BECAUSE YOU PRAYED
22nd Jul 2020
Hezekiah is facing a great crisis, the Assyrians have surrounded him and he has just received a letter from Sennacherib threatening defeat and destruction. It all looks hopeless. However, Hezekiah does not panic or capitulate, but goes into the temple where he spreads this letter out before the Lord.
After the king has prayed, Isaiah is sent to him by the Lord with this message, “Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word the Lord has spoken against him….” (Isaiah 37:21) God gives him the details of his deliverance and he is rescued from his enemy.
It would seem that all Hezekiah’s problems are now over, until he is told by Isaiah that an illness he is suffering will lead to imminent death. Once again the king turns to prayer and Isaiah is sent back by the Lord to say that 15 years have been added to Hezekiah’s life.
I had just read these chapters in my daily Bible reading, when the New Testament reading came up in Matthew 15 where a Canaanite woman comes to Jesus about her demon possessed daughter and it appears that Jesus is indifferent to her dilemma, until it says, “The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.” She still meets reluctance from Jesus, but continues to plead her case, whereupon He says, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” (Matthew 15: 22-28)
God began to speak to me through these three situations and reminded me that it is so easy to fret and complain rather than praying when we are in the middle of unresolved situations.
I know there have been times when Joyce and I have been discussing situations which seem unresolvable, when one or other us have said, “Let’s stop all this talking and pray!” That is what we have done and having placed it in God’s hands, peace has been restored and we have seen God break in and heal or rescue us from our crisis.
So let’s stop all the talking, and pray, and hear God’s reply, “Because you prayed…….”
by Charles Sibthorpe
