Title The Way to Receive Answers to Prayer
2 Kings (45) The way to receive prayer answers
(2 Kings 19:14-20)
1. Pray with Concentration
When Hezekiah received a letter from Sennacherib, king of Assyria, inviting him to surrender, he went up to the temple of the Lord and prayed (verse 14). Why did Hezekiah go up to the temple to pray? There are probably three connotations. First, it means to put prayer first, second, it means to approach God through prayer, and third, it means to pray earnestly with concentration.
If you want miraculous changes and revolutions to take place in your life, you must be able to focus on good things. Therefore, if you have a difficult problem, go to the temple and meet God first before meeting people, and do not talk as much as possible. The more you talk, the more likely you are to open up to mistakes and wounds, and discouragement and defeatism. When difficulties arise, pray more than talk much. And focus on prayer. That way, you can win the problem and have no side effects or aftereffects after winning.
2. Pray, Don't Ask
When Hezekiah prayed, he opened a threatening letter and prayed (verse 14). It means that we will give up our demanding attitude to God and pray with an attitude of humble prayer. As we go through life, there will be letters containing stories and circumstances that are frustrating, unfair, and amazing, and we want to cry out to God alone. Tell God about such a story and circumstances as it is, and pray as follows. "God! Did you hear it? God! Did you see it? Please remember us to get through this situation well! But in the end, do as God wills!”
Hezekiah prayed: “Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; O LORD, open your eyes and see; hear what Sennacherib has sent to slander the living God” (verse 16). He said, “Incline your ear and hear.” Hearing Sennacherib's full-blown threats and asking him to save his country. He also said, “Open your eyes and see!” It means to read the letter from Sennacherib. How desperate are you? Asking God to take a look at his circumstances rather than making such a request moves God's heart.
3. Pray for God
Hezekiah prayed. “O LORD, God of Israel, who is above the cherubim, you alone are God in all the nations under the heavens; you made the heavens and the earth” (verse 15). As Hezekiah prayed, he exalted God to the utmost. When we pray like that, we should do better to exalt God who hears our prayers rather than to list the contents of our prayers well. God is a personal God. Therefore, the prayers of the saints who love, fear, and exalt God will be answered faster than any other prayer.
When praying, the attitude of the person praying is also important. God is pleased with the humble prayers of the humble. What is humility? Humility isn't the only way to humble yourself. The highest humility is to exalt God. So, the greatest prayer that pleases God is to pray humbly and pray with thanksgiving. When we pray with the highest praise of God and give thanks in everything, the work of answers will soon appear.
4. Pray with Confidence
Rely on God's promises and pray with faith. If you get too attached to your will and wishes, it's easy to be disappointed. In the end, having doubts about your prayer life and saying, “I am disappointed!” is also a sign that one's will is ahead. The most difficult people in this world are those who project their expectations onto others, hoping that they will move according to their expectations, and are quickly disappointed if they don't go as expected.
Some parents are easily disappointed that their children do not live up to their expectations. Some couples say, “I didn't expect this to happen!” when spouses don't live up to each other's expectations. Such expectations, which are prone to disappointment, are a kind of “transformed desire for domination.” Even when we pray, it is never a blessing to be easily discouraged because God does not fulfill our prayers. After you have prayed your best, leave the results completely to God. When you put God's will before your own, God will be pleased with your prayer and will answer you with the best results.