Devotional on 2 Chronicles

2018 – Sightseeing Acadia National Park and area

Praying man
2 Chronicles 32: King Hezekiah…responded by praying.
Before moving on, let’s take one last look at this King of Judah who’s ranked with Solomon or even King David. Here we see his tiny nation threatened by the mighty Assyrian army. Sennacherib, himself, has come to oversee the defeat of Judah and the capture of Jerusalem. The siege starts with psychological warfare. With the huge Assyrian army camped out nearby messengers come to intimidate Hezekiah and try to divide the loyalty of the people. Of course the threat is real. Assyria has marched across the region defeating one nation after another. When Sennacherib says that Judah is next he’s deadly serious. Hezekiah responds in some practical ways. For one thing he plugs up the springs that the enemy army might use as a water supply. However, we’re told that his primary response is to pray. I love the picture I see here. For Hezekiah prayer isn’t the “last ditch because I’ve tried everything else” approach. This man has learned a valuable lesson: when he prays, God answers. It seems that I have to often return to this basic lesson. Even when I have a wealth of evidence that prayer makes all the difference in the world my first response to many life events is to try to handle things myself. It’s only when that fails that I get serious about praying. Know what? I don’t think the problem is unique to me! “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”
Take Away: Prayer is to be our first response.

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