When Solomon had finished building God’s temple

 

 

 and gathered all the people together at the temple, he said to them,

 

The Lord has said that He would live in a dark cloud; I have build a magnificent temple for You, a place for You to live forever.

 

 

How good and great is the Lord our God who has done what He said to my father, David.

 

 

O Lord, the God of Israel. There is no God like you anywhere in heaven or in earth who keeps what He says

 

 

 

 

and His love for His people for always.

And now, Lord God, keep what you said to my father David, that one of His children would always sit on the throne ruling over Israel.

But can God really live on earth with men? He is so big that He fills heaven and the heavens above the heavens.

But hear our prayers. Let your eyes always be watching this temple, day and night where you said you would let your name live.

 

 

And hear the prayers that I ask or that anyone asks who comes to this temple to You who turns toward You here.

 

Hear our cries toward this place and forgive and show who is right and make it right for everyone.

 

 

 

When an enemy wins over your people in battle

 

 

 

 

because they have turned away from You,

 

 

and they turn back to You and say that You are the only true God, and pray toward this place asking you for help,

Then hear in heaven and forgive their sin and bring them back to this good land you gave them and their fathers.

When the sky is shut up and there is no rain to make the food grow from the ground because Your people have sinned and turned away from You and You have let trouble come to them so they would turn back to You,

Then hear from heaven and forgive the badness they did and teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land that You gave Your people to be only theirs.

When there isn’t enough food for the people, or the grasshoppers or disease eats it up first, or enemies surround our cities, or sickness or anything bad that comes to us, when we pray spreading our hands toward heaven, Your dwelling place,

 

 

 

 

 

Forgive and do to each man according to what he does,

 

 

Because only You know what is inside the heart of every person

 

Because of this goodness, Your people will honor You, and be afraid to go against You, and will always do what You say is right,

 

 

 

So they can stay a long time on this good land that You have given us.

And when people from other countries who are not your people come from far countries because they hear how great You are, and how strong You are,

 

 

When they come here and ask You, or turn to this place where they are, do whatever they ask,

 

 

So that all the people of the world will know how good You are and how great You are and be Yours so they can have good and happy lives.

 

When Your people go to war against their enemies, wherever You send them

 

 

 

When they turn toward this city You chose for Yourself and pray to You, hear in heaven and hold them up and help them win the battle.

When they sin against You, because there is not a person who doesn’t sin sometimes, and You let them be taken away from their home to another country that is close or far away,

If their heart changes and they turn back to You from the sin they did and pray toward this place to tell You they were wrong and ask with all their heart for You to forgive them,

Then hear from heaven and forgive them and help them and hold them up.

 

 

Let Your eyes always be on this place and Your ears always be listening toward this place.

Come to Your resting place, O Lord. Let the ones who serve You here always be covered with Your shield from the bad ones and let Your people always be happy in Your goodness.

 

Do not turn away from me, the one you made king. Remember the great love You promised David.

 

 

 

 

When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven

 

 

 

and God’s glory filled His temple…He moved into His house.

 

 

 

All the people bowed down to the ground

 

 

 

and said happy prayers in their hearts to the Lord God.

 

 

 

And they thanked Him saying, You are good and Your special love lasts forever.

 

 

The people stayed and sang songs and had a big feast that lasted all week.

When the people went back to their houses their hearts were full of happiness for all the good things God did for them and David and Solomon.