Turn to God in prayer.

After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the LORD's Temple and spread it out before the LORD. (2 Kings 19:14 NLT)

Hezekiah is having a bad day.  Actually, he is having a string of bad days.  Assyria is attacking the kingdom of Judah.  They are mocking the LORD, his God.  Now, they are saying his tribute of gold and silver is not enough.  They are going to take over the capital city of Jerusalem.  So, what does Hezekiah do?  Does he prepare to surrender?  Does he prepare for war?  No.  He prepares a place to meet with God in prayer.

And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the LORD: "O LORD, God of Israel, You are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Bend down, O LORD, and listen! Open Your eyes, O LORD, and see! Listen to Sennacherib's words of defiance against the living God. (2 Kings 19:15-16 NLT)

His prayer starts where all of our prayers should begin: entering into the presence of God.  God is much bigger than we often think about.  The LORD is involved in much more than we realize.  Only God has detailed knowledge of every aspect of the topic we want to talk to Him about AND the power to do something about it as well.  My temptation, in prayer, is to approach God with what I want.  My prayers are much better when I approach God remembering Who it is I am approaching.

"It is true, LORD, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all--only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. (2 Kings 19:17-18 NLT)

Hezekiah also verbalizes another critical piece to remember: everything and everyone else is not God.  The people who are against me are not God.  The problem that I am facing is not God.  Even the temptations I am thinking and feeling are not God.  Only God is God.  Everything and everyone else is not.  When I say this out loud in prayer, it helps me paint a picture to myself that accurately depicts what I am facing.

Now, O LORD our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that You alone, O LORD, are God." (2 Kings 19:19 NLT)

Hezekiah finishes with his request.  He doesn’t begin with the request.  I often wonder, with prayers in Scripture like this, if the request would have been different had it been brought up at the beginning of the prayer.  I know that in my life, requests at the end of the prayer are significantly different from the request I had in mind when I started praying.  My priorities change when I take time to be aware of the presence of God in prayer.

How about you?  When you have a bad day (week, month, or year), do you prepare for retreat, battle, or prayer?  When you pray, do you approach God with your agenda right away?  Do you take the time to simply be aware of the presence of God?  Do you change when you turn to God in prayer?