Title: 2 Kings 19 -- Prayer

By: Todd Bevins

Bible Verses

2 Kings 19:15 And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.

2 Kings 19:16 LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God.

2 Kings 19:17 Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands,

2 Kings 19:18 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.

2 Kings 19:19 Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only.

Intro

I know I say it a lot, but I have reasons for it. You can take it or leave it. I really appreciate our good pastor. I do! I was thinking of the message this morning. I do not say that to life any one person up. I have been around. I have listened to others. I at different times, when I am alone or going down the road; I thank God for this place. I do! I do not think that some realize what you do have as far as, in our good pastor, Dan. I am not speaking of myself, but in him. I have a lot of growing and a lot of learning to do. I certainly love listening to him. I am thankful for all that the Lord has done, not just for bringing us here. I was thinking earlier. Kate and I was talking the other day and I ran into Roger and Mable. I cannot remember anyone’s name. However, their grandson’s wife, Courtney—Katie told me it was—she stepped in and hollered at me. I spoke to her for a few moments. We laughed… I thought, God, I love my life. I just love my life. I love meeting people. I love talking to people. I love family. I love my church family. I am grateful for everything God has done. God has been so good to us and I thank Him for it.

Going back off the heels of what we were talking about the other night, talking about praying. We had mentioned to you and talking about that God is not a genie in a bottle. I think sometimes, prayer is one of those things that many will say—there is much to pray about in our lives. I know that. However, a lot of times the sister was saying it may appear that God is silent. Likewise, we may pray about something and it seems like nothing is happening. I so appreciate brother Shannon in what he said a moment ago, which is true of our Sunday School lesson as well. God is always moving. God is always doing something. God is always working things out for our good whether we realize it or not; God is always on the move. God does not ever sit back and try to figure things out. He does not wonder about anything. He does not have to hope something works out. I am going to throw something else out there that might put a burr in your saddle, as my dad would say. It is this. God does not need our help to help Him figure it out either. He does not need me to tell Him what to do. He does not need me to tell Him how to answer or when to answer. God does not need any of that. Sometimes, I think when God does not respond the way that we think or in a time that we think He should, then we think we need to pray harder, pray longer, pray this, pray that. Listen. Just be faithful in prayer. Trust God. God will do what He said He will do in His time. He will do that.

One of the things that is common among the three that we mentioned last week; and we will talk about three more this week… One thing in common is this. I put this down for myself with Jabez, David and with Jonah. We find out they all acknowledge who they were praying to and that was God. Praying not to just anybody. Sometimes, it would do myself good. I cannot speak on your behalf, but I can mine. That is that I would come to a halt sometimes and stop and just acknowledge the fact that when I am talking unto God, I am talking unto the One and Only true God, the God of all eternity. When we reference Him as who He is, we cannot help but stop and think about His power, ability, love, and who He is. There is nothing beyond His capability. There is nothing beyond—when I would just at least stop and acknowledge that very fact, that I am talking to God; immediately my mind goes directly to those things. He is all-powerful. He is all-knowing. He loves me more than I can ever realize. When I start my prayer off in thinking in that light and in that manner, it certainly affects my praying.

Jabez

I was thinking about Jabez. We learn from Jabez that we should ask the Lord to bless our lives. Shouldn’t we? We should ask the Lord. Good, I am glad you agree with that. We should ask the Lord to bless our lives. Ask Him to use us. Ask Him for the sole purpose that we might be a blessing to those around us. Ask Him to enlarge our territory, as brother Dan talked about in speaking to those that are unsaved. No matter where that is at. We would like to do that here. However, it might be at the funeral home. It might be at the grocery store. It might be among our family meetings that we gather together whether it is birthdays, Christmas, and so forth. It might be those times. It might be in those times that He might enlarge our territory that we might share the gospel of Jesus Christ wherever we go for the sole purpose that they might know who He is. It might affect their lives that they might be saved and born again. We might be able to be a good witness for Him. Also, that we would ask Him to help keep us away from evil. So, that it does not trip us up and that we do not get caught in these snares, tricks, or falls; but that we walk faithfully with our God.

Pray for strength to carry out His will

We should pray. I thought about this. We pray to the Lord for strength to carry out His will. So, one of the things we pray about and should pray about often is that we pray that God gives us the strength to acknowledge His will and carry it out—whatever it is.

Jonah

Here is another thing. Look at Jonah. Jonah is another good example, sometimes of even ourselves. Jonah decided the will of God was optional. We know better than that. Jonah found out for himself. When we are like Jonah and we get ourselves in a mess, we find out as was mentioned this morning at the very rock bottom is this. Salvation and deliverance come from the Lord. That is where it comes from. When we get ourselves in trouble and whether we got ourselves there or we did not, regardless we pray to the Lord for deliverance when have sinned. We know that. Thankfully, praise God; He hears us.

David

Here is the next thing we learn from David’s prayer. No matter how many are gathered against us, no matter how many people, no matter the odds that stand against us—look at Gideon. Four hundred fifty to one; you remember that story. Do you? He was going up against them. As the ratio was 450 to 1. Praise God! He had something they did not have. He had the Lord on his side. Do you know what? We think about David when he went before Goliath. Goliath had himself. He had his strength. He had all these things, all his armor and yet he had the one carrying his shield in front of him. David said you come to me with a spear and sword but I have come to you in the name of the Lord. The Lord makes the difference in our lives. Here is the thing that it is.

When we pray unto Him and acknowledge the fact of who He is and we understand He has a will for our lives. We desire His will for our lives. We understand when we make a mistake; we can call on Him. Praise God! Do you know what we do? We pray unto Him for comfort in the midst of our enemies. In the midst of the enemies all around us—you may not think you have any. However, as brother Joseph mentioned this morning, if you love the Lord, you have an enemy out there somewhere. You have some folks who do not like you, whether you do not like that or not. I know I do not like it. The simple fact is true. If you stand for the truth, they are not going to like you. That is just the way it is. Praise God! Do you know what we find out? We can go to Him. He is our strength. He is our comfort.

As David would say, you are my shield all the way around me. Therefore, I can lay down and rest at ease because I know you are always watching over me. We pray unto the Lord for comfort.

Hezekiah

Let us look at 2 Kings for a moment. Let us look at what Hezekiah has to say. Hezekiah has found himself in a very difficult situation in 2 Kings 19:15-19. You will see this in his prayer. Look what he is talking about and what he says.

2 Kings 19:16 LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God.

2 Kings 19:17 Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands,

2 Kings 19:18 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.

2 Kings 19:19 Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only.

He acknowledges his position. His position of what? Authority. His position of power. His position of who that he is realizing that he is God. There is nowhere else to turn. That is another thought that comes to mind when we think about God. Where else is there to turn? Where else is there to go? To whom else can we go that has all power, all knowledge, all ability to take care of anything you and I face; where else can you go? Where else could I go? I do not know but I know this. There is nowhere else I want to go. There is nowhere else to seek. There is nowhere else to look for. I know He is all we need. He says here:

What is he doing? He is acknowledging again His power. As he looks around him, he sees all these things. Let me pause just for a moment. One of the things I enjoy and one of the things I love to do in praying, when we pray. It is to acknowledge the fact of what I know God has done and what He has already done in my life and notice all things He has done all around me. God has handled many situations. God has taken care of many things. By allowing my mind to roll upon those things it helps with confidence and assurance as I come before Him that I know He is listening and He can do it again. I know the power He has. I know the ability that He has.

2 Kings 19:16 LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God.

Here we find out that the enemy is coming in and he wants to press and take over the children of Israel here. Do you know what we find out? Hezekiah is saying, Lord, listen. It was said like this. There is nothing wrong with this at all.

As a matter of fact, it is good at times that we would do this. I think Paul would teach us this as look in not only Philippians but other places. We would realize that when we come before God and we bow before Him, there are times that I say, Lord, listen. I really need you God. Do you know what? God already knows that I need Him. I understand that. It is the simple fact that we are speaking sincerely from our heart. Do you know what? How often do you have a child that you can just tell in their voice? Your mothers say all the time that there is a cry that they make that is a different kind of cry. There is a cry when they are really hurt. There is a cry when they are just whining and they want what they want. There is a cry that—I need to get up and move and do something now. Something is wrong! It is the same way when we come unto the Lord. He already knows. I am going to tell you something. Just as a child calls out for a parent when they are really in need, so as the parent moves and quickly hastens to the child; I believe our Heavenly Father is the same way. That does not mean He is not going to answer your problem or fix your problem right now, or that He is going to deal with this at the very moment. That is not what I am saying. What I am saying is this. There have been times—I know what I am talking about—that I have fell on my face and I have said, O God, I need you and I need you now. The overwhelming peace just floods my heart. I know that all will be okay and He will take care of it. It does not mean that it took place right then or that He fixed the problem right then, or next week, or even a few months or years down the road. However, God let me know that He heard me and that He was there. He was going to take care of things the way that they needed to be taken care of, however He sees fit.

Here he is crying out unto the Lord. It says this—he begins to describe the problem.

2 Kings 19:17 Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands,

2 Kings 19:18 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.

The Assyrians are on a rage. They have taken over. Everywhere they go and Lord, they are headed here now. He says, “they were no gods.” He is talking about the ones that they overcome and they took over those places. “They threw their gods in the fire. He says, yeah, they did that, but their gods were no gods at all. He says, but the work of men’s hands of wood and stone. Therefore, they have destroyed them.” I know how they overcame them God. I know how they won those battles. They were fighting against mere men. When it come right down for bone to bone, flesh to flesh, muscle to muscle; God, we are in no comparison to them. They would overtake us too.

Here is what he says:

2 Kings 19:19 Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only.

Lord, I am not trusting in wood. I am not trusting in the man-made things. I am not even trusting in myself. There is an enemy knocking on our door. He is coming down here and he wants to abolish us and get rid of us. I am asking you, God, for you to do what you said you would do to protect us and in the process of protecting us that I want this one thing to take place that all the world may know that you are the One and Only true God.

When you and I come under the Lord in our praying—I said this last time and I am going to say it again. I hope it makes sense. It does in my mind and I hope you get it. If you do not, I am sorry. Anyway… The center of our prayer, the heart desire of our prayer is this. It is seasoned with, it is centered upon, that God will be blessed of our lives. That He will be glorified in everything. Whatever it is and whatever direction the thing that we are praying about goes; the ultimate thing is God, I want you to be glorified.

Katie and I was talking, even about our own lives and about our son… I told her some things are passing my mind and concerns that I have that may happen, or this may happen. It was just an overwhelming peace that God says, you just let me handle it. Let me deal with it. I say, God whatever takes place, as long as you are glorified that is all that really matters. I know you know what you are doing. I know that you have the right plan and that you will do it in the right timing. I know that! How do I know that? How can you be so confident in that? Because in all these years that I have walked with God, He has proven it time and time again. He has given me no reason to doubt. He has given me no reason to think that He would not do anything other than that which is right and perfect. You know what? That He would receive glory of it. He has given me no reason to think anything else. I know God would do what He said He would do.

We find out that Hezekiah acknowledges his position of the One of whom he prays and trusts. Here is what we learn from Hezekiah. When our back is against the wall, we need to be very specific with God. Do not beat around the bush. There have been times you have heard me say this before and I meant it. I have said, God, I do not understand. God, I do not get it. Lord, I am trusting in you anyway. There are times that we just need to be right down… Brother Chuck Swindle said one time, why don’t you just tell God how you feel because He already knows anyway? Be specific with God. Be right down to the point. We find out here that letting God know the importance of how we desire Him to hear us. Also, with acknowledgement that we desire Him to be lifted up come what may. So, we learned this through Hezekiah. We prayed to the Lord when our back is against the wall. We pray when things are going good. We pray when things are upside down. We pray when things are in our favor. We pray when things are not in our favor. We pray when we feel like we have the world by the tail. We pray when we feel like the world has us by the tail. Regardless, we are always praying. Why? Because we know who we are praying to. We know that He has the power to take care of all these things. Let us move on to the next one.

Solomon

Listen closely to this. I love this prayer of Solomon.

1Kings 3:7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

1Kings 3:8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

1Kings 3:9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

Lord, you have put me in a position of authority. He says, the truth of the matter is this. I am just a child. I will say it in our terms. I really do not have a clue of what I am doing.

Next, he acknowledges who he is praying to. He acknowledges his position, his place and that is that he is nothing in comparison to God. He also understands that this is your people…

1Kings 3:8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

There are all these people that God, you have put me in a position of authority over. He says this:

1Kings 3:9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

Did you get it? “To judge thy people.” Why is that? Because in his position and in his place, there is going to be a lot of things that he is going to have to deal with. A lot of folks are going to come. Do you remember the story of the two ladies that come with the child that passed away and the one that did not? Do you remember that? All the wisdom that God gave him.

1Kings 3:9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

Solomon is praying. He is acknowledging this. He is saying, God, I acknowledge the fact that I am where I am because you have placed me here. I also know this. I cannot do it unless God, you give me wisdom. Unless Lord, you put your hand upon me and help me because I do not have the capability to discern when someone is coming to me and telling me a boldface lie. They are bad. There is someone that comes to me and is telling me all the truth and they are good. God, I cannot discern that within myself. There is going to be decisions that need to be made. God, I want to lead your people in the right way. I want to do the right thing. Therefore, God to do that, I need your wisdom. I cannot do it on my own.

I thought about Solomon for a few moments. This is what I thought of is this. This is one of my favorite prayers. I love this because in this we see a time here in Solomon’s life that he acknowledges his weakness and his inability to succeed without the hand of God. He says, I cannot do it without you, God. When we pray to the Lord for wisdom, do you know what we are doing? In rearing our children and accomplishing our everyday tasks and fulfilling our roles as husbands and wives within the church and anything we do; we pray to the Lord for wisdom in these things. Whether it is our role as a husband, our role as a wife, and our place as minister; we ask God for wisdom. We ask God for direction in our place where we work; whatever we do. Do you know what we do? We learn from Solomon and ask God for wisdom. James even tells us that when we ask God for wisdom; do you know what He will do? He will give it to us. He does not hold it back from anyone that really desires the wisdom of God.

David

Listen to this. 2 Samuel 2:1.

2 Samuel 2:1 And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.

I wished when I knelt to pray sometimes that it was always that easy. Lord, do you want me to go up? Yep. Go up! Where do I need to go? Just go over here. Alright! I wished it was like that all the time, but it is not. Those are few and far between. I know this. As I was looking over this prayer and thinking about things that the Lord spoke to my heart. It is this. We pray to the Lord for instructions and guidance. That is what David is doing. He is asking the Lord for instructions, and He is asking the Lord for guidance.

Conclusion

Do you know what? We come to the Lord for so many things. We have a lot of things we deal with. Brother John mentioned a couple of times and I agree with it. Life is not easy. The walk of Christianity is not always easy. We would like to say just because we come to know Christ as our personal Savior then we have a free ride over all the troubles of life. That is just not the truth. What we do have is this. We have a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. We have wisdom near us where we can just cry out unto the Lord and He will give us wisdom. We can ask for real guidance. We can ask for real strength. We can ask for comfort. We can ask, when it seems like there is no way out; He will provide for us a way out. He will help us with all these things. We have someone that is greater, and has more strength than anyone could ever imagine, that could ever muster up. He has all strength and all power, and all ability. Through that then you and I—do you know what we do have? We do not have a free ride over all the problems of life. Praise God! We have not only a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, but we have peace within our heart that says no matter how rough the waves get, I know the master of the wind. No matter how difficult things go, I know that our God—as the brother talked about this morning—I know our redeemer liveth. I know all is well with my God.

Come and be saved.