In our last visit we looked at Isaiah 37, verses 14-20. This is the prayer of Hezekiah when the Assyrian king Sennacharib threatened to overthrow the city of Jerusalem. Hezekiah began his prayer by affirming truth about God. Then he spelled out to God an accurate assessment of the threat as he understood it. He concluded his prayer with an appeal for deliverance so that God would be known and honored.
Listen to his appeal; “Now, Oh Lord our God, deliver us from his hands so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone are God.” The personal interests of King Hezekiah and the nation of Israel were secondary. The prayer had as its objective that God might be known and that God might be glorified. That was the thrust of this prayer of faith.
God listened to him and answered his prayer. It says in verse 36 of the same chapter, “Then the Angel of the Lord went out and put to death 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp and they left the territory of Jerusalem, not to return.” God powerfully answered Hezekiah’s prayer.
The application of what we’ve learned is when you go to God in prayer, first, remind yourself of who He is. Don’t bury your head in the sand when facing insurmountable obstacles. Make an accurate assessment of your circumstances and express this to God. Then pray boldly for God’s intervention. Seek God’s glory to be known as you pray for His will to be revealed and done. Finally, be sure you declare God’s glory as the ultimate outcome.
