It is surprising that in this great moment when Solomon is dedicating the Temple, he acknowledges that the people will sometimes fail. They need a Temple because sin is real, and that is where God has said sins are to be covered by sacrifices. Ezra records this prayer because it is exactly what the people have experienced. They have turned away from God and suffered the consequences. Ezra wants them to realize that their first priority must be to return to God.
The same is true for us today. We sometimes fall away from God. 1 John 1:8 says, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.” For the Christian, if we don’t acknowledge the reality of sin in our lives, we set ourselves up for further failure.