“Why do you pray?”
In 2 Kings 19, Hezekiah answers this question through a convicting, yet encouraging portrayal of his value of prayer. For him, prayer was not merely a backup plan but the entirety of his plan. His example teaches us that prayer is not to proceed nor complement human effort, but rather that prayer should be our immediate response to trials.
When Hezekiah received a threatening message from Sennacherib, the King of Assyria, his response reflected his value of prayer. Sennacherib had been attacking the cities of Judah, and the situation seemed hopeless for Hezekiah (2 Kings 19). Immediately after receiving that letter, which would leave most in a state of crippling despair and immobilizing fear, Hezekiah’s response doesn’t merely portray his view of prayer, but more importantly, his view of God.
“Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord” (2 Kings 19:14).
By choosing, first and foremost, to spread the letter before the Lord, Hezekiah substituted self-dependence for complete reliance on the Lord. For he knew that prayer before all else is tantamount to completely trusting the Lord’s sovereignty.
The natural human, and even at times Christian, response is to first plan by taking matters into our own hands. However, Hezekiah’s response to this message clearly showed that in his heart he recognized that all his efforts were in vain without the Lord’s hand on them.
He proceeded to pray a beautiful, God-exalting, God-centered prayer. Several encouraging truths that can apply to our prayer life are portrayed in his prayer. His prayer opens by drawing attention to the character and power of the Lord: “God of Israel…you are the God, you alone of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth” (2 Kings 19:15). He then pleaded with the Lord to hear how Sennacherib was mocking the living God.
Hezekiah interceded for his people, who were being threatened with destruction by the Assyrian King, who did not know Yahweh. So, he cried out to the Lord for deliverance, not merely to escape physical harm, but more importantly, “So that the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone” (2 Kings 19:19).
This beautifully portrays Hezekiah’s ultimate heart desire, for God’s glory, and not only present physical deliverance. It is not surprising that Yahweh, the sovereign God of Israel, in response to this wonderful prayer, said, “I have heard [your cry].”
“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard” (2 Kings 19:20).
Isaiah, in recording this incident for us, pens his account of Yahweh’s response. In that response, we see how much God values his people’s prayer:
“Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria” (Isaiah 37:21).
How beautiful are those words, “Because you have prayed to me.”
Why do we pray? Because God delights when His people turn to Him, rather than relying on themselves. God’s people must hold on to the conviction that our “help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2).
We pray, not only because we are commanded to pray (Romans 12:12), but also because we believe that God hears our cry. Hezekiah models this truth through his prayer.
Mirroring Hezekiah’s value for prayer during times of intense despair is an aspiration of mine. One characteristic of my personality is my love for planning. Whether through schedules, calendars, goal setting, or vision boards, planning comes second nature to me. While this can at times be a gift, it has sometimes hindered my prayer life and resulted in prayer taking a back seat.
Valuing prayer as a first response to difficult times has been crucial to my spiritual growth. Prayer as an immediate response helps us let go of our self-dependence and replace it with a fuller reliance on the Lord who is sovereign over all.
May Hezekiah’s prayer stir our hearts to make prayer a lifestyle rather than a backup plan. May we also strive to strengthen our prayer habits when life is easy in order for prayer to increasingly become an automatic first response when faced with agonizing and unsettling situations. Let us challenge ourselves to mirror Hezekiah’s heart of prayer daily.
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2).
Let us daily allow prayer to precede all else.
“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually” (1 Chronicles 16:11).
