Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him:” . . . “Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass” (Isaiah 37:21–22, 26, ESV)
Prayer and the will of God may seem to be quite a mystery for believers. Think about it. The Scriptures teach that God has a sovereign program for all things. He has infinite foreknowledge and infinite foreordination, and He works to bring about His program. If this is so, why does He command us to pray? Does prayer make a difference? We often ask these serious and complicated questions.
In this section of Isaiah, Hezekiah has received a threat from Sennacherib, king of Assyria. It is a serious threat that has Hezekiah worried. Hezekiah then prays to the Lord for deliverance (v14-20). Because of this prayer, the Lord sends a word of encouragement, which Isaiah relays to him (v22-33). The word tells of the defeat of Sennacherib and the restoration of Judah.
One of the interesting parts of this response is that seen in verse 26. It says that the Lord had foreordained the events with Sennacherib, including his defeat. What was the purpose of Hezekiah’s prayer? In this prayer Hezekiah joined God in His sovereign program by faith. The Lord responded to Hezekiah’s prayer for deliverance by giving a message of assurance.
Look at some of the associated New Testament precepts regarding assurance in prayer.
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” (1 John 5:14–15, ESV)
“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7, ESV)
Prayer where we join God in His program is confident prayer. This type of prayer is faith based, where we understand the purposes and ways of God and seek the will of God for the glory of God. This type of prayer brings peace to the soul of true believers.
Therefore, pray confidently by seeking the will of God in your prayers. Remember that He desires that you join Him in His sovereign purposes.
To be continued . . .
Renewing the Heart 