Tuesday, October 23: Isaiah 37- Powerful and effective prayer.

Today we read Hezekiah's response to the threats of the king of Assyria. Immediately Hezekiah tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD (1).

Hezekiah went to be with his Lord and he abased himself before God. Humbled, Hezekiah knew he was in trouble and that he didn't have power or strength to oppose Assyria's King on his own. His first impulse was to go to the Lord. Many times in Israel's history, when faced with a sizable foe, they turned to other kings and other countries for protection. Egypt was a favorite 'helper.' Hezekiah understood that God, the Lord, was his only true protector.

I pondered Hezekiah's prayer: "LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, LORD, and hear; open your eyes, LORD, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

"It is true, LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, LORD, are the only God" (16-20).

This prayer is 117 words long. The average conversational speaking rate is 110-150 words per minute, so Hezekiah's prayer took about 1 minute. Sometimes we think that we need to inundate God with our prayers and words. And while there are times to spend significant time with the Lord in praying, speaking and listening, we need not do that all the time or with every need.

Hezekiah prayed a powerful and effective prayer in a minute.

Looking over his prayer, Hezekiah begins by honoring and hallowing the Lord. Then he states the issue as he sees it, Sennacherib ridiculed God with his boasts. Interestingly Hezekiah's heart pounded with God's honor above his safety. Honestly, that probably would not have been my prayer... I suspect I would have been frightened for my safety.

Hezekiah next acknowledges the might of Assyria, but quickly calls on God to defend them, which he absolutely believes God can do. Faith in the Lord is my second observation. Utter faith in God.

After all this pondering I am brought to a similar place as yesterday. Be a Hezekiah, a man of faith, a man of pray and trust in the Lord.

Oh, Lord, give me the strength to keep my focus on You, Lord, at all times, in all seasons.  Help me grow as a man of prayer, prayer that honors You and has supreme faith in You. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.