10. The Prayer to Change Destiny

2 Kings 20: 1-6

 

1 About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the Lord says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.”

2 When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord,

3 “Remember, O Lord, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.” Then he broke down and wept bitterly.

4 But before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard,[a] this message came to him from the Lord:

5 “Go back to Hezekiah, the leader of my people. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, and three days from now you will get out of bed and go to the Temple of the Lord.

6 I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my own honor and for the sake of my servant David.’”

▣                     King Hezekiah fell ill. The prophet Isaiah of God came and told Hezekiah to prepare to die. However, when Hezekiah fell ill and was suffering, he prayed a mourning prayer, and God answered and extended his life for another 15 years.  Destiny to die has changed.

 

When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, (2 Kings 20:2).

 

In general, if the king of a country fell ill, the country would be in turmoil with seeking medicine and finding his name.  But King Hezekiah only prayed.

He turned his face to the wall. The only place to look was God.

This is to find the answer in God.

It is the faith to find the way and the will in God.

It is only prayer in the closet. Such prayers change fate.

 

1. Prayer Changes Destiny.

 

I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my own honor and for the sake of my servant David.’” (2 Kings 20: 6).

 

King Hezekiah fell ill.  He has to clean everything up.

King Hezekiah prayed earnestly to God to extend his life by 15 years.

Although he was destined to die, he prayed and changed his life.

Prayer changes his life.

 

2. Prayer moves the heart of God.

 

“Go back to Hezekiah, the leader of my people. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, and three days from now you will get out of bed and go to the Temple of the Lord. (2 Kings 20: 5)

 

When King Hezekiah became ill, God told the prophet Isaiah that he was already a deadly disease.  Nevertheless, Hezekiah prayed to God, and God extended his life.  God is the one who hears the prayers of the people and answers them even if they change his will.

 

12 Why let the Egyptians say, ‘Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people! 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’” 14 So the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people. (Exodus 32: 12-14)

 

When Moses was not on Mount Sinai for 40 days, the Israelites built an altar and made a golden calf to worship.

At this, God became angry and said that he would destroy the people of Israel. When Moses goes before God and prays for the forgiveness of their sins, he refuses to be angry because God changes his will.

Moses' prayer turns God's will.

 

19 In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this

people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”

20 Then the Lord said, “I will pardon them as you have requested.

(Numbers 14: 19-20)

 

When the 12 spies of Israel returned from spying on Canaan, they reported that the inhabitants of the land were too strong to enter Canaan (Numbers chapter13).

So God promised to strike the Israelites with a plague.

So Moses asked God for forgiveness and prayed, and God forgave the people's sins.

 

3. Prayer moves people's hearts.

 

But before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard,[a] this message came to him from the Lord: (2 Kings 20: 4)

 

When we pray, God changes His will, and when we pray, God moves people's hearts.

The prophet Isaiah said that Hezekiah's disease was death.

 

About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the Lord says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.” (2 Kings 20: 1)

 

When King Hezekiah prayed, God told Isaiah that the king's life would be extended by 15 years. The prophet Isaiah also heard the voice of God and spoke to the king.  Isaiah's words to the king were not his wishes or wishes.

It is not a consolation for a sick person.

It was the clear and irresistible work of God that Isaiah had to overturn his own words.  The answers to prayers are real and real.

 

4. Prayer is being heard and seen by God.

 

“Go back to Hezekiah, the leader of my people. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, and three days from now you will get out of bed and go to the Temple of the Lord. (2 Kings 20: 5)

 

God hears prayers, sees tears, and heals problems himself. Prayer is not communication.  God heard Hezekiah's voice and saw his tears.

God did not receive Hezekiah's intention to live a little longer, but saw his earnest heart.  You saw his tears.

 

While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. (Hebrews 5: 7)

 

Jesus prayed with weeping and tears. He must learn from the prayers of Jesus.

There were always three things flowing through Jesus' prayer.

There was sweat, tears, and blood. The Bible says that when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, his sweat became drops of blood.

Also, when Lazarus died, Jesus wept. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Then Jesus wept. (John 11:34-35).

Also, Jesus prayed that the will of God the Father, not his will, be done, and he obeyed by dying on the cross.

 

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.” (2 Chronicles 16: 9)