Take Your Problems to the Lord

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.

2 Kings 19:14

The King of Assyria had declared war on King Hezekiah's people. He had conquered all of Hezekiah's fortified cities. He had sent a large army right up to the gates of Hezekiah's capital city of Jerusalem. Now, he has sent a threatening letter to King Hezekiah trying to convince him to surrender instead of fight.

Put yourself in King Hezekiah’s shoes. How would you respond? Your life, the lives of your family, your soldiers, and your people all hang in the balance. They're all relying on you. If you don’t get this right, many will suffer and die. What would you do?

The eyes of every man, woman and child in Jerusalem were turned to Hezekiah to see what he would do, but Hezekiah’s eyes were turned to the Lord. Hezekiah didn’t say anything to the messengers who delivered the letter. He didn’t convene his war council. He didn’t seek the advice of the wise men. He didn’t even go up to the prophet Isaiah to ask him what he should do. Hezekiah took his problem to the Lord. 

Hezekiah went straight to the temple and spread out the scroll the King of Assyria had sent to him. He laid it's threatening and blasphemous message out before the Lord...and he prayed

This is such a beautiful picture of prayer. So often we take our problems to our friends or spouses or anywhere else but to God. But we must to learn to be like Hezekiah. We must learn to lay our problems out before the Lord in prayer. This is what prayer is. Getting on your knees before God, spreading your problems out before Him, and asking for His help. That is how you ought to pray.