Kingly Prayers

1/20/11 Years ago when I first joined a group of gals for a Bible Study, the “leader” (that’s using the term loosely) began with prayer. We all took turns leading from a prescribed text without much Bible knowledge to back us up, so prayer was a very smart place to start. That night in the small den on Swan Ridge Circle someone asked where Hezekiah was in the Bible. Several gals thumbed furiously through their Bibles assuming that Hezekiah was a book in the Old Testament. I having barely enough knowledge to find the Old Testament just sat there. As it turned out, I’m glad I did because together we all discovered that Hezekiah was a king, not a book in the Bible. I learned a lot that night about how limited I was in Bible knowledge.
This past Monday night at BSF, when Hezekiah was discussed I was immediately taken back to that previous time of embarrassment. Yet, I didn’t stay in that frame of mind. I was grateful for the Lord’s patience with me and for the tremendous Bible teaching I have been offered since those humiliating beginnings. So, I prayed that the Lord would teach me the truth he had for me through this “side” lesson on Hezekiah in Isaiah 37.

The Lord taught me how Hezekiah prayed----
laying his enemy’s words before the Lord (v.14),
with a focus in his prayer of:

• who God is….the God of Israel… (v.16),
  
• God’s uniqueness…a God who hears….the living God (v.17),
  
• a real God not like a god made by work of men’s hands (v.19)
  
• a true God to whom Hezekiah can make petition for deliverance.
  

Isaiah, the prophet, then sent word to Hezekiah from the Lord, the God of Israel….”Because you have prayed to me….” And He gave the answer.

All of this had me asking: Do I spread out everything before the Lord? Am I preoccupied with His greatness and glory when I pray or do I just ask and ask and ask?
God is teaching me that the heart of prayer is knowing Him and acknowledging His greatness, not personal petitions.

Hezekiah was a king and his prayers were kingly because he prayed to the King of Kings. Further study this week took me to the book of Kings, which is in the Old Testament, and relates to Hezekiah’s reign. When I opened my NAS Bible to II Kings 18, I found highlights from that study 30+ years ago when a gracious God helped me not only find Hezekiah but also helped me find a deeper personal relationship with the King of Kings.