Word or the day by Christian Education Forum

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Persistence in Prayer

2 Kings 20:1-20

Vs. 5 “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah prince of my people, Thus says the Lord, the God of your ancestor David: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; indeed, I will heal you; on the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord.

 Sometimes in life we are faced with overwhelming stress and worry that often we feel ignored by God. However, the truth is that it is in our weakest moments that we are able to see God’s grace, mercy and favor. If we rely on God our hearts will be opened to what God has planned for us.

 Relationships are built on trust and in order to have a strong relationship with Christ we must have faith in him. Through prayer our relationship can grow. What keeps our relationship strong is the trust we place in our prayers to God.

 Hannah prayed for many years before God gave her a son; Daniel prayed while in a den filled with hungry lions; David’s psalms are filled with prayers that affirm both the communion-seeking and kingdom-seeking prayers. The triumphant victories of Hannah, Daniel and David are a result of their persistence in prayer.

 One particular individual that proved to be a faithful servant and king was Hezekiah. When the prophet Isaiah came to Hezekiah bearing a message from God stating that he (Hezekiah) will not get better and will die eventually, Hezekiah did not get angry or doubt God. Instead he immediately looked away and prayed to God asking him to remember how Hezekiah has faithfully served the Lord, and then he just cried out to God (verse 3).

 How many times in our life have we received horrible news, faced failure, watched our plans not go our way and instead of praying/crying out God, we have ignored God, or strayed away from God? Right after Hezekiah heard his future, he prayed to God. He sought to find comfort in his master without asking for anything. The result: God heard Hezekiah’s cries and chose to heal him (verse 5).

 As long as we believe in what God promises us, he will not fail us. This life we live in can be full of worry but if we remain hopeful in Christ and be persistent in prayer, we will see just how amazing God is towards our life. Having that personal conversation with God allows us to break down our walls and let him in. 

 Just like Hezekiah, God wants to shower us with his love. He not only gave Hezekiah his life back, but he added 15 years to it and delivered the city from the Assyrians (verse 6). Hezekiah’s faith allowed God to open doors that no one thought would happen.

 As we step out into the world today, let us remember all that God has done, and is going to do in our lives. Let us be persistent in our prayers and keep hope; as Isaiah assures us: “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength...” (Isaiah 40:31)

 PRAYER

Heavenly father,  thank you for our everyday blessings and your unending grace and mercy. Father, we ask that you give us strength and wisdom to follow a righteous path and have a daily relationship with you through prayer. We pray that in your time my prayers will be answered, and while we wait we ask for your strength to remind us of all that you have done for us. Amen. 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

“Prayer is the window that God has placed in the walls of our world. Leave it shut and the world is a cold, dark house. But throw back the curtains and see His light. Open the window and hear His voice. Open the window of prayer and invoke the presence of God in your world.” (Max Lucado)
Lisa Skaria, MTC Staten Island, NY
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

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