The Power of Earnest Prayer

The Power of Earnest Prayer

 

2 Kings 20:1-11

 

King Hezekiah was so sick that he was close to death. He turns his face towards the wall and prays earnestly. He appeals to God to remember that he lived truthfully before the Lord and obeyed God's word with a perfect heart. God answers Hezekiah's prayer, extends his life by 15 years, saves him from Assyria, and protects him. God promises to protect Jerusalem in order to protect His own reputation and for the sake of His servant David. And He shows the miracle (evidence) of the sundial's shadow moving back ten degrees.

 

God does not ignore our tearful prayers (1-6). God listened to Hezekiah's earnest, weeping prayers, healed his illness, and extended his life. With what heart do we pray?

 

Placing fig paste on wounds was a medical practice used by people at the time for treatment (7). The fact that Isaiah placed fig paste on Hezekiah's wounds suggests that God's healing can also be achieved through medical techniques. Sometimes God's healing is a supernatural work that goes beyond medical techniques, but sometimes it works through human hands. Ordinary and common sense methods are also the means by which God works.

 

The sign of the sun's shadow moving back ten degrees shows how far God's power and sovereignty can reach (8-11). God is a God who has the ability to stop the sun when necessary. We are safe because God, who can do all things, is with us.

 

Dear God, help us to pray wholeheartedly, even in the midst of despair.

사랑하는 하나님, 절망 가운데서도 전심으로 기도할 수 있게 도와주세요.

 

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