2 Kings 19

Hezekiah sends his trio of leaders to Isaiah who is now priest.  They ask that Isaiah pray to God to keep them safe.  Isaiah tells them to let Hezekiah not to worry “about what you’ve heard from the king of Assyria’s bootlicking errand boys” (I love how the Message version says stuff).  Isaiah in fact prophecies that these “boys” will be dead soon and fear will overcome them.  But they continue their emotional and verbal attacks on Israel and Hezekiah gets another set of demands from them in a letter this time.  He takes it to the Temple and spreads it out before God.  Then scripture says this: “Hezekiah prayed–oh, how he prayed”.  Sound familiar.  Reminds me of Nehemiah some here.  Hezekiah is overwhelmed by the odds.  Life seems like it is almost over.  After all the kings of Assyria “have laid waste countries and kingdoms”.  They could certainly do it again, right?  Not if God is in control.  Hezekiah knows that is the only way they will succeed in survival so he lays it all out before God.  He really prayed and was in burlap and on his face.  There is power in prayer men.  We need to recognize and use it a lot more than we do.