'if they pray' [I Kings 8:35]
'if they pray'. In his great intercessory prayer at the dedication of the temple, Solomon makes prayer the life-line of salvation for the many distressing conditions that may befall the Children of Israel. These verses contain an unusually long procession of 'ifs' relating to what might happen. Here are some of them: If - - any man trespass against his neighbour - there be famine, pestilence, blasting, mildew or locust - the enemy besiege them in their cities - they sin against God and He is angry with them - they go out to battle. And these are but a few of the possible eventualities. When anything happens, expected or unexpected, deserved or unrelated, prayer gains access to a caring God.