimensions with the bronze altar used at the tabernacle. Exalted by this in front of all the people, he then humbled himself by kneeling in prayer (the first time in the Bible we read of someone praying in this attitude). His opening thought was to declare that God is a Keeper. First, “there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy” (v 14). Second, “You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand” (v 15). And third, “now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, ‘You shall 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’” (v 16). Oh the blessed three tenses of God’s keeping! You do keep, You have kept, You will keep. Keep what? Your covenant, Your mercy, and Your promises—but especially Your people. You’re the God of the open mouth and hand, open eyes and ears (see also vv 19-40). Thank You for hearing Gentiles like us, too (vv 32-33)!