II Kings 19:20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.”
Wow…..I love this – I love the drama of it – unseen by the enemy who still is patting himself on his own back, and making his plans for what he will do once he has captured Jerusalem and killed Hezekiah.
What a great moment – nothing in the natural has changed, but everything has change because God has heard Hezekiah’s prayer. What confidence flows from that understanding, that certainty, that trust?
What does this mean for us today? What happens to our prayers – does God hear them, will a mighty prophet come and tell us “God has heard your prayers [your name] ?”
Our confidence is that as we pray God does hear every prayer, Jesus living in our hearts, the indwelling Holy Spirit, he is closer than a brother. (Prov 18:24)
Jeremiah 29:12-13 “Then [your name] will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”.
Psalm 66:19-20 “but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me”.
John 16:24 “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete”.
So there is a thread running all through scripture – we are encouraged to seek God with all our hearts, to give our whole hearts to him, and we are encouraged that when we ask for anything in prayer it was just as if Jesus was asking.
God is calling you closer today [your name] – he longs for your intimacy, he longs to answer your prayers as you cast all your petitions at his feet, trusting that he hears them and will answer…..
Principle of Change 61 – As we make God number one in our life our prayer life develops in power and effectiveness.
Strength – Intellection helps make the complex simple, helps unlock understanding, and leans into wisdom.