Learning to pray through a trial like Hezekiah.

2 Kings 19:14-19

Introduction

When your world turns upside down where do you go for help in your time of need?

Background as to what is happening in the life of Hezekiah

Assyrians/ Sennacherib (senakarib)

Taken control of the northern tribes

4th year of Hezekiah’s reign Assyria took control of Samaria

Hezekiah has rebelled against Assyria

14th year as king, Assyria took control of all the cities around Jerusalem

The Battle of Lachish

Hezekiah was faced with a great trial!

Here is my desire today, I want to show you through the life of Hezekiah that in our trials we must not rely on our own strength and wisdom, but that we should seek others to pray for us and that we should bring our burdens straight to God!

Do not rely on your own strength and wisdom

Explain

Hezekiah was a righteous King…. 2 Kings 18:5 “5 He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.”

Sennacherib is at the door….He just rolled over Lachish and Hezekiah does what he can to protect Jerusalem

2 Kings 18:14 “14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will bear.” And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.”

He emptied the treasury and stripped the temple

His plans fail…. Assyria comes to Jerusalem and plans to lay siege anyways… it looks like Jerusalem is doomed (no one has been able to fight off this great Assyrian army)

Hezekiah tries to accomplish something in his own strength and might! (of course God has given us strength and wisdom (aqueducts) but He must be our strength)

How many times are we tempted to do the same

Sometimes in our trials going to the Lord is a last resort when it should be our first line of defense

Proverbs 3:5–6 “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Illustrate

In London it was the first day… we arrived on our campus and began prayer walking and just trying to engage students. It was cold and wet and nobody wanted to have a conversation… I started getting upset, even questioning why I was there…

What am I doing here. Why did I leave my family to come and just walk around a college campus in London. I started getting nervous about talking with people…

So after walking around campus for about 30 minutes I decided to do something that I should have done when we first arrived. I sat on a bench and prayed that God would open conversations and give me boldness…

He did.

In met a young man that led me to meet 4 muslims, i spent at-least 5 hours…

Incredible gospel conversations …

Philippians 4:6–7 “6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Apply

In our trials… We must rely on the Lord

Philippians 4:10–13 “10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

John 15:5 “5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

When a trial comes our way prayer should be our first line of defense not a last resort… do not fall into the trap of relying on your own strength and wisdom.

Invite others to pray for you

Explain

Listen to what the King of Assyria says…

2 Kings 18:28–35 “28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand. 30 Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” 33 Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’ ””

Here is Hezekiah’s response

2 Kings 19:1–4 “1 As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. 2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. 3 They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. 4 It may be that the Lord your God heard all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.””

Here is Isaiah’s response

2 Kings 19:5–7 “5 When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, 6 Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me. 7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’ ””

Do we go to others in our time of need?

Why don’t we?

Pride

to ask for prayer is to show weakness or vulnerability… it is to admit to this reality that you need help.

There are a few reasons why a person won’t admit they need help..

Because they do not want to be seen as needy or weak

Because they do not want to be a burden

Both are forms of pride…

Scripture speaks to both of those

James 5:16 “16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

There is healing …

1 Timothy 2:1–4 “1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

admitting you need help in your time of need represents a posture of humility

Prove

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Press

Look how God has set up the church to be a family of believers who lift up each others burdens and carry each others burdens!

Examples???

what a blessing it is when we know we can come to our Christian brothers and sisters and they will lift us up to God in prayer!

Illustrate

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Apply

Like Hezekiah we should invite others to pray for us in our trials and in our times of need!

Bring your need straight God

Explain

2 Kings 19:14–19 “14 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. 15 And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made the heavens and the earth. 16 Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 17 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands 18 and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. 19 So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.””

The Acrostic TRUST

T—take it before the Lord (v. 14). Notice the imagery as Hezekiah takes Sennacherib’s threatening letter and spreads it before the Lord in the temple. He physically lays his burden before God. Biblical writers tell us to cast our burden or care on God

Psalm 55:22 “22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

1 Peter 5:7 “7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Philippians 4:6 “6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

R—recognize the greatness of God (v. 15 He recognizes the majestic presence of God, who’s “enthroned above the cherubim.” He affirms the exclusive nature of God, who is God “alone.” He affirms the total sovereignty of God, who is the God of “all the kingdoms of the earth.” And he recognizes the unparalleled power of God, who “made the heavens and the earth.”

A low view of who God is oftentimes is seen in our lack of prayer

U—unload the problem to God (vv. 16–18). Hezekiah asks God to “listen closely” and “hear” and “see.” He calls on God to consider the mockery of Sennacherib, who taunts “the living God.” His prayer then includes a lament, a description of the dire situation. He states that Assyria has destroyed other nations and their gods but affirms, “They were not gods.” Hezekiah isn’t complaining against God; he is taking his complaint to God. He is lamenting the situation, pouring out his heart.

Talk out your issue in God’s presence.

Unfortunately , sometimes we spend more time complaining to others about our issues than we do spending time bringing our issue to the Lord!

Unload it to the One who can carry it.

S—seek the help of God (v. 19a). His supplication is simple: “Now, LORD our God, please save us from his hand.” You don’t have to have big, impressive words when you pray. Present your request to God (Phil 4:6). If you are the Father’s child, tell Him what you need like a child. Jesus said that God heard the prayer of the tax collector, who simply said, “God, turn Your wrath from me—a sinner!” (Luke 18:13).

T—treasure the glory of God (v. 19b). The purpose of his prayer is also simple but so important: “so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God—You alone” (emphasis added). Hezekiah isn’t just praying for his own sake or for the people’s sake, but for the sake of God’s glory.

Davis says, “When we are concerned with God’s glory we are likely to be heard” (2 Kings, 289).

Is this “God, glorify Yourself” not reflected in the opening of the Lord’s Prayer? “Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy” (Matt 6:9) or “make Your name great.” Oh, that we might be consumed with this desire: the glory of God being made known among the nations!

Press

Hebrews 4:14–16 “14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Illustrate

2 Kings 19:35 “35 And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.”

Apply

Brothers in sisters… in our time of need we can go to God in prayer with confidence that God will hear and act on our behalf … we have a family of believers who we can call upon who will lift us up to God and intercede on our behalf…

This is what Hezekiah teaches us about prayer in our time of need! … invite others to pray for you and bring your burden straight to God Almighty!

Invitation

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