1Ki 8:22-53. Dan Kroon. Jesus says the temple was meant to be "a house of prayer for all nations" (Mk 11:17; Is 56:7). So, when Solomon dedicates the temple, it's fitting that he prays about prayer. His prayer is one of intercession for all the people – a pastoral prayer – asking that God will hear his people when they face the temple and pray. Their prayers would be cries for deliverance and requests for forgiveness, asking that God would remain true to his mercy and his promises. Our prayers will be both. We don't pray through the temple anymore, but through the name of Jesus and by the Holy Spirit. Which means we can pray prayers of intercession, of petition, of deliverance, of forgiveness – of anything at all – because we have free access to our Father. And we can pray these prayers, not just for ourselves, but for each other and for the whole world – all for the glory of God.
