Hezekiah Prays to Live
HEZEKI H PRAYS TO LIVE ext: II Kings 20:1-11 ntro: This great king oft e Jews is told by Isaiah that he needs to get his house in order for me will die. He turned his head to the wall and prays and cries before the Lord. The Lord answers his prayer and 15 years is added to ~s life. He prayed and God heard his prayer. The Lord doesn't~ways give us what we want. We are suppose to pray accord in to God's will. One of the greatest privileges we have as sav d people is to pray to the Lord God. He is able to meet all of our ryeeds. I. HEZEKIAH PRAY TO GOD. A. The sick 1. Hezekiah was sick unto death. We are not told what the sickness was. 2. We do know t at it was life threatening. 3. The Lord's pe ple will get sick and die. We may wonder why. fe may wonder about the sicknesses and disease the sayed people go through. 4. We may evenl~hink that we should not have to go through theSe!lings. B. The servant 1. God told Isai to go and tell Hezekiah he was going to die. I 2. This great proIPhet went to this king and instructed him to get his hou e in order because he would die. 3. What a diffic It task for this servant to do! There are times when 1e know we will die and we need to get things in order. C. The solemn 1. When faced ith death some become very angry with God. 2. Some blame od and even turn their backs on Him because of thr death of a loved one. 3. Some becom very bitter and turn to a life of sin and 29destroy a lood Christian testimony. II. HEZEKIAH p*YS TO THE GIVER. A. He prays to the Giver and sustainer of life. 1. When to11 He would die, Hezekiah turned his face to the wall ap-dprayed to the Lord. 2. One prea~her entitled a sermon on this text, GIVE GOD AREAS~N. 3. Hezekiah,iCalled on God to remember that he walked in truth, witI a perfect heart, and had done good in God's sight. V3 B. He prays to he gracious One. 1. When faced with sad and tragic news, the very best you can do isliray to the Lord. 2. The Lord is so very gracious to His people. He loves us. I John 4: 9 3. The Lordi is the sustainer of our lives. Psalm 3:5 We live or di,b according to the Lord's will. 4. God is so good. God is so good. God is so good to us. e. He prays to the Guide. 1. The Lor is our great, good, and chief Shepherd. Psalm 23:1 I2. He walks before us. He walks with us. He walks around us. I3. Weare i structed to pray for His will to be done on earth as t is in heaven. Matthew 6: 10 III. HEZEKIAH RAYS IN GRIEF. A. The truth 1. Job lets s know that we will go through a lot of trouble and trials. Job 14: 1 2. Hezeki was faced with the news that he would die. He was /to set his house in order. 3. Facing IhiS bad news he turned his face to the wall and prayed 0 the Lord and then wept before the Lord. B. The troub e 1. Every erson will deal with troubles and problems in 30life, even a king. 2. Troubles bear Ipon the mind and heart. Troubles become a heavy load for us to carry sometimes. 3. You can try to carry them yourself or you can turn to the Lord for h lp in time of need. Hebrews 13:5,6 C. The trust I 1. He besought, entreated, pleaded with God for his life. 2. He turned to tte One that could do something about his condition. WOfld to God people would turn to the Lord during their time of need. 3. Tears are a 1~lguage that God understands. God is moved by our tears. IV. HEZEKIAH PRAY IN GRACE. A. The request 1. Hezekiah t~d to the Lord and ask a petition of Him. 2. Although the F,criptures do not tell us what he prayed for, he besou~t the Lord for something. 3. Pray is a tim~l~f asking God for the things that we stand in need of. THank God we can ask of Him. B. The r~ason I.. .1. ThIS was a special time of asking. He was told he would die. I 2. He was told t~ set his house in order for he would die. Many do not know they are going to die and don't have time to set things in order. 3. Study what Hebrews 4: 15,16 teaches. Thank God for this truth foubd in these verses. C. The resigning I 1. Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. He talked with the Lord about this matter. 2. After his shoh prayer, he left it with the Lord and wept before Him. 3. Our lives are in the hands of the Lord. He is the One in control. 4. After we pre ent our case and cause to Him, we must 31I learn to resign ourselves to His will and way. V. HEZEKIAH PRAYS IN GROWTH. A. The experiences I 1. Times of trou~le are times of learning and growing in the grace of om Lord. 2. Paul prayed fd~ra thorn to be removed three times. II Corinthians 1 :8 The Lord didn't remove the thorn. 3. Our faith will e tried. We will experience the trials of faith. James 1 3 B. The education 1. Study what Dflvid said in Psalm 119:71. David said it was good for him to be afflicted. 2. Most of the 19ssons in life that we learn come from times of tr0jle. 3. We learn the ard way that sin doesn't pay. Hebrews 12:6 We Ie sin doesn't satisfy. Psalm 107:9 C. The edifying I 1. The Lord waIfts to make us strong during these times. We are to gr w in grace and knowledge. II Peter 3:18 2. Troubles can result in our becoming stronger and more mature in the Lord. 3. Troubles can help us feel for others in the same condition an help them in the situation. D. The exalting 1. The Lord is e One that sustains us in times of trouble Psalm 3:5; J b 10:12 2. The Lord gi '/ s us grace in time of trouble. II Corinthians 12:9 3. The Lord is lways there for us during troubles. Hebrews 13:5,6
