II Kings 19:14 “And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.”
What is the worst day you can think of? Do you have some specific ideas, maybe from personal experience? Hezekiah was having one of those kinds of days in II Kings 19. The most powerful man in Israel found himself with no power. On top of that, he was standing against the most powerful army on earth. So what did Hezekiah do?
Verses 14-15 tell us that Hezekiah took the threatening letter from Sennacherib and “spread it before the LORD”-he prayed about it! Verse 3 says about that day, “This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy. . . .” The situation was truly dire, the need was great, and Hezekiah literally spread his problems before the Lord. What a wonderful description of prayer!
Have you ever heard the phrase “moving heaven and earth”? That means someone really shakes things up and gets things done. But the way you move earth is moving heaven; you have power on earth with power from heaven. Do you ever find yourself in a place like Hezekiah? You can try to build yourself up and gain support by working in your flesh to “move earth,” or you can ask God for His power from heaven. Evangelist Jim Cook has said, “God is moved by our faith, not our work.” Who is helping us do our work is the key!
When you are in a place like Hezekiah, you will find that you pray with more boldness when God’s cause is your own. God has the power that Hezekiah needed, and he clearly asked for it. He boldly and reverently put it before the Lord in verse 17: “Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria. . . .” When God’s cause is your cause, you can pray with even more boldness!
Perhaps you have specific problems that are on your mind today. It might do you well to actually write them down on paper. Now, Hezekiah didn’t write out his prayer, but he did write out his problems. Next time you are faced with worries and problems, try writing them down and “spreading them before the Lord.” There is nothing magical about that, but if nothing else, it will help you be clear and specific instead of vague!
“And Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.”
Prayer Requests:
1. Protection and provision for staff
2. Salvation of unsaved teen, junior, and Deaf campers
Camp Quotes:
“Whenever it’s alright with you and God, it will be alright with you and others.”
-Evangelist Nathan McConnell