1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,960 Meet me in Second Kings Chapter 19 as we complete this chapter 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:10,760 tonight. By the grace of God, many of us 3 00:00:12,040 --> 00:00:17,800 have been taught that when we are visited by crisis, we should 4 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,920 never hesitate to run to God in prayer. 5 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:24,960 But I'm not sure. How many of us are equally 6 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:30,680 equipped to know how we should pray in crisis? 7 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:34,560 And to our great encouragement, the Holy Spirit provides us 8 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:40,280 guidance in our text this evening as we look at Hezekiah's 9 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:46,240 strong example in this area. Yeah, I'm reminded as I've been 10 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:50,160 studying this this week, of the single incident where the 11 00:00:50,160 --> 00:00:54,240 disciples asked the Lord directly to teach them about 12 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:57,000 something. It's found in Luke Chapter 11 13 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:02,400 where they said Lord teach us to pray as John taught his 14 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,200 disciples. There was something about the 15 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:11,520 way Jesus prayed, how he prayed, when he prayed, that moved his 16 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:15,520 closest followers to inquire about the mechanics, the motives 17 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:19,600 of true prayer. And I believe that's what the 18 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:21,000 Lord has in store for us tonight. 19 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,120 We are going to learn how to pray specifically when we are 20 00:01:25,320 --> 00:01:29,840 visited by devastating news, and it's going to be through 21 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:33,840 Hezekiah's example in the beginning of this study. 22 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:38,440 You know, people often ask, how do I seek the Lord effectively, 23 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:43,880 consistently, confidently? And one way that God has given 24 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:48,160 us instruction is by giving us models of prayer. 25 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:52,920 Men and women of God in the Scriptures who have poured out 26 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,320 their hearts before the Lord in different situations in order 27 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,440 for us to be fully furnished in our understanding of what it 28 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,840 means to come before the Lord and his presence to seek his 29 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,600 hand. And right from the beginning, we 30 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:10,440 are going to consider 4 essential characteristics of 31 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:15,280 effective prayer when real problems arrive. 32 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:21,240 These are not the only. Characteristics, but key ones, 33 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,040 and we're going to see them, I'm sure, by just looking at the 34 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:28,120 first handful of verses in Second Kings 19, beginning in 35 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:30,680 verse 14. Now some of these points are 36 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:33,520 going to serve as reminders, while others might introduce new 37 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:37,280 insights into how we bring our troubles before God. 38 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:41,640 Let's read together Second Kings 19, verse 14. 39 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,800 Hezekiah received a letter from the hand of the messengers and 40 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,640 read it. And Hezekiah went up to the 41 00:02:49,640 --> 00:02:52,160 House of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. 42 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:57,840 And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, O Lord, the God 43 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:03,080 of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You 44 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:05,240 alone of all the kingdoms of the earth. 45 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:09,720 You have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O Lord, and 46 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,840 hear. Open your eyes, O Lord, and see 47 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,880 and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent 48 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:19,800 to mock the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of 49 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,200 Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands and have 50 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:27,200 cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the 51 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:29,200 work of men's hands, wood and stone. 52 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:34,040 Therefore they were destroyed. So now, O Lord our God, save us 53 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,480 please from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may 54 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:45,440 know that you, O Lord, our God, alone so powerful. 4 essential 55 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:54,520 features of effective prayer in times of turmoil #1 you and I 56 00:03:54,520 --> 00:04:01,960 must acknowledge the majesty. Of God always before Hezekiah 57 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:08,160 speaks about his problems, he fixes his mind on the 58 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:12,320 magnificence of his God. Do we not see it here? 59 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:16,880 I'm afraid that Christians often forget to include this in their 60 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:22,160 prayerful pursuit of relief right away. 61 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,600 Hezekiah in verse 15 says, O Lord, the God of Israel, and 62 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:27,400 thrown above the cherim, you are the God. 63 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,320 You alone of all the kingdoms of the earth, You have made heaven 64 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,920 and earth. Listen, when you and I 65 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:40,240 intentionally confess the attributes of God, that alone 66 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:43,200 contains the power of placing everything in its proper 67 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,400 perspective. And there even comes moments 68 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:50,840 where you and I do so, and we are drawn into a time of worship 69 00:04:50,840 --> 00:04:54,720 that helps us forget the very fear of frustration that drove 70 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,720 us to pray in the 1st place. Has that ever happened to you? 71 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,560 But in order for this to be true of us, in order for this to 72 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:08,120 actually succeed in our attempts, we have to understand 73 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:09,600 who God is according to His Word. 74 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:16,120 Your prayers and mine have to be biblically informed, and it is 75 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,520 in God's Word alone, as you know, where we are taught who He 76 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:23,240 is. And so I want you to look back 77 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,280 at these verses and consider and you can actually answer out loud 78 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,920 of some of the things that Hezekiah says that proves that 79 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:33,560 his prayer life was instructed by his understanding of 80 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,080 Scripture. What does he say here? 81 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:37,320 What does he highlight about the Lord? 82 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:41,080 Anything stand out to you Again, you're welcome to speak out loud 83 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:46,360 if you're if you're willing, the God of Israel. 84 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:49,920 That is not unimportant. Anything else. 85 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:56,760 OK, there you go. Who is seated above the 86 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:59,760 cherubim? Absolutely anything else he. 87 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:08,040 Acknowledges that God. You are the God of all the 88 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:09,920 kingdoms. You made heaven and earth 89 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:13,360 beautiful, wonderful. Now let's look at these things 90 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,440 one by one. When he says God of Israel, 91 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:18,280 again, that's not an insignificant thing. 92 00:06:19,280 --> 00:06:25,080 Hezekiah is reminding his own soul that God has a special 93 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,120 covenant with the people of Israel, that the people of 94 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:33,360 Israel have this pledge granted to them by the living God. 95 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:37,400 It's an unconditional promise. And one of the most important 96 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:41,680 things about this specific promise is that God assured this 97 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:44,760 people that he would preserve the divinic dynasty 98 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:49,520 unconditionally. And so essentially what Hezekiah 99 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:52,080 is doing from the beginning is that he is setting before his 100 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:55,440 mind at the forefront of his intercession, the faithfulness 101 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,560 of God. I am speaking to the God who has 102 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,840 made promises and has never broken one of them. 103 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:04,520 What a way to prepare your heart to seek the Lord. 104 00:07:05,280 --> 00:07:10,520 What a way to frame your intercession, the God of Israel. 105 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:12,960 But it doesn't end there. Beyond that. 106 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:18,520 Now he says of the same God who is seated where above the 107 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,000 cherubim. I know one thing about Hezekiah 108 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:25,640 based on this, that he studied the book of Exodus because in 109 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:31,640 Exodus 2522 we read there that God promised Moses that he would 110 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:37,520 be found seated above the mercy seat between the cherubim. 111 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:41,280 And from that place he would speak to Moses to give him the 112 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:43,320 instructions that he was to give to the people of God. 113 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:47,680 So what is Hezekiah essentially appealing to when he says you 114 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:50,200 are the God who is seated above the cherubim? 115 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:54,400 Well, the cherubim are part of the mercy seat. 116 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:59,000 I believe what this man is doing is reminding himself that he is 117 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:02,640 coming to the Lord, comforting himself that he is making this 118 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:04,640 plea on the basis of God's mercy. 119 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:11,840 That Lord, when you chose to symbolically be enthroned on the 120 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,480 earth, you chose the seat of mercy. 121 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:20,840 Now I'm coming to you and asking for mercy when you and I come 122 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:24,160 before God. It is absolutely vital that we 123 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:30,720 recall his heart, even while we entreat his hand, as important 124 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:36,000 as it is to yes, think about his power, his omnipotence, his 125 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:41,320 abilities, Do not disconnect that from his compassion, his 126 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:46,160 tenderness, his kindness. He's not indifferent to us. 127 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:48,400 You see, some people when they come to the Lord and ask Him of 128 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:52,520 anything, they think they have to try to convince God as though 129 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:56,440 God is reluctant, as though God is there with his arms crossed. 130 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:58,520 Isn't my Son Jesus enough for you? 131 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:02,160 Is not the gospel enough for you as much as the gospel 132 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:05,080 sufficient? We learned there that yes, the 133 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:07,560 Lord has given us His Son. How much more than is He willing 134 00:09:07,560 --> 00:09:11,160 to give us? And so you have to understand, 135 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,280 I'm coming to the one whose heart is for me. 136 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,800 He is merciful. He's sympathetic. 137 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,280 He invites me to him. I don't have to try to get his 138 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:27,200 attention by persuading him with my string of sentences. 139 00:09:28,560 --> 00:09:31,120 All I have to do is come to him and trust that his heart, he, 140 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:35,160 he's a, he's kind to me. And then we. 141 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:38,120 See something else? Because at the same time he does 142 00:09:38,560 --> 00:09:40,960 speak of God's power. It's not here though, it's in 143 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:44,880 the parallel account. So we find the same scene not 144 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:47,920 just in Second Kings, we find in Second Chronicles 32, in Isaiah 145 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:50,360 37. But look at Isaiah 37 where the 146 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:54,120 same prayer is recorded. Isaiah 37 verse 15. 147 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:02,480 Yes, the Lord is majestic, not just in His power, but in His 148 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:05,520 willingness to move in our lives. 149 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:08,240 But He does still underline His power. 150 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:11,040 Isaiah 3715. This is not mentioned in the 151 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:14,320 text of Second Kings 15 and 16 reads. 152 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:20,000 And Hezekiah pray to the Lord, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, we 153 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:22,920 cover that, and thrown above the cherubim, we cover that. 154 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,800 So what does he add here, O Lord of hosts? 155 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:31,680 What can that be translated as, O Lord of what armies? 156 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:38,440 Angelic armies? So Hezekiah here is 157 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:43,240 intentionally bringing to his own mind something that is 158 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:46,760 relevant to his crisis. Why would he say, oh Lord of 159 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:48,840 hosts, because he's surrounded by an army? 160 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:53,920 It makes sense, and this is something for you and I to 161 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,960 consider, that if we want to do our faith any good, we should 162 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:00,960 know how to address God in a way that makes sense to the thing 163 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:05,560 that is before us, the object of our worry, the cause of our 164 00:11:05,560 --> 00:11:09,680 frustration. How familiar are you with who 165 00:11:09,680 --> 00:11:13,280 God is and all that He is? Do you need encouragement? 166 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:18,040 Well, do you know that in Romans 15, five God is called the God 167 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:23,440 of endurance and encouragement? You and I know about the Holy 168 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:27,640 Spirit, but you also know that. He's called the Spirit of Wisdom 169 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:30,320 and Revelation and Ephesians 117 do you need? 170 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:35,040 Clarity, call upon Him who is the spirit of wisdom and 171 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:40,000 revelation. And so we have to we have to 172 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:43,120 equip ourselves if we're going to come boldly and effectively 173 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:45,920 in the place of prayer, acknowledge the majesty of God. 174 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:48,120 But you have to be informed about it first. 175 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:52,560 And Hezekiah is a biblicist. He's not ignorant of the 176 00:11:52,560 --> 00:11:56,600 Scriptures and it fueled his prayer life and a few yours as 177 00:11:56,600 --> 00:11:58,240 well. That's just the first 178 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:00,600 characteristic. We now come to the second one. 179 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:06,720 We have to understand that there is an invitation that we must 180 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:08,920 make. For the wisdom of God. 181 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:10,920 And while we make that invitation, we should rest. 182 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,640 So here's a way of titling this. Invite and rest in the wisdom of 183 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:14,840 God. That's what we find here in 184 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:18,760 verse 16 of Second Kings 19, after describing who God is and 185 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,360 verse 16, he says, incline your ear, O Lord, and hear. 186 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:24,040 Open your eyes, O Lord, and see and hear the words of 187 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:27,000 Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 188 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:29,600 You know what's so beautiful about this invitation? 189 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:36,000 You don't get the sense that Hezekiah has a clue how God is 190 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:40,280 going to solve this situation, nor does he presume to give God 191 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:43,960 step by step ideas of how he should do it. 192 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:47,760 It's as though he's just coming in absolute simplicity. 193 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:52,640 Lord, just look at this, please. Lord, just see this. 194 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,480 Please hear this, please. And it doesn't go beyond that. 195 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:00,040 And here's the wonder of this. That's all that was required for 196 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:03,840 God to take action. You know, some of us have an 197 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:06,000 understanding of God as though he is some kind of employer. 198 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:08,320 You know, there's a lot of bosses that ask of their 199 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:10,720 employees, hey, if you have a problem, I don't want you to 200 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,040 just approach me with a problem. Come to my desk with what? 201 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:18,240 A solution. That's how some Christians think 202 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:20,840 God is like that. If you're going to come to him, 203 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:24,240 you should put together some plan of action that that you 204 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:29,080 should come prepared, so to speak, with how this should come 205 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:31,160 about. Not so. 206 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:36,440 We're children of the King. You and I have been granted 207 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:40,000 access to the throne of grace, and we can just come and spread 208 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:45,320 our needs before Him and call His attention to it and trust 209 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:49,440 that He will wholeheartedly move on our behalf or give us the 210 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:55,240 wisdom to know how to proceed. Paul tells us that the Spirit 211 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:59,120 helps us in our weakness. We just hear that, I think, OK, 212 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:00,360 yeah, I'm generally weak. No. 213 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:02,440 What kind of weakness is he Speaking of in that place in 214 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:05,760 Romans 826? For we do not know how we ought 215 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:08,520 to pray. We're very weak in prayer, are 216 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:13,080 we not? But we're guaranteed that the 217 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:17,000 Spirit is right there with us, translating every word 218 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:21,120 perfectly, bringing it before God so that nothing is missed. 219 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:26,200 Then, even if our prayers are reduced to size or repetition 220 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,440 because you don't know how to eloquently present yourself 221 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:33,160 before the power of God and the might of God and the authority 222 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:37,160 of God, we are, we are comforted to know that He knows exactly 223 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:42,120 what you need. My mind went to King David when 224 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:46,000 he was expelled from his own Kingdom because of Absalom, his 225 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,840 son, that rebel. And while he was enduring a 226 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:52,800 whirlwind of emotions, he was being reported to with different 227 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,080 updates. And one of the most terrifying 228 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:58,360 updates was that one of his chief counselors, Ahithophel, 229 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:05,800 sided with the rebels. And so weak, so dejected. 230 00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:09,240 The only thing that this man could say on his way to safety 231 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:15,000 was, oh Lord, please turn the Council of Ahithophel into 232 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:20,960 foolishness. And God took that and he did 233 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:23,720 much more on behalf of his servant David. 234 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:29,000 He put a permanent end to a thoughtful so. 235 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:32,520 So it's a beautiful thing, is it not, that we can come fumbling 236 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:37,000 and unsure with how we're going to speak about these things. 237 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:42,040 And God calls us to still invite his wisdom and rest in it. 238 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:47,280 Rest in it. Thirdly, be honest before God. 239 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:51,800 1/3 Characteristic of effective prayer and time of crisis. 240 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:53,880 Be honest before God. Look at verse 17. 241 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:57,000 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste to the 242 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,280 nations and their lands. I love that. 243 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,040 Yeah, there's some Christians who have very strange ideas 244 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:06,840 about what faith looks like. Faith that pleases God. 245 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:11,720 And to some believers, faith means that you should minimize 246 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:14,720 the severity of a situation, downplay it, maybe even outright 247 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:17,360 deny it. There are many ways that we do 248 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:19,280 this. A common way that I've seen in 249 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:21,640 my own life is that let's say, for example, that there is a 250 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:25,600 doctor, doctor's diagnosis or a report, and it's tragic. 251 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:28,640 You also, you have some believers who will, in their 252 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:32,600 response to faith, rebuke that. And they will even verbally 253 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:34,920 rebuke it, never to revisit it in their thoughts, never to 254 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:36,960 bring it up to anybody else, never to even bring it before 255 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:41,520 God. And that's not what Hezekiah 256 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:46,440 does here. He assesses what this problem 257 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:50,680 entails, how real it is, and he brings it before God in total 258 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:53,280 honesty. And if there's any instruction 259 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:57,360 here, it's it's quite obvious, I think, that this dispels any 260 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:00,600 notion that we shouldn't come before the Lord transparently. 261 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,119 You have every right to do that. Last Wednesday at our prayer 262 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:08,200 meeting, we were meditating before we started praying on 263 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,480 that famous verse in Hebrews 416. 264 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:14,280 Let us then with confidence. Approach the throne of grace. 265 00:17:14,599 --> 00:17:17,880 That we may receive grace, or receive mercy and find grace in 266 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:21,319 times of need. You know what that word 267 00:17:21,319 --> 00:17:23,800 confidence means and some of your translations might say. 268 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:28,800 Let us come what boldly it actually means in the original 269 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:34,840 to speak freely, to speak openly, to be frank. 270 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:41,000 No concealment. Be blunt. 271 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:44,800 That's not to say that we should speak without reverence, but it 272 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:47,160 does mean that we can speak honestly. 273 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:51,520 And so the invitation there is that we can come before the Lord 274 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:57,800 and express in words. This is what's confusing me. 275 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:01,960 I am confused. This is what's annoying me. 276 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:06,360 He's the one who is annoying me. She's the one who's bothering 277 00:18:06,360 --> 00:18:09,400 me. This is what's making me 278 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:11,960 fearful. I'm terrified. 279 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:16,520 And what Hebrews tells us in that context is we have a high 280 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:23,720 priest who sympathizes with us as we do, so does this scoff at 281 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:28,640 us. It doesn't belittle us, We're 282 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:30,920 told by the Holy Spirit. Come with that kind of 283 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:33,400 confidence, Come with that kind of freedom. 284 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,600 Spill your heart out, whatever is in there. 285 00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:44,120 This makes prayer more inviting. You'd be amazed at how many 286 00:18:44,120 --> 00:18:46,920 Christians are intimidated, not just in corporate settings, even 287 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:51,520 in their own prayer lives. Be honest before God. 288 00:18:52,360 --> 00:18:54,120 But as much as being honest before God about the 289 00:18:54,120 --> 00:18:56,000 discouraging things are important, we should also, at 290 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,760 the same time, if you want to build your faith in prayer, have 291 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:04,040 the presence of mind to acknowledge other things, the 292 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:07,000 good in the midst of our pain. Now this doesn't mean that you 293 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:09,960 try to wishfully think or make up things to try to soothe your 294 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:13,880 soul, but it does mean that you should widen your your own 295 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:18,120 perspective and understanding the the the landscape, the total 296 00:19:18,120 --> 00:19:22,080 landscape of what's taking place so that you can be built. 297 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:24,200 Up as you approach the Lord and believe Him for more. 298 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,880 One of the things in my life when I've been persecuted and 299 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:31,440 all of us in some way, I'm sure I've been persecuted. 300 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:36,320 Is as I cry out to God, I remind myself of the support system I 301 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:39,080 do have of the people in my life that love me and that are with 302 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:42,280 me and are standing by my side that has done me good. 303 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:45,800 And the way Hezekiah is doing it here in this situation is what 304 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:49,920 look at verse 18 and have cast their gods into the fire. 305 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:53,680 For they were not gods, but the work of men's hands, wooden 306 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,600 stone. Yes, sure, Assyria bulldoze over 307 00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:00,720 lands and kingdoms and armies, but those nations didn't serve 308 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:03,080 real gods. They serve things that were 309 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:05,680 created by men. So he's getting his facts right. 310 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:09,640 He's he's realizing I, I serve the true and living God. 311 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:11,400 You see how he's broadening his understanding. 312 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:16,240 Be honest before God. Be truthful to yourself. 313 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:19,360 And part of being truthful to yourself is also looking at the 314 00:20:19,360 --> 00:20:24,040 good, seeing the positive, seeing the blessings, being 315 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:27,120 thankful. That will charge you up in the 316 00:20:27,120 --> 00:20:29,600 place of faith and prayer and adoration before God. 317 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:34,560 Lastly, this is an obvious one, I'm sure, but all how we need to 318 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:39,880 be reminded of it. Seek, seek the glory of God. 319 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:44,840 Look at verse 19. So now, O Lord our God, save us, 320 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:48,520 please from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may 321 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:52,520 know that you, O Lord, our God alone. 322 00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:58,480 This is why David is a man after God's own heart in it, or 323 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,840 Hezekiah in his own respect. He imitates David in this way 324 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:05,480 because his truest desire in this predicament is that the 325 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:11,520 Lord's honor would be known. It's not his own reputation. 326 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:13,920 It's not his own preservation. It's not anything else. 327 00:21:14,360 --> 00:21:17,720 More than anything, it's God. I desire that through this 328 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:22,840 answer, people would recognize who you truly are and so use 329 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:24,720 this. Problem as a platform for you to 330 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:27,840 show up in your power and your grace and your might. 331 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:30,520 I don't know how that's going to look, but I'm just inviting you 332 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,920 to it. And a passion for the Lord to be 333 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:37,600 exalted in all things at all times will undoubtedly shape the 334 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:42,680 way you and I pray. In fact, it's the very motive 335 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:44,760 and ambition that will compel you to pray. 336 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:49,880 When you're moved by that, when you live for that, for God to be 337 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:54,480 known, then you will be driven to that place of inviting God 338 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:56,920 and seeking God for the sake of God's name. 339 00:21:58,200 --> 00:21:59,760 And that's precisely what this man does. 340 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:02,840 What's the result? What's the result of Hezekiah's 341 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:06,080 praying? Look at verse 20. 342 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:09,600 Then Isaiah the son of Amos sent to Hezekiah saying, thus says 343 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,880 the Lord the God of Israel, your prayer to me about Seneca of 344 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:16,000 king of Assyria. I have heard. 345 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:24,280 Now Isaiah records his own words here differently, a little 346 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:27,240 differently, not in a contradictory way, but in a way 347 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:29,440 that completes what he says to Hezekiah. 348 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:32,280 So go to Isaiah 37. This will be worth it. 349 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:35,040 And look at verse 21 of Isaiah 37. 350 00:22:40,570 --> 00:22:43,890 Then Isaiah the son of Amos sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus says 351 00:22:43,890 --> 00:22:47,370 the Lord the God of Israel, because you have prayed to me, 352 00:22:49,130 --> 00:22:51,970 Because you have prayed to me, concerning Seneca of king of 353 00:22:51,970 --> 00:22:55,970 Assyria, implying what if you had not prayed, I wouldn't have 354 00:22:55,970 --> 00:23:00,600 answered. But Hezekiah, because you took 355 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:03,200 the time to be strategic and intentional of coming to my 356 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:07,360 house, laying this request before me, I will do something 357 00:23:07,360 --> 00:23:10,600 about it. What's the encouraging thing 358 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:12,800 about this verse God hears when we pray. 359 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:15,840 What's the warning if you don't pray? 360 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:23,640 God might not move, so why not pray when things hinge on our 361 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:27,680 prayers? I know we can sit across the 362 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:30,120 table and debate about the sovereignty of God and how that 363 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,200 works with our prayers. And I'm not here to debate 364 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:36,560 anything. I'm here to take the Word of God 365 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:38,840 at face value. There are things that will not 366 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:41,360 happen in my life or yours unless we pray. 367 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:45,640 Full stop. So instead of spending my energy 368 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:48,960 trying to understand all the intricacies and all the 369 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:51,760 mechanics of this, I'm simply going to do what? 370 00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:56,080 Pray, Pray and trust that God will do something because I 371 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:59,520 prayed. Now I gave you 4 characteristics 372 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:04,080 of essential effective prayer, but I want to give you a bonus 373 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:07,320 one. And the bonus 1 is not in Second 374 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:09,200 Kings 19. It's not in Isaiah 37. 375 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:13,720 It's in that other book, Second Chronicles 32. 376 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:20,200 Look at verse 22nd Chronicles 32 while we have Bible study people 377 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:31,880 cut their grass Second Chronicles 32 verse 20 Then 378 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:38,320 Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet the son of Amos prayed 379 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:41,400 because of this and cried to. Heaven. 380 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:47,920 You know, when people come to this story in Second Kings, they 381 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:53,480 are often moved by the imagery of this royal man leaving his 382 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,160 throne, leaving his palace, making his way to the public 383 00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:59,280 sphere of worship, and taking this letter and spreading it 384 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:01,440 before the presence of God, saying, Lord, you need to do 385 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:03,200 this. And it is a moving sight. 386 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:08,320 It's a wonderful picture, but people tend to forget this side 387 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:11,320 of Hezekiah's praying. What does he do? 388 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:14,000 He invites the prophet to pray with him. 389 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:17,000 So don't just limit it to Hezekiah. 390 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:22,360 I see here this king calling his companion a man of God, saying 391 00:25:22,360 --> 00:25:25,400 let's pray and cry out to God in unison. 392 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:29,760 What a sight that is. Here you have the king and here 393 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:33,560 you have the chief prophet of the time lifting up their voices 394 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:36,880 together for God to come end up moving. 395 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:42,800 He should be moving, and I believe something similar takes 396 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:45,240 place in this very sanctuary, week after week on Wednesday 397 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:53,200 nights. Can I ask you something In the 398 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:57,880 surprising afflictions of your life, in the seasons of 399 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:03,560 challenges, have you ever considered calling a friend? 400 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:07,800 A friend who prays, a friend who fears God, a friend who loves 401 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:12,600 God and inviting them to the House of God so that you and him 402 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:20,840 or her can intercede on behalf of a wayward child, a struggling 403 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:27,440 marriage, financial strain, a dead end situation. 404 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:33,880 Has that ever occurred to you? Let this be your inspiration. 405 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:38,560 I'm calling so and so. And we're going to go to the 406 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:42,640 House of God. We're going to hold hands, we're 407 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:45,040 going to put our arms around each other and we're going to 408 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:47,960 seek the Lord together. If this, if this moves me, if 409 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:50,280 Isaiah and Hezekiah coming together and seeking God moves 410 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:52,080 me, how much more do you think it moves God? 411 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:57,800 And that's not just a way for you to come to prayer on 412 00:26:57,800 --> 00:26:59,040 Wednesday. It's never mind Wednesday night 413 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:00,840 prayer meeting. When's the last time you and I 414 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,600 have considered? To call a friend and saying, you 415 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:05,800 know, this is what's going on in my family. 416 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:07,360 This is what's going on in my own heart. 417 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:09,720 This is what's going on in my own spiritual journey. 418 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:15,000 Will you commit with me to pray for one week And let's just 419 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:20,520 bombard heaven and let's acknowledge the majesty of God 420 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:23,080 and let's invite the wisdom of God. 421 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:28,400 And let's just be honest before God and let's let's seek God's 422 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:32,640 glory in this matter together. And let's see what God does. 423 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:42,080 This is the second time that Hezekiah went to the House of 424 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:46,040 God when he was visited. By a threat two out of two 100% 425 00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:49,280 of the time. What kind of inspiration was 426 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:52,280 this for the people of Israel? Remember he went to the House of 427 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:54,120 the Lord. As much as we need our own 428 00:27:54,120 --> 00:27:57,120 prayer clauses. This man went before others and 429 00:27:57,120 --> 00:28:05,400 they saw wow the king. Prays what a leader showing the 430 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:09,680 people what they should do when they don't know what to do. 431 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:15,800 Oh, I pray parents, that you have that same conviction that 432 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:20,240 your kids when they see that things are going wrong, when 433 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:24,320 uncle so and so or or Grandpa so and so we get we get together 434 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:28,400 and pray we seek the Lord. May the Lord give us the grace 435 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:32,800 to remember this as a reflex. Now the rest of this chapter 436 00:28:33,120 --> 00:28:36,720 contains the detailed response God gave to Hezekiah through the 437 00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:39,600 prophet Isaiah. And the Holy Spirit could have 438 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,760 simply summarized this and said the Lord heard His Servant and 439 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:44,400 acted on his behalf. But he doesn't do that. 440 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:47,720 We read here and said that there's a lengthy, specific 441 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:52,520 answer, and clearly this is important for us. 442 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:56,120 And more than that, not just because it's it's long here, 443 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:59,000 it's detail, it's because it's found also in Isaiah 37. 444 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:02,880 So whatever Isaiah is ready to say, it's repeated. 445 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:06,120 And it's meant for us to investigate more closely what 446 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:08,960 the Lord is revealing in it. So here's how we're going to do 447 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:10,360 this. We're going to comb through 448 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:15,000 these verses lightly and make brief comments every other verse 449 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,080 perhaps, or in a collection of verses, and see what the Lord 450 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:21,600 wants to say to us in a specific promise that He gives to the 451 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:24,120 king. Let's begin here in verse 21. 452 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:29,400 This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him. 453 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:34,880 She despises you. She scorns you, the virgin 454 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:38,520 daughter of Zion. She wags her head behind you, 455 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:42,200 the daughter of Jerusalem. Whom have you mocked and 456 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:44,040 reviled? Against whom have you raised 457 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:47,520 your voice and lifted your eyes to the heights against the Holy 458 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:51,920 One of Israel? By your messengers you have 459 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:55,880 mocked the Lord, and you have said, With my many Chariots I've 460 00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:59,160 gone up the heights of the mountains to the far recesses of 461 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:02,320 Lebanon. I felt its tallest Cedars, its 462 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:05,480 choices cypresses. I entered its farthest lodging 463 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:08,080 place, its more most fruitful forest. 464 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:12,360 I dug wells and drank foreign waters, and I dried up with the 465 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:15,320 sole of my foot all the streams of Egypt. 466 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:20,040 So with this cluster of verses, I want to make one simple point. 467 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:24,680 God not only hears very carefully the cries of the 468 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:31,400 righteous, he also remembers. The Bose, the taunts and the 469 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:35,520 blasphemies of the wicked. Look back at verse 23 again. 470 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:39,800 Remember now he's speaking to Hezekiah about what he is saying 471 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:43,640 regarding Senekreb, the king of Assyria, and about Senekreb he 472 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:45,520 says in the middle of verse 23. And you? 473 00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:54,040 Have said, and you have said so God is not just aware about the 474 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:58,120 letter that Senekreb gave to Hezekiah, He's also aware of 475 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:00,720 what he said prior to. This. 476 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:05,280 And what's the essence of what Seneca was saying? 477 00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:07,600 That his army was essentially unstoppable. 478 00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:09,440 Look at some of the language again. 479 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:13,480 I have gone up to the heights of the mountains, to the far 480 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:16,640 Reese's of Lebanon. I felt its taller Cedars, its 481 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:17,840 choices Cypress. I entered it. 482 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:20,160 He's saying that there is nothing and no one that could 483 00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:22,880 stop me earlier. He says my many Chariots have 484 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:24,040 gone up the heights of mountains. 485 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:30,480 Chariots don't go up mountains. They can only work with level 486 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:32,920 ground. But he's saying my Chariots, Oh 487 00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:37,920 no, they can go up any mountain. Oh yeah, there's some natural 488 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:40,280 borders, some seas and rivers and Niles. 489 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:41,760 But look what he says in verse 24. 490 00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:44,160 I dried up with the sole of my foot. 491 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:48,240 All the streams of Egypt, the amount of men that I have when 492 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:53,280 we crossed creeks and rivers, that kind of impact made those 493 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:58,560 things dry. And the Lord says I I've heard 494 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:03,360 all your boasts. All your accolades. 495 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:07,720 Not only is he aware of the words, look at verse 27. 496 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:11,000 We didn't read it yet, but just to give you an idea, he says 497 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,400 he's of Seneca. But I know you're sitting down 498 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:19,080 and you're going out and coming in and you're raging against me 499 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:22,520 because you have raged against me and your complacency has come 500 00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:26,680 into my ears. I'll put Hook in your nose and 501 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:30,240 my bit in your mouth and I will turn you back on the way by 502 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:33,720 which you came. I know where you go. 503 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:36,200 I know where you come from. I know when you stop. 504 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:39,920 I know when you accelerate. So essentially what the Lord is 505 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:41,360 saying is I know everything about you. 506 00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:48,400 Now, for for somebody to have such a detailed understanding of 507 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:51,000 someone else means that he's very passionate about it. 508 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:55,320 And what I learned here is that God is passionate about his 509 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:59,840 dealings with the proud. Remember Job? 510 00:33:01,280 --> 00:33:04,640 We all do. I'm sure by the end of the book, 511 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:08,680 the Lord appears to Job and challenges him because Job was 512 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:10,280 questioning the sovereignty of God. 513 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:13,080 Job was essentially challenging the sovereignty of God. 514 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:16,640 And so the Lord responds to the challenge and he says, let's see 515 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:19,560 if we're alike. And it begins to list all these 516 00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:22,920 different things that he does. And from time to time, he says. 517 00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:25,360 Are you aware? Of when this happens. 518 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:29,920 Can you do this if so, then we we can have this conversation, 519 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:35,040 but it just one after the other these different abilities of the 520 00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:37,160 Lord presents of himself and there's one thing that I think 521 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:41,600 people miss about God and his sovereignty. 522 00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:48,800 It's in Job 40 verse 11. God says this man, pour out the 523 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:52,920 overflowings of your anger and look on everyone who is proud 524 00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:58,080 and obeys him. Look on everyone who is proud 525 00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:01,840 and bring him low and tread down the wicked where they stand. 526 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:07,000 And the verse is out there. He says if you can do this, then 527 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:11,440 you can save yourself. In your knowledge of the 528 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:14,199 sovereignty of God, have you ever considered God's ability to 529 00:34:14,199 --> 00:34:17,159 humble absolutely everyone who's proud? 530 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:22,639 That's fascinating to me. We think of creation, we think 531 00:34:22,639 --> 00:34:25,440 of salvation, we think of healing, we think of miracles. 532 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:28,360 No, no, add this to the category of God's sovereignty. 533 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:32,960 He's able to humble every arrogant person on the earth, 534 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:35,040 and if you wanted to, you could do it at the same time. 535 00:34:38,679 --> 00:34:41,480 So we see here that God feels very strongly. 536 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:44,360 About the proud as much as he is passionate about the prayers of 537 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:48,320 his people. He's also very fervent about 538 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:53,120 hearing what men say in defiance of God and uplifting themselves 539 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:54,520 and dealing with them accordingly. 540 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:57,080 So here's what I learned looking at this this afternoon. 541 00:34:57,160 --> 00:35:01,640 If God feels this way about pride, how do I protect myself 542 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:04,360 from it? That's a good question, right? 543 00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:07,360 Are we susceptible to pride as Christians? 544 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:10,880 If you say no, that's an indication that you're probably 545 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:16,880 struggling with it, of course. Is there any clue in Second 546 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:21,480 Kings 19 that can help my heart be shielded against this venom, 547 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:23,960 this poison called pride? Absolutely. 548 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:28,080 Look at verse 25 of Second Kings. 19 We didn't read it yet. 549 00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:36,120 After he reveals that he knows what Senekrep said in verse 25, 550 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:39,760 he says something to Senekrep. Have you not heard that? 551 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:44,120 I determined it long ago. I planned from days of old, what 552 00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:48,200 now I bring to pass, that you should turn fortified cities 553 00:35:48,200 --> 00:35:52,240 into heaps of ruins, while their inhabitants, shorn of strength, 554 00:35:52,240 --> 00:35:55,480 are dismayed and confounded, and have become like plants of the 555 00:35:55,480 --> 00:35:59,040 field and like tender grass, like grass on the housetops 556 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:06,280 blighted before it has grown. What is God saying, Seneca? 557 00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:10,400 Here you are Tooting your own horn, telling yourself and 558 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:12,680 everybody else how wonderful you are, how how you're the 559 00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:16,200 superpower of a nation, how you take over anything and anyone. 560 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:20,480 And I'm here to inform you that I am the one who gave you such 561 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:24,240 success that what you're realizing now has been 562 00:36:24,240 --> 00:36:27,960 foreordained. That in my Providence I have 563 00:36:27,960 --> 00:36:31,400 weakened these other nations. And I've raised you up as the 564 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:35,920 rod of my anger to chastise these other people groups for 565 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:40,640 their iniquity. In other words, the reason why 566 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:44,520 Seneca was so proud was because he believed that it was his 567 00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:48,600 wisdom and his strength and his training and his resources that 568 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:53,520 brought about his success. And the Lord's here to tell him, 569 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:55,320 no, it's actually because of my sovereignty. 570 00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:01,480 That's the essence of you and I. That's the antidote against 571 00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:04,400 pride. Constantly being mindful that 572 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:10,040 every ounce of intelligence. Of creativity, of wisdom. 573 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:16,040 Any open door, whether small or very wide, is because God 574 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:21,200 permitted it, because God enabled you. 575 00:37:22,680 --> 00:37:24,920 And when you and I lose sight of that and began to look at 576 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:31,080 ourselves and praise ourselves and boast in ourselves, you're 577 00:37:31,080 --> 00:37:35,760 treading on dangerous ground. You know what's amazing about 578 00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:39,840 this is that God confronts Senekreb about his sovereignty. 579 00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:45,280 Even though Senekreb was not in a relationship to God, he was 580 00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:46,720 not. He was not in covenant with God. 581 00:37:46,720 --> 00:37:48,840 He was an enemy of. God, and this is not really 582 00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:51,240 spiritual, is it? God's not talking about his 583 00:37:51,240 --> 00:37:53,280 sovereignty over your spiritual gifts and your knowledge of 584 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:56,440 scripture and your holiness. He's talking about your 585 00:37:56,520 --> 00:38:00,800 innovative abilities, your ability to to think about things 586 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:04,360 and strategize. Any aspect of life must be 587 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:06,640 acknowledged as God's goodness in your life. 588 00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:13,080 Any good, any anything, any prosperity, any power has to go 589 00:38:13,080 --> 00:38:17,480 back to Him as the permitter, and only when you live. 590 00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:21,440 Under that revelation, are you protected from exactly what's 591 00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:22,840 going to get Senek Rebbe in trouble? 592 00:38:25,200 --> 00:38:27,680 So he says. I'm here to tell you, because 593 00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:30,800 clearly you didn't hear that. I determined all of this a long 594 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:33,520 time ago. I authored this. 595 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:37,680 Unfortunately, Senekreb is not going to humble himself 596 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:40,640 regardless. So what do we find next? 597 00:38:41,560 --> 00:38:46,840 Well, we see here that Senekreb is about to be visited by a 598 00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:50,800 surprise. And before that surprise comes, 599 00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:53,680 we see something else here in verse 30. 600 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:56,480 We read verse 28. Let's read verse 29 and verse 601 00:38:56,480 --> 00:39:01,640 30. And this shall be the sign for 602 00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:02,560 you. And now he's speaking to 603 00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:05,840 Hezekiah. This year eat what grows of 604 00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:09,400 itself and in the second year what springs of the same. 605 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:13,040 Then in the third year sow and reap and plant vineyards and eat 606 00:39:13,040 --> 00:39:19,480 their fruit. So he promises Hezekiah with a 607 00:39:19,480 --> 00:39:24,080 sign of how he will know that this victory over Seneca will be 608 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:25,960 of God and it will be a lasting peace. 609 00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:31,720 You know the the brutality of a siege when a an army surrounds a 610 00:39:31,720 --> 00:39:33,400 city. Is that essentially they 611 00:39:33,400 --> 00:39:36,840 confiscate all their foods, all their goods, so they starve to 612 00:39:36,840 --> 00:39:38,200 death. Essentially they're starving to 613 00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:40,280 surrender. And the difficulty there is not 614 00:39:40,280 --> 00:39:43,840 only do they confiscate, they also limit the people from being 615 00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:45,520 able to produce their own food, right? 616 00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:47,760 They're stuck within the city walls. 617 00:39:48,080 --> 00:39:50,640 And So what the Lord says, the essence of the sign is you're 618 00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:52,800 going to eat what grows of itself and in the second year 619 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:56,680 with springs of the same. So once I put a hook in 620 00:39:56,680 --> 00:40:00,160 Senecabbs nose, put a bit in his mouth and pull him back to his 621 00:40:00,160 --> 00:40:01,600 hometown. You know why the Lord? 622 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:04,560 Said that by the way, because that's what the Assyrians would 623 00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:09,560 do to their victims. Historically speaking, this is 624 00:40:09,560 --> 00:40:11,040 how vicious this people group were. 625 00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:15,440 Wonder why Jonah was hesitant to go and preach to them when they 626 00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:18,280 would take over, when they would have they when, when they would 627 00:40:18,280 --> 00:40:21,800 have victory over a people group, they would so demoralize 628 00:40:21,800 --> 00:40:24,600 them that they would make them seem like beast and they would 629 00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:28,400 put actual sharp objects in their limbs, in parts of their 630 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:33,200 body and drag them back to their own demise. 631 00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:35,680 You're going to do that to people. 632 00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:40,600 I'm going to do it to you. And he says to Israel, he says 633 00:40:40,600 --> 00:40:42,640 to Judah specifically. Here's the sign that you know 634 00:40:42,640 --> 00:40:45,280 that I've done this well and it's a complete job. 635 00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:48,240 For the first two years after, you're not going to have to sow 636 00:40:48,240 --> 00:40:49,880 anything. The earth is going to produce 637 00:40:49,880 --> 00:40:52,280 itself. And by the third year, there's 638 00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:55,400 going to be the natural course again of farming and 639 00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:58,520 agricultural cycles. And you'll go back to normal 640 00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:01,720 watch. You're going to be able to go 641 00:41:01,720 --> 00:41:03,840 back to the way life was without any interruption. 642 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:05,240 You're going to have peace again. 643 00:41:05,240 --> 00:41:09,080 I'm going to bring this peace. And so they were comforted with 644 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:12,520 this, but but farming wasn't the only thing that God had in mind. 645 00:41:13,040 --> 00:41:14,400 There was a different kind of revival. 646 00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:17,480 Look at verse 30. And the surviving remnant of the 647 00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:22,200 House of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit 648 00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:24,960 upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go a 649 00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:28,000 remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. 650 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:29,840 The zeal of the Lord will do this. 651 00:41:32,280 --> 00:41:35,000 So remember, before Jerusalem was surrounded, there were all 652 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:39,320 these neighboring towns in Judah that were that were taken over. 653 00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:42,200 And the Lord says there's a remnant left. 654 00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:45,920 But I want to promise you this, that the remnant will go 655 00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:48,480 downward in their roots and they will bear fruit upward. 656 00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:52,080 In other words, they're going to be planted in this land and they 657 00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:54,280 are going to flourish right here. 658 00:41:55,160 --> 00:42:00,040 Nothing is going to change that. And so it's wonderful assurance. 659 00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:00,960 But I want to tell you something. 660 00:42:00,960 --> 00:42:03,280 In verse 30, Do you see the spiritual principle there? 661 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:06,720 Look at it again. The surviving remnant of the 662 00:42:06,720 --> 00:42:11,120 House of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit 663 00:42:11,120 --> 00:42:19,000 upward. How do you and I bear fruit? 664 00:42:19,360 --> 00:42:23,720 According to this verse, it's impossible unless you first 665 00:42:23,720 --> 00:42:27,800 invest in inner hidden rootedness. 666 00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:33,880 You and I cannot even fathom making any kind of spiritual 667 00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:40,560 impact unless we find our souls deeply invested in the things 668 00:42:40,560 --> 00:42:42,680 that caught God calls us to be invested in. 669 00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:46,040 And so if there's going to be anything on the surface, if 670 00:42:46,040 --> 00:42:49,160 there's going to be anything that's worthwhile outside, 671 00:42:49,640 --> 00:42:51,760 observable, tangible, there needs to be something in the 672 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:55,720 secret place of my heart, my affections and my ambitions have 673 00:42:55,720 --> 00:42:59,040 to be deeply rooted and nourished by primarily the Word 674 00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:01,920 of God, my relationship with God, the presence of God. 675 00:43:03,720 --> 00:43:05,840 You, you and I cannot grow on accident. 676 00:43:07,920 --> 00:43:11,680 There needs to be a determination that we will first 677 00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:16,400 plant ourselves where God calls us to be planted and to remain 678 00:43:16,400 --> 00:43:20,280 there for the life of God to come through and for there to be 679 00:43:20,280 --> 00:43:25,440 true fruit. And I can tell you this, 680 00:43:25,440 --> 00:43:28,600 wherever there is shallow Christianity, it's inevitably 681 00:43:28,600 --> 00:43:34,840 because of shallow roots. So we even see something of a 682 00:43:34,840 --> 00:43:36,960 proverb here, do we not? I believe so. 683 00:43:38,080 --> 00:43:42,040 Be encouraged by that. Before I move on to the final 684 00:43:42,040 --> 00:43:45,880 verses, look at the last statement of verse 31. 685 00:43:47,120 --> 00:43:49,360 The Lord signs off on this promise by saying what? 686 00:43:49,360 --> 00:43:51,680 The zeal of the Lord will do this. 687 00:43:51,680 --> 00:43:57,800 You know what that means? Here's how you can translate it. 688 00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:07,520 My passion for this 'cause will bring about the reality of it. 689 00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:12,200 I was looking at this today and here's the thought that crossed 690 00:44:12,200 --> 00:44:15,120 my mind. If God is passionate about His 691 00:44:15,120 --> 00:44:22,960 work, how much more us God is passionate about his will. 692 00:44:25,120 --> 00:44:26,560 The zeal of the Lord will do this. 693 00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:29,000 We see, we see this phrase in different places in Scripture 694 00:44:32,240 --> 00:44:35,480 and I'm invited to do what God calls me to do, but I don't want 695 00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:38,480 to just obey his commands. I want to do it with the passion 696 00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:41,080 that God calls me to have for it. 697 00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:47,960 Don't settle for just mechanical routine observance. 698 00:44:49,560 --> 00:44:52,760 If you and I really want to get things done for the King of God, 699 00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:56,720 we have to tap into a spirit inspired zeal. 700 00:44:58,720 --> 00:45:04,880 What was said of Jesus zeal for your house has consumed me the. 701 00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:09,240 Zeal of the Lord. Will do this in Deuteronomy. 702 00:45:09,240 --> 00:45:11,840 Where it went wrong for the people of Israel is when they 703 00:45:11,840 --> 00:45:14,440 stop serving the Lord with joy and gladness of heart. 704 00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:19,960 Don't allow this to condemn you. Allow this to be an invitation 705 00:45:19,960 --> 00:45:22,520 for you. Lord, I want zeal. 706 00:45:22,880 --> 00:45:28,280 I need zeal. Supply that zeal, Be inspired by 707 00:45:28,280 --> 00:45:31,000 it and trust that God is able to provide it. 708 00:45:31,400 --> 00:45:34,840 If He is passionate about His work, let us also be passionate 709 00:45:34,840 --> 00:45:38,800 about it. Speaking of passion, this really 710 00:45:38,800 --> 00:45:42,040 convicted me. This actually bothered me. 711 00:45:44,400 --> 00:45:49,400 Every time I go through kings, this never ceases to irk me. 712 00:45:49,400 --> 00:45:54,080 I'm going to skip over verse 32 and verse 34. 713 00:45:54,280 --> 00:45:57,080 We'll read that at the end. Look at verse 35. 714 00:45:58,560 --> 00:46:02,680 That night the Angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 715 00:46:02,680 --> 00:46:06,440 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in 716 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:08,760 the morning, behold, these are all dead bodies. 717 00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:12,400 Then Sennacherib, king of Assyria, departed and went home 718 00:46:12,680 --> 00:46:18,320 and lived at Nineveh, And as he was worshipping in the House of 719 00:46:18,320 --> 00:46:23,720 Nisraj, his God Ajahmalek and Shahrazar, his son struck him 720 00:46:23,720 --> 00:46:26,240 down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. 721 00:46:26,840 --> 00:46:29,240 And Esther had on his son reigned in his place. 722 00:46:29,440 --> 00:46:34,880 Did you see it? What stands out to you about 723 00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:36,920 Sennacherib's response to his defeat? 724 00:46:38,800 --> 00:46:44,880 Anything. He goes to his God. 725 00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:47,960 Guess what he does? He worships. 726 00:46:51,160 --> 00:46:57,280 Does that bother anybody else? What bothers me about it is the 727 00:46:57,280 --> 00:47:03,440 sheer determination of this Pagan, his commitment to his 728 00:47:03,440 --> 00:47:09,520 false God, his resilience in. One night you lost close to 729 00:47:09,520 --> 00:47:13,320 200,000 of your men. You were put to shame because of 730 00:47:13,320 --> 00:47:15,960 one man's prayer. This man, Hezekiah didn't shoot 731 00:47:15,960 --> 00:47:19,480 1 arrow, he didn't fling one sword, he didn't do anything. 732 00:47:19,480 --> 00:47:21,800 He just got on his knees and cried out to God and you were 733 00:47:21,800 --> 00:47:24,080 defeated. In less than 24 hours. 734 00:47:24,600 --> 00:47:27,320 And what does this man do? Does he go and he topples his 735 00:47:27,360 --> 00:47:30,440 idols, Burn them? Renounce his deities? 736 00:47:31,240 --> 00:47:34,200 What does he do? He worships his God. 737 00:47:38,680 --> 00:47:40,560 And here we have some believers. Not here. 738 00:47:41,200 --> 00:47:45,200 That's a general comment. In our day we have believers. 739 00:47:45,200 --> 00:47:47,640 All it takes is a little trouble, a little persecution, a 740 00:47:47,640 --> 00:47:51,040 little suffering. I forget this God. 741 00:47:52,960 --> 00:47:55,440 I didn't sign up for this when I said I would follow Jesus. 742 00:47:57,520 --> 00:47:58,520 You want to be. Provoked. 743 00:47:59,200 --> 00:48:02,120 Look at Senekreb. That's the only place where I'll 744 00:48:02,120 --> 00:48:07,640 ever say look at Senekreb. He goes straight back to his God 745 00:48:07,640 --> 00:48:11,560 and he worships. After all this loss. 746 00:48:12,760 --> 00:48:19,800 After being embarrassed, after being defeated on a world scale, 747 00:48:20,080 --> 00:48:25,400 a loser, and he goes before a Pagan God and he worships. 748 00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:33,720 And here we have our God who's never been defeated, who loves 749 00:48:33,720 --> 00:48:38,320 us more than you can imagine, who and everything in our lives, 750 00:48:38,320 --> 00:48:42,840 even the painful thing that are being applied to the masterpiece 751 00:48:42,840 --> 00:48:48,760 of the testimony that he's trying to create and we are 752 00:48:48,760 --> 00:48:55,480 ready to turn away from him, may not be so of us. 753 00:48:57,960 --> 00:49:00,080 Let's come to the final verses, verse 32. 754 00:49:02,320 --> 00:49:05,360 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, 755 00:49:06,240 --> 00:49:09,480 he shall not come into the city, or shoot an arrow there, or come 756 00:49:09,480 --> 00:49:13,080 before with a shield, or cast up a siege mount against it, by the 757 00:49:13,080 --> 00:49:15,960 way that he came. By the same he shall return, and 758 00:49:15,960 --> 00:49:18,240 he shall not come into the city, declares the Lord. 759 00:49:18,480 --> 00:49:22,920 For I will defend the city to save it for my own sake, and for 760 00:49:22,920 --> 00:49:28,480 the sake of my servant David. Tell you why I'm ending here? 761 00:49:28,480 --> 00:49:30,960 Because there's a gospel truth tucked in it. 762 00:49:32,160 --> 00:49:36,120 Don't we see it? God makes it so incredibly 763 00:49:36,120 --> 00:49:37,600 clear. The reason why I'm going to come 764 00:49:37,600 --> 00:49:41,920 and intervene and defend you is because, yes #1 for my sake, but 765 00:49:41,920 --> 00:49:45,040 also because I made a promise to one man, David. 766 00:49:46,240 --> 00:49:47,680 David lived long before this time. 767 00:49:49,240 --> 00:49:55,440 David was in a tomb. And yet this generation would 768 00:49:55,440 --> 00:49:59,360 benefit from one man's covenant with God. 769 00:50:02,680 --> 00:50:09,480 And here we are, hidden in Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the 770 00:50:09,480 --> 00:50:12,320 greater King, who's given us a greater covenant. 771 00:50:14,320 --> 00:50:17,520 And any reward that you and I enjoy, any promise of eternal 772 00:50:17,520 --> 00:50:23,520 life, any blessing that we are recipients of, is solely because 773 00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:27,000 of who He is and how we are related to Him by faith. 774 00:50:29,920 --> 00:50:34,800 Not as though God is hesitant to work in our lives or be good to 775 00:50:34,800 --> 00:50:38,320 us, but because Jesus stepped in and was willing to be the 776 00:50:38,320 --> 00:50:42,200 mediator between a very reluctant God and a stubborn 777 00:50:42,200 --> 00:50:43,120 people. That's not so. 778 00:50:43,320 --> 00:50:46,320 The Father is just as much invested and included in this 779 00:50:46,320 --> 00:50:48,560 plan of redemption and the blessing that would come in 780 00:50:48,560 --> 00:50:52,640 Christ. But we have to understand, it's 781 00:50:52,640 --> 00:50:55,960 because I bear His name. I'm clothed in his 782 00:50:55,960 --> 00:51:02,680 righteousness. I, I live in Him that God will 783 00:51:02,680 --> 00:51:07,920 do what he alone can do. That's why you and I pray in 784 00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:09,520 Jesus name. We're not coming in our own 785 00:51:09,520 --> 00:51:10,480 name. We're not coming with our own 786 00:51:10,480 --> 00:51:11,640 merit, with our own righteousness. 787 00:51:11,840 --> 00:51:17,680 We're coming on the basis of the Son of God and how he stood in 788 00:51:17,680 --> 00:51:20,400 the gap for us. And that is something that the 789 00:51:20,400 --> 00:51:23,240 Lord God Almighty will always smile at. 790 00:51:23,240 --> 00:51:29,720 And so be refreshed today. So much is available to us 791 00:51:30,200 --> 00:51:34,480 because of Christ and us. And I want to invite you today 792 00:51:34,480 --> 00:51:38,160 in this brief moment, that if you've come here like Hezekiah, 793 00:51:38,560 --> 00:51:41,120 even though in the background nobody may even know about it, 794 00:51:41,720 --> 00:51:45,400 you are trying to solve something that seems impossible, 795 00:51:46,400 --> 00:51:48,600 that is sucking the life out of you. 796 00:51:48,600 --> 00:51:50,760 You barely made it into this very room. 797 00:51:53,840 --> 00:51:59,880 Just acknowledge His Majesty. Invite Him, and when you invite 798 00:51:59,880 --> 00:52:02,320 him, rest in the very wisdom that you're asking for. 799 00:52:03,080 --> 00:52:06,400 Trust of the Spirit in your weakness will translate 800 00:52:06,440 --> 00:52:09,800 everything that you're trying to communicate, and a perfect plan 801 00:52:09,960 --> 00:52:16,120 will be on its way. Be honest before God and and 802 00:52:16,160 --> 00:52:17,360 maybe you've never done this before. 803 00:52:17,360 --> 00:52:20,200 Maybe you've only seen prayer as a way of getting God to do 804 00:52:20,200 --> 00:52:22,840 something for you. But let tonight be the the 805 00:52:22,840 --> 00:52:25,720 beginning of a new way of praying for the glory of God, 806 00:52:27,760 --> 00:52:32,120 Deliver, save, provide, protect, intervene, solve Lord. 807 00:52:32,320 --> 00:52:36,840 And that through this people would say that God is a real 808 00:52:36,840 --> 00:52:44,200 God, that God is a God who loves his people. 809 00:52:45,280 --> 00:52:47,120 Can we pray now? Let's do it. 810 00:53:03,200 --> 00:53:07,840 We gladly, Father, in our collective weakness, come before 811 00:53:07,840 --> 00:53:11,280 You. So many things have been said. 812 00:53:11,280 --> 00:53:13,200 It can actually be overwhelming at times. 813 00:53:13,200 --> 00:53:16,960 What we trust that You will bring to remembrance what is 814 00:53:16,960 --> 00:53:20,160 needed at the right time. And we ask that You help us 815 00:53:20,160 --> 00:53:28,280 retain these truths that have been shared tonight, Lord, where 816 00:53:28,280 --> 00:53:32,080 there may be a lack of zeal. We pray that you breathe fresh 817 00:53:33,760 --> 00:53:40,120 wind into our sails, that we may have this zeal that you have for 818 00:53:40,120 --> 00:53:48,400 your doings. Where there may be a weakness in 819 00:53:48,400 --> 00:53:54,760 prayer, let that change tonight. Where there may be a temptation 820 00:53:55,600 --> 00:54:00,680 to even for a season, pull away from you in our anger and our 821 00:54:00,840 --> 00:54:03,720 disappointments, or may never be so. 822 00:54:04,600 --> 00:54:09,160 If Seneca can worship his dumb idol, how much more are you 823 00:54:09,160 --> 00:54:12,240 worthy of our consistent adoration in all things? 824 00:54:15,440 --> 00:54:18,680 And Lord, with everything else that was expounded on tonight, 825 00:54:18,680 --> 00:54:22,160 we just pray that you would receive glory in our response. 826 00:54:22,160 --> 00:54:24,960 We just want to acknowledge you and thank you for who you are. 827 00:54:25,360 --> 00:54:27,280 You never failed to touch our hearts. 828 00:54:29,120 --> 00:54:32,960 We glorify you now as your church in Jesus name, Amen. 829 00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:35,200 Let's stand and worship the Lord together.