Hezekiah's Prayer

Hezekiah was the twelfth king of Judah, son of the unfaithful Ahaz, ascended the throne at the age of 25, in the year 726 B.C. The name Hezekiah means “Strength of the Lord.” Hezekiah was a good king, he did right in regards to God. He was also a man of prayer. Lets look at the life and prayer of Hezekiah as an example of what we should be and do.

Prayer is the most unused and neglected privilege we have as Christians!

I. Hezekiah's life. He Imitated David (2 Kings 18:3) (v:4) Removed all idols from the land. Broke the images, removed sacred shrines. He Cut down the Asherah poles, which were False Gods), Broke the brazen serpent Moses made because the people had begun to worship it. (v:5) Trusted in the Lord God of Israel more than other kings did. Clung to the Lord (18:6) Continued following God and Kept His commandments     II. Situations and circumstances he faced. 2 Kings 19:10-13 (NKJV) ¹⁰ "Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: 'Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, "Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria." ¹¹ Look! You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by utterly destroying them; and shall you be delivered? ¹² Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? ¹³ Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?' "

III. His correct plan of action against the problem. 2 Kings 19:14-19 

a. 2 Kings 19:14 (NKJV) And 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.

When the king had received and read King Sennacherib’s message of an impending attack against Jerusalem, he went to the temple to pray. He was greatly outnumbered and was really defenseless against the enemy. But because he had served the Lord, lived in obedience to Him, and remained faithful to Him, he had faith that God would hear his prayer and defend him and the nation of Israel against the enemy.

b. 2 Kings 19:14-15 (NKJV) ¹⁴ And 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. ¹⁵ Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said: "O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.

Hezekiah's prayer included a recognition of God’s power and sovereignty over every situation and circumstance. Spread the letter.... before the Lord, Hezekiah addressed Him as Israel’s God, whose throne was the atonement cover (“mercy seat,”) on the ark of the covenant between the cherubim. God had made a covenant with Israel to be their God and they would be His unique people. The king recognized that God is a Spirit, not a piece of wood or stone. God alone was the real Ruler of Judah, the Sovereign over all the kingdoms of the earth including Assyria, and the all-powerful Creator of heaven and earth. He is also Ruler and Supreme Authority over our every situation. 1 Peter 5:7 says, Cast all our cares on Him, for He cares for you.

c. 2 Kings 19:16 (NKJV) 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 reproach the living God.

He mentions the problem which they are facing. Hezekiah didn't try make light of the situation he and the people of Jerusalem were facing. He asked for God's attention. Hezekiah besought God to listen carefully to what he would say and to view closely what was happening. He then reported Sennacherib’s blasphemous insults. The devil will always try to make every situation in life seem hopeless, no way out.

d. 2 Kings 19:17-18 (NKJV) ¹⁷ Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, ¹⁸ 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 destroyed them.18 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 destroyed them.

Hezekiah recognized the vanity and uselessness of idols. He could easily understand why Assyria had successfully defeated her foes; the gods in which those nations trusted for protection were mere pieces of wood and stone. They were created objects, not the Creator. So they had no power and were easily destroyed. We must not put our trust in anything or anyone other than God. There is no other god that can even compare with Jehovah God of Israel, our Savior.

e. 2 Kings 19:19 (NKJV) Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone."

Hezekiah makes specific request. Hezekiah appealed to the living God to deliver His people from Sennacherib’s hand. Hezekiah believed He could and he would; this was a prayer of faith. And the objective of the king’s petition was God’s glory, not primarily their own survival. He asked God to vindicate Himself and to demonstrate that He was not just an impotent idol so that the whole world would acknowledge Him.

Hezekiah’s petition is one of the finest prayers in Scripture.

f. (vs: 35-36)2 Kings 19:35-36 (NKJV) ³⁵ And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses--all dead. ³⁶ So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.

God answered his prayer in a miraculous way. God is not limited! He has all resources available to Him and He knows how to use them. Nothing too hard for God! He did this so all people would know He is supreme over all.

Conclusion: Hezekiah is a good example of the way we should live our lives before God and how we should trust God in every situation and circumstance that comes our way. We place every care on God because He cares for us. We can never be all we should be and will never be able to do all God would have us do unless we all pray. Jesus knows it’s hard for us to remain faithful in prayer. But He is drawing us beyond what we’ve yet seen and experienced, and he’s calling out a trust in us that we don’t think we have — and are scared to really exercise. Jesus’s purpose is not to shame us for our little faith. He’s inviting us to come further up and further in. There's no excuse for not praying when God has invited us to pray so many times in the bible, and He has promised us He would hear and answer our every prayer. Lets get serious with God! Time is short!

Invitation: If you are not 100% sure you will be in Heaven when you die, now is the time to make sure. You are not promised another day. We have all fallen short of God's glory. Confess your sins to Jesus and pray, ask Him to forgive you and save you from Hell and give you a home in Heaven.

He will in no wise cast out those who come to Him.

Powerful and Effective Prayer

Scripture Text
James 5:13-18

Intro: Prayer is mentioned in the bible 313 times! Prayer is the greatest weapon the church has against Satan, sin, and the evil we face on a daily basis. It is also the most unused weapon in the church today. We often regard prayer as merely an honored tradition and a nice thing to do, a polite formality. But sincere, effective, and fervent prayer is so much more. God our expects us to use it daily in dependence on Him.

I. Pray in the Spirit and name of Jesus. James 5:13-14 (NKJV) ¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

a. It is through Jesus we connect to the Father. God is only obligated to answer prayer for those who know Jesus as their Savior and pray in His Spirit and name. In other words, praying in the Spirit is praying in accordance with principles found in God's word as compared to flesh leading, wanting it's way. Praying in the Spirit has three aspects: (1) admitting our inability, (2) we enjoy the privilege of a living communion with God, and (3) pleading the promises of God with boldness and assurance. Must know God's word.

II. Prayer must be offered in faith. James 5:15 (NKJV) And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

a. Faith means complete trust and faith in God to answer our prayer. James 1:6-8 (NKJV) ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. There can be no doubts, one minute we believe and the next we doubt.

III. Sin must be confessed and forsaken. James 5:16a (NKJV) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

a. God will not hear one who is holding on to sin their heart. Isaiah 59:2 (NKJV) But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. Are you proud, bitter, angry, resentful, unforgiving, holding a grudge, being deceptive in your dealings with others?

IV. Prayer must be effective and fervent. James 5:16b The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

a. Effective means you must have an active powerful prayer life which produces results. Fervent means your prayer must be burning with passion in your heart. Its a prayer of intensity, feeling, and enthusiasm, expecting an answer from the Father. No half hearted prayer will accomplish anything. Heart must be in it.

V. Prayer is not limited. James 5:17-18 (NKJV) ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. ¹⁸ And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 

a. Prayer can be made at any time for any reason at all. Elijah was a man just like us with the same feelings and suffering that we experience. Yet when he prayed for the rain to stop it did, and when he prayed for it to start, it did. When we pray as righteous people, living in obedience to God, trusting in Him and serving Him, He will answer.

Conclusion: There is mighty power within our reach today. Prayer for change, healing, liberation, endurance, and eternal transformation in our lives and the live of those around us. Our astounding, all-powerful God waits to respond to our requests with His unlimited supernatural resources. We can be people of powerful and effective prayer. Lets begin to be faithful to God in intercession, fighting our battles on our knees, and release our faith and trust God for the needs we have. As we pray, He will hear and He will certainly answer.

Invitation: If you have never done so, pray right now the prayer of salvation. Confess you are a sinner and ask Jesus to forgive you and save your soul from hell. Invite Him into your life to take charge of you, be baptized in Jesus' name for the salvation of your soul. We will all die one day and face God. Will you be ready?

Prayer: Father in Heaven, we desire a deep fellowship with you. Help me understand the power of prayer and help me to practice it daily, and if there is one here today that needs Jesus to forgive and save them, may this be the day of their salvation, I pray in the Spirit and name of Jesus. Amen!