Who Are You When You Pray?: 9. Hezekiah

Hezekiah was a King of the tribal area of Judah and we see here that he calls out to the Lord from his death bed and God responds and extends the life of Hezekiah by fifteen years.

Hezekiah stood before God a righteous or good man and asked God firstly to “Remember…”. We see in many places in the Bible people saying to God to remember your promise or remember how I have lived. This is not because God has forgotten. Here Hezekiah is not reminding God but stirring his faith, installing hope in his own heart as he petitions God. God tells him through Isaiah to “set his house in order” as he is going to die. Hezekiah's reply is that he has lived justly and will continue to do so before the Lord. God knew Hezekiah’s heart but used this situation to remind Hezekiah of his loyal heart towards God. Also to show him that it was God who was the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Hezekiah when he prayed, prayed with confidence of where he had stood righteously before God in his life but also he prayed with faith and hope that God could save his life.

Today maybe God is humbling you or calling you to continue in the life of humility you have lead before Him so far but remember, just as for Hezekiah, its only as we pray that God moves, because it opens up His access into our lives. When people say they don’t need to pray because God already knows what they will say or God will do what He pleases no matter what, they need to think again. We pray to change our attitudes but we also pray to open up our lives and situations for God to move. God is a gentleman and will only go where He is invited. So today invite Him into the situations in your life.

Sara Hesbrook

2003-06-23