Sunday, January 22, 2012

THIRTY DAY PRAYER CHALLENGE - DAY 22

PRAY THE NAMES OF GOD


DAY 22


GOD IS FAITHFUL


There was once a king, who grew up in the presence of a family who bowed down to both pagan gods and Jehovah God Himself. This king remained faithful. In the midst of the enemies of God, he drew a line and never crossed it.


When the enemy surrounded him, he and his spiritual advisor cried out to God and reassured their people that they should "be strong and courageous, because the Lord our God will go before us and fight their battles"! This occurred during Year 14 of his reign.


This leader, King Hezekiah,  prayed a childlike prayer which both you and I should remember. He prayed the following: 2 Kings 19:14-19 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: “O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. 
“It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men’s hands. Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.”


This leader, King Hezekiah, remained faithful to the Lord. God sent His Angel, who killed 185,000 of the enemy in their tents over that same night. When the enemy's leader, Sennacharib, woke up that morning and saw all his men dead, he retreated to Assyria.


Now here is where it got interesting. Right at that time, Faithful King Hezekiah became deathly ill with what many of us believe to be an extreme form of skin cancer (or the Bible calls is a boil on the skin). God sent His prophet Isaiah to tell King Hezekiah to put his house in order, because he was going to die!


Hezekiah again prayed another child-like prayer in tears and supplication! He prayed this simple prayer: "Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, and said, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.(Isaiah 38:2-3 ESV)


God proved Himself FAITHFUL to those who are faithful to Him! In the very next two verses of Isaiah 38, Jehovah Rapha - God Who Heals, sent a message to King Hezekiah via Isaiah "Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life"(Isaiah 38:5 ESV)


Scripture and secular history books from both Egypt and Assyrian, confirmed that Hezekiah lived another 15 years after it was well known, the king had a deadly disease, from Judah to Babylon!

God's Name is Faithful!



So Father, in the Name of Jesus, Numbers 23:19 says God is not man, that he should lie,  or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it?  Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? God You proved that when You fought the battles for King Hezekiah. 


You not only fought the battle against Sennacharib and Rabshakah and destroyed evil, but You fought the battle against cancer and delivered Your Faithful servant Hezekiah from it. Because You gave him 15 more years to live, many in the ancient world came to Jerusalem to visit him and saw Your Glory and witness Your Sovereign will and power.

Father, today, that Faithfulness to Your promises to never leave and/or forsake us, no matter what battles in life we face, stands. You are Eternal Father, All Creation worships You. I do. I will. I always will. Even if you never add 15 or 20 or 30 years to my mortal life, I will. Even if you never destroy those who persecute me, I will. Even if You heal the enemy and cause me to fail, I will.



I will adore You. I will glorify You. I will magnify Your Name through all the Earth.


Psalm 145:13 says "The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made". Father God, I believe that. I know You love me, because You sent Your own son to die for me and then called me to His Salvation.


2 Corinthians 1:20 says "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "YES" in Christ. And through Him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the Glory of God"!


Wow, Father! Thank you for that Precious Precious Word.  


You, oh God are Faithful! Your mercy endureth forever, oh God! Because Your promises are Yes and Amen, I can rest secure in my Faith in Christ and my faithfulness to You, just as Your servant Abraham! Father, I count on Your promises because when You say it, I believe it.


Lord, I believe that, right now, in the Name of Jesus, there is someone reading this who is going through a major health or relationship issue. Father, I pray right now...right now, that they will turn to You in tears and supplication and pray this same prayer King Hezekiah prayed “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” 


Father, may they pray that prayer, with all submission of a heart committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and may they believe, in His Name, that You will never leave or forsake them in their marriage, their health, their parenting (if a parent) or their relationship with peers (in school, business or community).


God Your Name is Faithful. When the Lord Jesus returns on His Great white horse of Heaven, Revelation 19:11 says "Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True"...Faithful and True! And it is in this Only One True Faithful and Wonderful Son of God I believe, pray and obey, Jesus Christ NOW AND FOREVER.....Jesus Christ - YES AND AMEN, amen and amen!!!!


TOMORROW: GOD IS WRATHFUL

(image by google images)

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