Session 12 2 Kings 19:10-19,32-34

THE PRAYER (2 KINGS 19:14-19)

Hezekiah’s swift response.

14 Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers’ hands,
read it, then went up to the LORD’s temple, and spread it out before the LORD.
15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the LORD:
LORD God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim,
you are God — you alone — of all the kingdoms of the earth.
You made the heavens and the earth.

16 Listen closely, LORD, and hear; open your eyes, LORD, and see.
Hear the words that Sennacherib has sent
to mock the living God.
17 LORD, it is true that the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands.
18 They have thrown their gods into the fire, for they were not gods
but made by human hands—wood and stone.
So they have destroyed them.
19 Now, LORD our God, please save us from his power
so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, LORD, are God — you alone.

List:

Write these three headings on the board:

• Words of Praise,
• The Problem Named,
• A Humble Plea.

highlight the words and phrases in Hezekiah’s prayer that stand out

Discuss:

• How does envisioning and affirming God’s royal power and affirming His work as Creator help us to be able to pray in faith as we present our concerns to Him? (p. 103)

Highlight:

Hezekiah’s actions serve as an example of what God’s people should do
when faced with challenges and threats. We should come before the Lord
in humble prayer and “lay it all out” before Him.
Our doing so does not mean we doubt that God already knows the details—
He does. It is a picture of our absolute dependence on Him when facing difficulties.

Discuss:

• What priorities did Hezekiah reveal in his prayer?
• What do a person’s prayers reveal about his or her priorities? (p. 103)

Transition:

Hezekiah demonstrated his strong faith,
by turning to prayer as his first course of action.