Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

One of my favorite scenes in the New Testament is found in Matthew 21. It is what we have historically referred to as the “cleansing of the Temple.” Jesus walks into the temple in Jerusalem and sees people using that sacred space for selfish gain. In what some have called an act of “righteous anger,” Jesus begins flipping tables over and running people out of the temple. Let’s be honest, that picture of Jesus doesn’t fit well next to the painting of him holding a little lamb. But it is a fantastic depiction of his passion, specifically his passion for prayer. In that scene, Matthew tells us that as he threw the tables and swung his whip, Jesus said, “My house will be a house of prayer.” That is a quote directly from Isaiah, but we see the foundation of that declaration in our reading today.

In 2 Chronicles, we read that King Solomon has just finished building the temple in Jerusalem. This was the first temple ever built for the purpose of God’s worship. It is truly a monumental moment for the people of God. Israel has always been somewhat nomadic, moving from place to place. But with the temple, they are officially settled, and more importantly, so is God’s presence. The temple is the representation of God’s presence among His people. Finally, the people have a specific place to go to find God’s presence directly.

“Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.” 2 Chronicles 7:15

What a promise! What a confidence boost for the people of God! The maker of Heaven and Earth is paying careful attention to all that you ask of Him in this place. Now you may be tempted to read that and think, “Man, I wish I had that kind of promise.” Maybe it feels like your prayers never leave the room, or like your prayers are never heard. I bet you have times when it feels like you can’t capture God’s attention with your prayers. I think we all have those times.

Here is the good news. You do have a place, just like the temple in Jerusalem, where God is paying careful attention. You don’t have to worry about manufacturing the perfect environment for God to see and hear. That place is not the church building by the way. That place is you.

Jesus taught us that after His resurrection the Holy Spirit was sent to live among God’s people. Paul taught us in 1 Corinthians 3 that we are now the temple and that the Spirit lives in us. One of the things the Holy Spirit does in our lives is that He intercedes on our behalf (we will talk more about that tomorrow). God the Spirit is praying our prayers to God the Father. Wow!

If you have ever felt like your prayers didn’t leave the room, I believe that's a good thing. Because the promise of God’s Word is that you don’t have to find the room where God is - God is in the room with you.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflections:

• Do you have a specific rhythm to prayer? Maybe a certain time or place that you feel more connected in prayer? If you don’t have that, consider creating one. You don’t need it so that God can find you. But as people, our minds are wired to use rhythms to create habits.
  
• Spend some time today thanking God for His attentiveness no matter where you are. He sees you, are you looking at Him?

Family Devo: 2 Chronicles 7:11-15

By: Jana Whittington

When partnering with your family to know, love, and follow Jesus, we strive to create and share content filtered by the Head-Heart-Hands model.   

Head: the knowledge of God and His Word | Heart: the personal connection from scripture | Hands: a missional mindset  

Head

According to this scripture, what does God say people should do if they want Him to heal their land? How could you apply this in your own life?

Heart

God is telling Solomon that if the people pray to Him and turn away from wrongdoing, He will listen, forgive, and bless their land. It’s like a promise that God will take care of them if they talk to Him and try to do what’s right. How does this make you view God?

Hands

Praying to God and sharing things with Him is so important. Who comes to your mind that needs to be reminded of this?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray that we humble ourselves and seek You! When challenges come up, help me to share my struggles with You! I love You! In Jesus’ name, amen.