A Prayer Heard - Wed Night Bible Study

Opening thoughts

READING: , ,

If there is anything we want to hear from God in our day to day life is this: “I have heard your prayer.”

Would you agree with me?

Let me share a passage with you..

Listen to

Isaiah 38:5 ESV

5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.

Many of us who’ve read the Bible know the miracle . . . but I’m not sure we fully appreciate it.

I think so many times we see the miracle, we know the events but we don’t see deep into the story and see the larger picture.

At times God is doing not just a miracle, but He is teaching, He is revealing something a little more about his love, mercy, patience, love and a hundred other topics, we miss what God is doing beyond the picture.

I think this is one of those examples my friends.

Hezekiah was the king, and he became terminally ill. He came to the throne after watching His father do wicked things and live in idolatry before the Lord.

But Hezekiah was different, he was a righteous man who faced the threat of invasion from the hand of a Assyrian forces. He desired for the nation to survive, but it is hard to lead people back to God when they have lived in sin for so long.

Could we think about America like this?

I think so, hard for America to return back to God.....

Now, the nation is under attack, the Assyrians and King Sennacherib is trying to defeat Israel. But there is hope...

God will deliver them from the hand of their enemies and while time was running out as a nation, not to many years they will fall into captivity but not while Hezekiah is king, he does what is right in the sight of the Lord.

God will deliver them from the hand of their enemies and while time was running out as a nation, not to many years they will fall into captivity but not while Hezekiah is king, he does what is right in the sight of the Lord.

Let me share the first 5 verses of Isaiah 38

Isaiah 38:1–5 ESV

1 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.

We know that

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38:1 Isaiah came to Hezekiah who was seriously ill with a life-threatening boil (perhaps anthrax; many kings kept sheep and other livestock) and instructed him to put the kingdom in order because he would die of this disease. He was only 39 years old.

Can you imagine the news......

What if it were the news you would hear......

38:2–3 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and wept bitterly () reminding God of his whole-hearted devotion and faithfulness.

First… He prayed… Do you pray first or last in the day of troubles...

Couches in the east ran along the wall of houses, He turned away from anyone who might be there to hide his emotion to pray and collect his thoughts for prayer.

Would you ask God for more time?

Would you ask for something else instead of time?

Second, God saw Hezekiah’s tears. Not a tear fell that God did not see; not a sob echoed from the king’s lips without God’s paying attention to it.

God hears our prayers, what do you think about that truth?

Verse 3; He mentions his past religious consistency not as a boast for a ground for justification. But in the OT, there was a line of thought if a person was good, they might find favor and a prolonged life.

Isaiah 38:4–5 ESV

4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.

Isaiah 34:4–5 ESV

4 All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree. 5 For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction.

VV 4-5 God turned Isaiah back before he had made his way out () and told him to grant Hezekiah healing and fifteen more years of life.

“Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I am going to add fifteen years to your life’” (

Third, God not only heard the prayers and saw the tears, but he also granted Hezekiah 15 more years of life.

He did so not because Hezekiah had earned it, but because He was gracious and loving.

Third, God not only heard the prayers and saw the tears, but he also granted Hezekiah 15 more years of life. He did so not because Hezekiah had earned it, but because He was gracious and loving. God gave the king more life simply because He saw it best to do so for His own glory and purposes. I remain amazed that the true God who created all things had an ongoing conversation with Hezekiah about his miraculous healing. 

This is an important truth lest we forget it is His mercy and not our works.

God gave the king more life simply because He saw it best to do so for His own glory and purposes.

I remain amazed that the true God who created all things had an ongoing conversation with Hezekiah about his miraculous healing. 

Now lets look at verse 5-8

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Isaiah 38:6–8 ESV

6 I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city. 7 “This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he has promised: 8 Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.

God promised him to not only give him life, but to give the city life as well.

Isa 38_6-8

Isaiah 34:

For a proof text, In response to Hezekiah's request for a confirming sign, God moved the shadow on the sundial marked by the steps of Ahaz's building back ten degrees.

There is no explanation of this event. Isaiah instructed the king's attendants to put a poultice of figs on the boil and he would be healed. ()

The King is healed and life goes on because of God’s faithfulness.

In response to Hezekiah's request for a confirming sign, God moved the shadow on the sundial marked by the steps of Ahaz's building back ten degrees. There is no explanation of this event. Isaiah instructed the king's attendants to put a poultice of figs on the boil and he would be healed. ()

But it began with a praryer first and nothing else.

God turned Isaiah back before he had made his way out () and told him to grant Hezekiah healing and fifteen more years of life. In response to Hezekiah's request for a confirming sign, God moved the shadow on the sundial marked by the steps of Ahaz's building back ten degrees. There is no explanation of this event. Isaiah instructed the king's attendants to put a poultice of figs on the boil and he would be healed. ()

In some ways, though, God’s willingness to hear our cries, see our tears, and respond to our requests is equally miraculous. Be amazed at God today.  

ACTION STEPS: 

Talk to God today. Share your griefs with Him, and trust Him.Live in wonder that He hears any of us.  

PRAYER: “God, I love You. Thank You for life and grace.”