Scripture

Then this message came back to Isaiah from the Lord. “Go back to Hezekiah and tell him,’This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayers and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria.’”

Observation

Hezekiah becomes extremely ill. Isaiah goes to visit him and tells him to set his affairs in order for he is going to die.

Hezekiah prays and asks the Lord to heal him. He weeps bitterly as he prays.

The Lord sends Isaiah back to Hezekiah with the message that the Lord has heard his prayers. He will add fifteen years to Hezekiah’s life. As a as a sign of this promise, the Lord will cause the shadow on the sun dial to go backwards ten steps.

Application

Hezekiah prayed passionately to the Lord and he was healed. Not only did he receive healing from his immediate illness, the Lord added fifteen years to his life.

The Lord responds to passionate prayers. He wants us to pray with feelings for the things that really concern us. Prayer is not meant to be a to be a cold and dispassionate recital of prayer requests.

No, prayer is sharing what is on our hearts. There is a place for prayer lists and so on where we pray because we know that we should.

The really powerful prayers are where we allow the Holy Spirit to be released in us and to speak through us.

Sometimes these prayers come with authority that we didn’t know we had. At other times there will be tears or laughter. These powerful prayers are always heard in heaven.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the boldness and power that come when we pray in the Holy Spirit. Please teach me how to do this more. Amen.