When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, O Lord, how I have always tried to be faithful to you and do what is pleasing in your sight.” Then he broke down and wept bitterly. But before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, this message came to him from the Lord: “Go back to Hezekiah, the leader of my people. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, and three days from now you will get out of bed and go to the Temple of the Lord.’ ”2 Kings 20:2-5
Have you ever been so upset about something that you couldn’t even find the words to pray? Hezekiah was. News of his impending death was more than he could handle. When he tried to talk to God about it, his emotions got the best of him. He was too choked up for the words to flow, so his tears gushed out instead. But look what happened: God heard. God saw. God responded.
Isn’t it great to know prayers don’t have to be pretty or polished to get God’s attention? Oftentimes we feel we must be articulate for our prayers to be powerful. But prayer is not an English assignment, and God doesn’t grade us on our vocabulary and grammar. God hears us even when our words are inaudible. Why? Because he sees beyond our words and into our very hearts. He knows our pain before our first tears fall. And what’s even more incredible is that his love compels him to respond.
Find comfort today in knowing that even when your tears drown out your words, God still hears. God still sees. God still responds.
GOD, sometimes I just can’t get my words to say what my heart feels. Thank you for reminding me that you hear me even when I can’t speak. Thank you for seeing beyond my words and for understanding how I feel even better than I do. Most of all, God, thank you for caring enough to respond when you know I’m hurting.
Prayer is a condition of mind, an attitude of heart, which God recognizes as prayer whether it manifests itself in quiet thinking, in sighing or in audible words.Ole Hallesby (1879–1961)
The One Year Bible Readings for today are 2 Kings 20:1–22:2; Acts 21:18-36; Psalm 150:1-6 and Proverbs 18:9-10.
This is an excerpt from: Praying through the Bible
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