Powerful Prayers

I've been reading 2 Kings in my daily devotions, and I recently read about Hezekiah, one of the last kings of Judah.  Unlike many of the kings that came before him, and all of the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel, Hezekiah was regarded as a good king.  Actually, he was not just a good king.  Second Kings 18 says that he was righteous as David was righteous.  And, by Bible standards, that is quite the compliment.


As I read through this chapter, I was particularly struck by verses 5 and 6, quoted here from The Message:


Hezekiah put his whole trust in the God of Israel. There was no king quite like him, either before or after. He held fast to God—never loosened his grip—and obeyed to the letter everything God had commanded Moses. And God, for his part, held fast to him through all his adventures.


The New American Standard version says that Hezekiah "clung to the Lord".  He clung to God, never loosening his grip.  His faith guided him, even when the Assyrian army came knocking on his door, threatening to destroy the kingdom.


Perhaps the part of the story that impresses me most comes two chapters later.  In 2 Kings 20, Hezekiah is said to be lying on his death bed.  When Isaiah (yes, the same one after whom the book is named) tells the king that his life is almost over, Hezekiah does what he knows to do... he turns to God in prayer.


When faced with death, he prayed.


And God answered.


Before Isaiah had even left the grounds of the palace, God told him to turn around and tell the king that God would restore him to health and give him another 15 years.


The Bible says that God hears the prayers of those who trust in Him (see, for example, James 5:16).  Prayers are indeed a powerful gift from God.  By speaking with God, battles are won, souls are saved, and lives are changed.  By the power of prayer, the impossible can be accomplished.


As the end of the year quickly approaches, we are praying that God will work in a mighty way.  We have recently plateaued in raising our support, but we are praying that God will bring us to 25% of our monthly pledges.  That would be approximately another 5 individuals pledging to give $50 per month each.  We believe that, though this amount may seem big to us, it is not outside of God's ability (really, He could raise it all!).

Will you join us in this?  Will you pray with us that this goal may be reached, and even surpassed, by the beginning of the new year?  We hope you will!