It occurred to me tonight, that the verse immediately preceding 2:115 is
and it speaks of the situation where enemies of the believers prevent them from praying in their places of worship or even destroy them. A believer might then ask how will he pray to God if he doesn't have a mosque. 2:115 answers that question! In other words, 2:115 states two articles of faith: (a) God is not in any one place and (b) prayer to God can be done anywhere.
Knowing this, the mandate to face Mecca in prayer, issued in 2:144, does not abrogate either article, since God is not in Mecca and facing Mecca can be done from anywhere. I am glad to read that Ar-Raazi, in his exegesis, narrating from Ali ibn `Eesa, volume 4, page 33, held the same view. Also did Al-Baydhaawi in his exegesis, volume 2, page 58, Az-Zamakhshari in his exegesis الكشاف, volume 1, page 90, and Al-Aloosi in his his book روح المعاني, volume 1, page 198. Dr. Zayd agrees with all of them, in his book النسخ في القرآن الكريم, volume 2, pages 128-130 (items 863-866), and adds that the authentic hadeeth backs it up. It says, "I was privileged over prior prophets that the [whole] earth was made a place of prayer and a cleansing."
The mandate to face Mecca is a ruling from God
without precedence, since He has not ordered the believers before to face any particular direction in prayer.