The Power of Prayer

 

Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.” (2 Kings 19:14-19 ESV).

 

"Hezekiah trusted in the LORD ... He held fast to the LORD ... and the LORD was with him." The reason for the incredible power of Hezekiah is found in the fact that he prayed. Most kings tried to look great on their thrones; Hezekiah did his best work on his knees, and not just when he was in trouble. For Hezekiah, prayer was a habit. In our reading for today, Hezekiah and his people are in deep trouble. Assyria is like a shark. It has already gobbled up the ten tribes of Israel, and it is circling back to devour Judah. The Assyrians mock and belittle Hezekiah and his God. Sennacherib even sends a letter to Hezekiah full of threats and mockery against the Lord.

 

Hezekiah reads the letter, walks straight into the temple with it, and shows it to God. He "spreads it out," as if to have God read it. His prayer is recorded in our reading today. There have been so many times in the past year when someone has called with bad news. Friends and relatives who have contracted Covid-19 have brought me to face the real power of prayer. I’m not talking about posting the prayer emoji on social media kind of prayer; I’m talking about the kind of prayer that leaves you with no hope except in the power of God’s direct intervention. This is the kind of prayer that brings hope and encouragement to our hearts. I’m not saying that God is obligated to grant our request. However, He desires nothing but our good… asking for that is merely agreeing with God about our future.

 

That kind of prayer is often difficult. Perhaps there are some for whom prayer is easy, but for most of us, it is a discipline. It is not difficult to “do.” Kneel, or stand, it is not our physical position that makes our prayers powerful. It is our hearts. Like Hezekiah, take your calendar, your checkbook, your loved ones’ photos and spread them out before God. Show him your life. Show God your trouble. This is the most powerful commitment you can make in this coming year. Be like Hezekiah, and pray.