1 Kings 8:52
That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee. That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee.
The verse is Solomon's plea at the dedication of the temple that God's eyes be open to the supplication of himself as servant and of Israel, to listen to and hear all they call for unto Him. It belongs to his remarkable prayer offered on that occasion, in which he expressed his own sense of need for divine power. That prayer declares that Israel's dependence was in the God of Israel.
It was offered over a large and grand house built by many people, and the Lord God of heaven honored the builders because they had built Him a sanctuary where they could meet to worship Him, so that those who worshiped Him there sincerely had His blessing. The temple was the place toward which the petitions were directed, while God hears them from His dwelling place in heaven. He is not confined to the temple, but meets His people by His Spirit when they gather there, visits and encourages them wherever they are, and may be worshiped in every place.
The request covers hardship, repentance, scattering, and captivity, so that even when scattered or held captive the faithful still have an open way to approach God through prayer and supplication. When they turn to Him He hears, forgives, helps, and acts for them. At the dedication Solomon also prayed that the people would give their hearts wholly to the Lord.
Although the prayer followed notable manifestations of divine power, that divine light did not keep him from later forsaking the temple to worship idols. The man entrusted with the temple turned from God and built places of worship for idols, in sharp contrast to his earlier prayer for God to hear Israel.