“Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word the Lord has spoken against him…'” (Isaiah 37:21).
The Mid-East is at a tipping point–on the cusp of ending the Oct 7, 2023 war and releasing the hostages or not…
Yes, there is a mediator, and yes, agreements are signed. Yes, preparations are made.
But, in this instance of time, the war is not over. They are in a ceasefire mode. The IDF are still deployed in Gaza. The hostages are captive until they are transferred safely into Israeli hands.
Freedom is a breath away, but still a breath away.
The power of prayer is the only solid foundation upon which we stand as we wait. A deal has been struck but anyone on either side can break the truce and vastly alter the promise of peace and release.
Now is the time to cry out to God alone for deliverance. There is no savior in this situation, save the Savior, Jesus, Yeshua. No human promise or agreement is rock solid. No human is the supreme deliverer, save God!
The Commander of the Armies of Heaven has ordained in his goodness and even in His foreknowledge of events to answer the prayers of humankind in intervention. History is complete with examples that build our hope and brighten our eyes when we begin to look at God as deliver and not the terms of man. I believe that our Redeemer absolutely delights in allowing the prayers of His children and disciples to become the crowning triumph of winning personal battles or world wars!
Scripture speaks of a battle in the 14th year of Hezekiah. The king of Judah, and Sennacharib, king of Assyria battled and the Assyrian army won. This left Jerusalem isolated and defeated. But there remained hope–Isaiah, the prophet of the kingdom at the time, began to make war against Assyria in retaliation by praying.
The Assyrian army taunted and mocked Judah (Isaiah 37:13, 18). Distraught and desperate, the king ripped his garments. He sent messengers to the prophet, Isaiah, saying, “Lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left” (Isaiah 37:5).
Serendipitously, the hope of promise of a complete delivery came from the lips of the prophet! Isaiah foretold that the Assyrian army would retreat and begin to fight elsewhere. Bingo! It happened. The prophecy was spot on!
Then, not surprisingly, the Assyrians issued another threat of destruction.
Hezekiah went straight to prayer (Isaiah 37:14-20).
“O Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You alone are the God of all the kingdoms of the earth; You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacharib, which he has sent to mock the Living God. Of a truth, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone; therefore they were destroyed. So now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone are the Lord.”
Isaiah knew nothing of Hezekiah’s prayer, but he sent word to him,
“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: “Because you have prayed to me …” this is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning (Sennacharib)… “Because you have raged against Me and your arrogance has come to My ears, I will put My hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back the way by which you came … The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this … For I will defend this city to save it, for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David” (Isaiah 37:21-22, 29, 32, 35).
Hezekiah won the war against the Assyrian army that day.
The glorious point is taken from (Isaiah 37:21-22), “Because you have prayed to Me concerning Sennacharib, King of Assyria, this is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him…”
Because you have prayed!
Because you have prayed, 185,000 Assyrian soldiers are defeated. Judah won the battle.
Prayer wins the war!
Keep praying with fervency over the negotiations in the Mid East that have been written and agreements made between Israel and Hamas. Ultimately God moves the hearts of men. Only God deserves the credit.
We have been standing, for months and months, on the battlefield between the enemies of Israel–Hamas–and the people of Israel. They have murdered, stolen, tricked, taunted, mocked, and defiled. But we cry out to God for justice and for Him to be revealed to all people, for all peoples are precious in his sight. And the Lord is not willing that any should perish–not even our enemies or the enemies of Israel. May God have mercy on us and may it be so as it was to Hezekiah. Because we have been people that have prayed to the One True God.
“If the LORD had not been on our side—
let Israel now declare—
if the LORD had not been on our side
when men attacked us,
when their anger flared against us,
then they would have swallowed us alive,
then the floods would have engulfed us,
then the torrent would have overwhelmed us,
then the raging waters
would have swept us away.
Blessed be the LORD,
who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler;
the net is torn, and we have slipped away.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.”
Psalm 124
-Bonnie Saul Wilks
Thoughts gleaned from
Life center.net
Sunday, September 19, 2021, “Because you have prayed…”