Why do we pray? We have many different reasons to pray. At times we pray to give glory and praise to God and to thank God for the many gifts God has bestowed on us. We also pray to make our needs and petitions known to God. In today’s first reading King Solomon leads the Israelites in prayer before the altar in the newly constructed Jerusalem Temple. He begins his prayer by acknowledging the one true God, a God of mercy. He humbly admits that no Temple or structure can hold God, not even this glorious building he has constructed:
“Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below; you keep your covenant of mercy with your servants who are faithful to you with their whole heart. Can it indeed be that God dwells on earth? If the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain you, how much less this temple which I have built!”
Solomon continues by asking God to hear his prayers and the prayers of all who come to pray in this holy place: “Look kindly on the prayer and petition of your servant, O Lord, my God, and listen to the cry of supplication.”
Solomon gives us a good example of what authentic prayer is or should be. It should acknowledge that God is God as we strive to put our faith and trust in God. We may ask, however, if God knows all why do we need to speak our prayers and petitions to God? The first answer is because God wants to hear from us! Prayer is a dialogue and God wants to hear what is going on in our life, the good and the bad. Prayer is a dialogue in which God listens to us and speaks to us. When Solomon speaks the words “Lord…there is no God like you…you keep your covenant of mercy.” God is telling us that this is who He is, a faithful and merciful God. Liturgical prayer, especially the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass, is a dialogue. We are giving praise to God and God is telling us who he is: “You are indeed Holy and to be glorified, O God, who love the human race and who always walk with us on the journey of life.” (Eucharistic Prayer for Various Needs IV). When we pray, we speak but we also need to listen, to listen to the voice of God.