Public Prayer Sanctioned
And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord, in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven. [Then follows the prayer.] And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all his prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees, with his hands spread up to heaven.... And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication that thou hast made before me. (1 Kings 8: 22, 54, and 9: 3.)