II Kings 19:15 And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said ” O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.”
The next five verses are a record of the prayer that King Hezekiah prayed 2770 years ago in Jerusalem.
We will take our time as we consider this prayer.
Hezekiah starts off by calling out to his Lord (Yahweh) and God (‘Elohiym). Yahweh carries the idea that anyone using this name has a personal and covenantal relationship with God. This use of this name also implies that not only does God exist but that he causes all existence.
So Hezekiah starts off by recognising that God is the source of all things and that he (Hezekiah) has a personal trust in God’s promises to him and his people.
Hezekiah next moves on to using the name “‘Elohiym”, which is plural in form but singular in meaning – so we catch the idea here of the trinity already. At the heart of this name is the concept of God who has power beyond our wildest imagination.
So Hezekiah continues by recognising the fullness of God and his majesty and power.
It brings to mind for me a prayer in Matt 6:9 “….Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” – where “Father” implies the creator of all things, and “hallowed” means to be set apart as holy and sacred.
Both prayers in their own way focus on God’s names and God’s power.
What a great example to us as we pray. We also can take time to remind ourselves at the start of each prayer of who God really is, and as we approach him with our prayers, we can take time to position ourselves in the light of who he is. He is our personal saviour, He is the God of all creation, He is three in one, and all-powerful above any other possible authority or power. He is holy.
My prayers today will have more emphasis on how I start them I think. What about you?
Principle of Change 53 – taking time to recognise who God is to us is essential as we pray.
Strength – Communication – our words show our thoughts, so as we position ourselves before God in prayer, this is a reflection of what is in our heart and mind.
Blessings
Allan