THE POWER OF PRAYER: HEZEKIAH’S STORY

Prayer is a critical spiritual discipline that enables us to live a victorious life. It keeps us in a posture and position where we can experience God's blessings and favor, commune with, fellowship, and enter into God's presence.

Let’s look at 2 Kings 20 as we dive deeper into seeing a second prayer of Hezekiah.

We know that prayer is a fundamental aspect of our faith. But do we truly comprehend its power? Prayer is how we get in touch with God and ask for His guidance, help, and blessing. It is our means of interacting with God and one way to express our trust in Him. I want to offer Hezekiah as an illustration of how prayer can improve our lives.

A MAN  OF PRAYER

Hezekiah was a king of Judah who reigned in the eighth century BC. He was a dedicated servant of God, a man of prayer who went to Him whenever he faced hardships. During his reign, Hezekiah did everything he could to restore the worship of God in the land. 

In 2 Kings 18–20, we see Hezekiah's faith in action when he gets a threatening letter from the Assyrian king, Sennacherib. Sennacherib had already taken over many kingdoms and threatened to destroy Jerusalem and God's temple. Hezekiah understood he was fighting a tremendous enemy but did not lose hope. Instead, he went to God in prayer.

Hezekiah walked up to the temple and laid out the letter before the Lord. He prayed, "Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God." 2 Kings 19:15-16 

Hezekiah's prayer was a prayer of faith, trust, and humility.

God heard Hezekiah's prayer and sent an angel to destroy the army of the Assyrians. Hezekiah's trust in God was justified, as Sennacherib was humiliated and forced to flee back to his land. The prayer of Hezekiah is a potent reminder of the significance of putting your faith in God and seeking His counsel in times of difficulty.

When we pray, we communicate with God, showing Him we have faith in Him. Hezekiah's prayer was a powerful reminder of how important it is to have faith in God. 

The Power of Prayer

How many of us realize now how powerful prayer is? We have the ability to pray to God for direction, help, and blessings. Prayer is, without a doubt, essential to our faith. Through it, we can convey our love, appreciation, and needs to God. 

2 Kings 20:3 is one of the hundreds of accounts of people praying in the Bible. "Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you sincerely and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." Hezekiah, the Judahite king’s dying prayer holds lessons for us still today. He was a devout believer in prayer, which proved to be his greatest weapon in times of hardship. 

Hezekiah's prayer emphasizes the value of intimacy with God. He had obeyed God and done His will, and he knew that his connection with God was founded on faith, not works. 

This verse teaches us three fundamental facts about prayer. First, prayer is talking to God; we can bring anything to Him. Second, prayer acknowledges God's kindness and faithfulness to us. Hezekiah knew God had been faithful to him because he had done what pleased Him. Lastly, praying takes faith. 

Hezekiah's prayer expressed his belief in God's goodness and sovereignty. It shows us that we can remind God of our faithfulness and commitment when we pray, our confidence in Him allows us to argue our case before Him. As we pray, we should acknowledge God's sovereignty and trust His will is best for us.

While we are going about our day-to-day lives, let’s keep in mind the example that Hezekiah set for us. It’s time to make prayer a top priority in our lives. When we are confronted with problems and difficulties, let’s pray to God and put our trust in His steadfastness and goodness.

I pray that the world will see the power that faith in God has to transform lives through the testimony of our prayers.