2 Kings 19 … Consider Him Who Hears Our Prayers

Originally posted: 3/20/2020

Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard you,’” (19:20).

And is that all it takes… pray to Him and He hears?

At the beginning of this chapter in my Bible, I have the reference, “Psalm 50:15,” written in my own handwriting. In the early months of 1984, shortly after my husband and I were saved, we answered God’s call to attend a one-year School of Evangelism that would begin in the fall, sponsored by our home church in San Diego, California. So as a nine-month old babe in Christ, I found myself gratefully submerged in the study of His Word every Monday through Friday for nine consecutive months. I am profoundly grateful for this foundation He provided.

Early on in our class time, I kept hearing that we were created to bring God glory. My heart was filled with a yearning to do just that, but in all actuality I had no idea as to how to undertake such a monumental task. But I kept asking Him, “How can I bring You glory?”

Then one day I read the words from Psalm 50 in my New King James Bible for the first time.

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me,” (Psalm 50:15 NKJV).

I was absolutely flabbergasted by His answer to my prayers, stunned that He heard and He answered. And the answer He gave, well it all sounded too easy. Just call on Him when I’m in trouble? But there it was, in His Inspired Word. And over the more than thirty-six years since then, He continues to astound me as He almost daily reminds me this truth about Himself: He Hears Our Prayers.

Consider Him Who Hears Our Prayers

Yes He Hears Our Prayers; but He has also provided parameters in His Holy Word to instruct us in Our Prayers.

Consider just seven thoughts expressed in the Scriptures regarding Him Who Hears Our Prayers.

• He Hears the Prayers of His people who are called by His Name.
  • “and My people who are called by My name…” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
  • But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, (John 1:12).

• He Hears the Prayers of His people offered in humility and repentance.
  • “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land,” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
  • If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, (1 John 1:9).

• He Hears the Prayers of the needy.
  • For the Lord hears the needy
    And does not despise His who are prisoners, (Psalm 69:33).
  • And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners,” (Mark 2:17).

• He Hears the Prayers of all who call upon Him in truth.
  • The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
    To all who call upon Him in truth.
    ¹⁹ He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
    He will also hear their cry and will save them, (Psalm 145:18-19).
  • Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me,” (John 14:6).

• He Hears the Prayers of the righteous.
  • The Lord is far from the wicked,
    But He hears the prayer of the righteous, (Proverbs 15:29).
  • For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17).

• He Hears the Prayers of persistent faith.
  • God is our refuge and strength,
    A very present help in trouble.
    ² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
    And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
    ³ Though its waters roar and foam,
    Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride…
    ¹⁰ “Cease striving and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth,” (Psalm 46:1-3, 10).
  • Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart… ⁷ now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? ⁸ I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1, 7-8).

• He Hears the Prayers of His Intercessors.
  • In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; ²⁷ and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God, (Romans 8:26).
  • Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; ³⁴ who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us, (Romans 8:33-34).
  • but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. ²⁵ Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them, (Hebrews 7:24-25).

How do we respond to Him Who Hears Our Prayers?

When we are adopted into God’s family through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ for the payment for our sins, we can respond in faith, convinced He Hears Our Prayers.

We can know He Hears Our Prayers when we belong to Him by faith and as we acknowledge our sin and our need for what He alone can do. We can be assured He Hears Our Prayers as we accept His righteousness through faith in His Truth, Jesus Christ. And we can be persistent in Our Prayers, refusing to give up but always relying on His Intercessors, Christ in us through His Holy Spirit, to lead and empower us in our prayers. And as we do, He Hears Our Prayers and we bring Him glory!

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me,” (Psalm 50:15 NKJV).

In our own days of trouble, let us learn the lessons from Hezekiah’s prayer to encourage and guide us to call on Him Who Hears Our Prayers.

Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁶ Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. ¹⁷ Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands ¹⁸ and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. ¹⁹ Now, O Lord our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O Lord, are God,” (19:15-19).

• Approach Him in Faith and Humility: Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, “O Lord, the God of Israel,”
• Acknowledge He is Holy and Exalted: “O Lord, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim,”
• Agree that He has Absolute Control over all the Earth: “You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.”
• Admit our need for His Undivided Attention: “Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.”
• Assess the situation according to His Truth: “Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them.”
• Appeal to His Sole Authority to Deliver: “Now, O Lord our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand”
• Acclaim His Sovereignty in His Answer: “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O Lord, are God,”

Let’s Pray and Grow Together!