I Kings 7-9

“Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive ... hear from heaven and act” (8:30). At the temple, Solomon’s prayer of dedication called on God to be actively, faithfully, mercifully involved with his people. Solomon knew that the Israelites would fail to follow God’s ways perfectly, so he asked God to “hear” his people when they repented. Wisely, Solomon asked for heart-transformation: “May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him ...” (8:58).

Like Solomon prayed, our biggest need is for the Lord to walk closely with us. “May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us” (8:57).