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.”
In the last two thoughts, we have considered Yahweh, ‘Elohiym, and the Cherubim. Now we turn attention to the last part of this scripture. Here, the writer reuses the term ‘Elohiym, declaring that this title not only refers to God as all-powerful and as three in one, but also depicts where that power is at work. In using the words “heaven and earth” the writer is establishing God as God over everything that is invisible as well as everything that is visible.
So Hezekiah in starting his prayer reminds himself and God that God is a promise-making God who has a personal relationship with the nation of Israel, that God is the most powerful God and is plural and singular simultaneously. He goes on to situate God above all supernatural beings and to be the maker of all things, both tangible and intangible, visible and invisible.
It’s almost like Hezekiah is showing us how to unpack the Lord’s prayer opening line “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” Matt 6:9, where we see both the personal relationship of God, and the holy consecrated sense of His name.
Having pondered this scripture now for a few weeks I am intent on my own prayers becoming deeper, not just to copy Hezekiah but to find my heart in the same place as his towards God in those moments. I don’t want to just mimic this prayer, but rather, to find that this is how, from my heart, I start my own prayers to God, truly recognising Him and who he is to me.
What about you? How do your prayers start, maybe you are already in this place – in which case you are travelling well, and hold on to this with all you have. If your prayers don’t sound anything like this, why not take a few moments to ask yourself if you would like to pray more like this and if you would, then make a start today?
Principle of Change 54 – how I start my prayers indicates the condition of my heart.
Strength – Discipline – bringing order into my prayer life positions me well, as I love structure and routine – but I take this seriously.