Are you a person of prayer? Do you pray at the first sign of a problem? Or do you first exhaust all your other options and pray only as a last resort? And when you do pray, what is the focus of your prayers?

King Hezekiah gave us one of the greatest examples of prayer in the Old Testament. His amazing prayer has a lot to teach us about the importance and right focus of prayer.

Today’s Readings:

2 Kings 19, 20 & 21
Psalm 74.9-17
Proverbs 19.1-2
Acts 2.1-21

Is Prayer Your Last Resort?

2 Kings 19, 20 & 21:

For His Glory

Hezekiah and the people of Judah were in a desperate situation. But Hezekiah’s response is one of the greatest examples of trust and reliance on God recorded in Scripture. Chapter 19, verses 14-19:

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. 16 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. 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. 19 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.

God still rises up on behalf of His people. But too often instead of going first to Him in prayer, we exhaust all our own solutions and go to Him as a last resort! I know I’ve been guilty.

Notice, too, Hezekiah’s prayer wasn’t focused primarily on himself, or even the people. Instead, he prayed that God would answer, “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God, You alone.”

When you pray, is it all about you or is God’s glory the ultimate goal?

While it’s not wrong to pray for relief from difficult circumstances, to be healed when we or our loved ones are sick, or to ask God to make it right when we’ve been wronged, we shouldn’t neglect to ask Him to help us bring Him glory no matter what the outcome.

Today’s Other Readings:

Psalm 74.9-17:

While Waiting on God

 

Here the psalmist wonders where God is and why He hasn’t answered. But he reminds himself of God’s mighty works in the past as he continues to wait on Him.

This is another great example of how to respond when God’s answer seems slow in coming. Instead of doubting His love and goodness, we should meditate on His attributes and allow the Word of God to strengthen our faith and trust in Him.

Proverbs 19.1-2:

Avoiding Hasty Decisions

Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge, and he sins who hastens with his feet (v. 2).

Fools make hasty decisions, while the wise man seeks information and understanding.

Acts 2.1-21:

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

Jesus had told the disciples that He must go to the Father, but He would send another like Himself, speaking of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 16.5-15). Here on the Day of Pentecost, that promise was fulfilled.

We receive the Holy Spirit when we receive Jesus as our Savior. He lives in every true believer. He is our Helper (Jn. 16.7), Teacher, and Guide (Jn. 16.13). He convicts us of sin (Jn. 16.8) and confirms the truths of Scripture to us (1 Jn. 16.15). These things are just part of His ministry.

Coming Up:

In the coming days, we’ll talk about the importance of godly friends, the blame game, persecution, hypocrisy, and God’s timing.

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Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥

Note about this post:

I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer. 

A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”

I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)

I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.