Chapter 12: Praying with Please and Thank You
King Hezekiah, the thirteenth king of Judah, was king when Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, sent a threatening letter to Hezekiah, reminding him of his ruthless, barbaric, unyielding tactics. He suggested that Hezekiah spare his people by making peace, joining him in his conquests, partaking of his spoils, or else he would do to Judah what his mighty war machine had done to other nations. He basically said: “No God can protect you from us. The Gods of the other countries we have conquered didn’t save them” (See 2 Kings 18:28-35 ). What did Hezekiah do? After he read the letter, “Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it (the letter) before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord, saying…. Incline thine ear, O Lord, and hear; open thine eyes, O Lord, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God” ( Isaiah 37:14-17 ). ...