Prayer: Hezekiah

By Odon Bulamba (summary only - 23rd Sept, 05)

(II Kings 20:1-6)

Hezekiah liked to be king and he thought if I die today who will replace me. He told God, “God I promised to do things for your glory but I haven’t fulfilled them yet”.

All Isaiah told Hezekiah was to prepare his house. God was talking about his place in the kingdom of God. “Do you know your situation in my Kingdom? Are you sure of where your house is? Is it in the Kingdom of God or in the kingdom of satan?”

Although he was sick he got the courage to pray and ask God, ‘why do You want to take me?’ When you are crossing a hard situation what do you do? Do you contact your family and friends or find help from a specialist or do you first look for God’s face? It’s not bad to meet with others but find at least two seconds to pray. If we have the grace now open your mouth and speak now and make your house ready. Most people when they are about to die can’t open their mouths anymore because satan struggles a lot to stop your mouth or your brain so you can’t repent. People who are wise in the Kingdom of God, when they know things are getting hard will prepare their house. ‘God where am I going? What will happen for my eternal life?’ Repent and get ready.

Hezekiah was already ready so He came in front of God and told Him, ‘remember how I walked with you, remember the things I used to do for your glory?’ He was 100% sure of himself and before to pray we must be 100% sure. Tell God your positive points and be proud of who you are but if you are doubting then make sure all you do pleases God so at the end of the day you can tell God, ‘did you see how much I did for you today? Did you see how I did this and this and this?’ God doesn’t remember our sin if we repent but He remembers our good points. Tell God everyday, ‘help me to do something that you will remember. We have to be ready at any stage to pray (as Hezekiah was already ready) so we must keep ourselves pure at every second. This is a matter of personal decision, if I say today I will not steal then I must keep that decision and not steal. And when you feel temptation tell God, ‘because today I promised you I would not get angry, I can feel this coming so please make this go away so I’ll stay sinless’. When we are praying we have to make sure we are pure in body and heart and if we have problems with others we have to fix them.

Hezekiah cried. When we cry while we are praying it’s a sign of telling God we are not able to find a solution to what’s in front of us or it may be because of joy. When we are praying for a hard situation we have to ask ourselves why are we praying. Present the situation to God, ‘I’m praying because tomorrow Michelle will die, it’s hard for me, it’s hard for her, it’s hard for all of us, make something happen, help us’. Our prayers can change everything if we have a good purpose but if our reason is not a good one then God will leave us like that. Many people today pray in a wrong way, we have to ask ourselves before to pray what will be gained by that prayer request. For example you have a problem against someone so you tell God to give them a car accident and when it happens you are really happy. We have to know how to control our words and to know how to control what we will tell God.

Hezekiah preferred to live but he left it up to God’s will. Sometimes God allows situations to be the way they are, we don’t have to complain or operate a miracle to make it change, we just have to accept it.

Sometimes God listens to our prayers but doesn’t reply immediately. God sent Isaiah back to Hezekiah to tell him that God had listened to his prayer, to give to him hope. God can change his plan when we are telling Him of things we have done. God can change impossible things. Isaiah told Hezekiah that he will be healed in three days. Why three days and not right now? Because it was a matter of faith. When you are crossing a hard situation and God tells you to wait, will you believe that or will you doubt. Hezekiah was doubting because Isaiah had told him he would die and then he comes back with another story. We have to struggle against doubt because when God changes His mind we have to be ready to accept and not doubt.

Three quarters of Christians live like Thomas, ‘I believe God can do that but I’m not sure’. Thomas could see signs but still wasn’t sure, he still had to touch. Sometimes we are like Thomas, ‘yes I believe God but I need proof’. And God says, ‘My proof is My Word, My servants, My Voice’. Sometimes we hurt God with our way of doubting.

The biggest weapon against prayer is to doubt. Put aside doubt. Once faith is dead you won’t receive what you want. Jesus used to say, ‘do you have faith? Be healed’. Faith comes by listening to the Word of God. Fear removes the power of faith, fear brings doubt but the Bible says 365 times to not fear so tell God to fulfill that, ‘I don’t want to fear’ and that will make your faith to be encouraged. Sometimes because of fear, when we are praying in front of others we adjust our words and are afraid to say in the power of Jesus’ name; when that happens control yourself and ask yourself, am I in front of God?

Hezekiah needed a sign and Isaiah discovered that he was doubting so he prayed to God to make the sun go backwards. We need faith that is alive and if you want to pray alone you have to first start as a group and practice it and see how God works and then whenever you are somewhere that you must pray, you will have the courage to do it. Praying in a group will give you strength to pray.

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