King Hezekiah was a godly king who reigned over Judah for 29 years. His story is told in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah, and by all accounts he did everything well. Among the first things he did as king was eliminate the pagan practices that had drifted into Judah through the reign of his predecessors. He had idols removed from the temple, ordered the Priests and Levites to return to the Biblical order of worship of King David’s time, the Temple was cleansed and joy returned to the people. It was a time of spiritual revival that spread throughout the land
Not everyone was happy with King Hezekiah’s leadership, including the Assyrians. The Assyrian King Sennacherib relentlessly tried to conquer Judah but King Hezekiah led them well militarily, repelling the attacks. As the Assyrian army grew ever stronger Hezekiah’s confidence remained in his God “with the king of Assyria is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” (2 Chronicles 32:7-8). King Sennacherib launched one final attack that he was sure would prevail against Judah. Hezekiah called for prayer and fasting in Judah which God answered in a final, crushing defeat of the Assyrian army. That very night the angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers.
Unfortunately pride often goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall, and this great victory proved a turning point in Hezekiah’s life.
That same year, 701 b.c. King Hezekiah became gravely ill and God sent Isaiah to tell him to get his affairs in order as he wasn’t going to make it. Hezekiah did not respond well to this news and went to God in a passionate prayer of self-pity, essentially saying “after all I’ve done for you and your people, how can you do this to me?” God heard his prayers, sending Isaiah back with the promise of a fifteen year extension to his life. The prophet’s word wasn’t enough for Hezekiah who then asked for a sign from God. Again God heard his prayers and moved the sundial’s shadow backwards ten degrees. God answered the king’s prayers, but with dire consequences.
The first came quickly when the King of Babylon, Berodach-baladan, came to celebrate King Hezekiah’s good fortune. The Babylonians worshiped the sun and instantly noticed the aberration on the sundial. When the king learned the reason and the power that Hezekiah’s God had over nature he had to know more. Having seen the two kings together Isaiah asked Hezekiah about the visit. He learned that Hezekiah had boastfully shown his Babylonian counterpart all of the treasures, gold and silver, the armory, the palace, everything in Judah. The prophet then told the king that because of his pride all of Judah’s treasure would be taken by the Babylonians.
The second consequence of Hezekiah’s actions came later. At the end of the fifteen year extension King Hezekiah died and his son Manasseh reigned in his place. Manasseh was twelve when he assumed the throne meaning that he was born three years after his father’s desperate plea that God extend his life. The most evil king in Judah’s history would have not been born if Hezekiah had simply accepted God’s perfect will.
So where does this leave us as it pertains to prayer? Does not James tell us that the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much? Didn’t the Apostle Paul tell us that men ought always to pray, and that we are to pray without ceasing? Didn’t the Lord Himself teach us to pray, promising that whatever we ask in His name would be answered?
The Lord Jesus was in a similar situation just before His death. Both Matthew and Luke’s Gospel record His prayer in Gethsemane when He spoke the words:
“My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering pass from Me, nevertheless not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39, NIV)
Being fully human yet fully God our Lord asked the Father if there might have been a way that He could be spared the cross, but was careful to say not His will be done but the Father’s.
That is what King Hezikiah missed, not including that exception in his prayer. Hezekiah demanded what he wanted, what he felt he deserved, from God with no regard for what His perfect will might have been. And those prayers were answered.
James also said:
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (4:3, NIV)
The Contemporary English Version reads:
“Yet even when you do pray, your prayers are not answered, because you pray for selfish reasons.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 gives the account of the Apostle Paul who suffered a crippling, painful condition that led him to pray three times for God’s healing. His prayers were denied with the Lord’s words that His grace was sufficient for Paul, that His strength was made perfect in his weakness. Paul accepted that answer.
We should be anxious for nothing and pray about everything as Paul tells us in Philippians 4, but we might also ask the Holy Spirit to help guide our prayers in these practical, Biblical ways:
● Always leave room for God. His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. Following the Lord’s own example: Father, if it be Your will this is what I would ask, nevertheless not my will be done but yours.
● Ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts for wrong motives or selfish prayers. As King David prayed: Lord, search my heart to show me the hidden sin.
● Be careful what we pray for. When God does close a door it may be a good idea to trust Him and leave it closed.
Prayer is less about getting things from God and more about getting to know Him better. It should not be seen as begging Him to change His mind as might a petulant child, but rather learning to see things from His perspective. Paul encouraged the Philippians to “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Also, while Scripture addresses incorrect prayer, it does not mention unanswered prayer (Matthew 7:7-11). In Mark 11:22-24 the Lord promised the Disciples that if they prayed for a mountain to be cast into the sea it would happen. If it seems that our prayers aren’t being answered, could the problem be that we are not at the right mountain?