1 Kings 8:22-30
"22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, 23 and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart; 24 you have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. 25 Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’ 26 Now therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David my father.
27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!28 Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, 29 that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. 30 And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive."
These verses constitute the opening of what must be one of the greatest prayers recorded in the whole Bible. Biblical prayers are usually quite short and very much to the point, but here Solomon is caught up by the inspiration of the Spirit, and utterance of an unusual kind is given him. There can be little doubt that the manifestation of the glory of the Lord was the in- spiration for his reverent worship and supplication. We are reminded of how, when the risen Christ appeared to His disciples, it is written, 'Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord', (John 20:20), and it was surely an experience of this nature that opened Solomon's lips and heart to pray as he did. In the opening expressions of worship, it is the mystery that the great creator God, maker of the ends of the earth, should humble Himself to dwell in a house made with hands that grips Solomon's heart (27), and we may well in our prayers join with him in reverent awe and wonder that such a God as He is should deign to indwell our sinful hearts and make of them temples fit for His use. Is our prayer-life touched with the sense of His majesty and humility, or has familiarity with holy things blunted our spiritual senses and made us take these things for granted?