Prayer Matters

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading, titled Prayer Matters, was written by Karen Pimpo. I sent each person a handwritten note.

The requests are overwhelming, and our efforts can feel small and unnoticed. That changed after I received a heartfelt thank you card from Dave, the recently bereaved husband, with a copy of his beloved wife's obituary. I realized anew that prayer matters. Jesus modeled that we should pray earnestly, often, and with hopeful faith. His time on earth was limited, but he prioritized getting away by himself to pray. Hundreds of years earlier, the Israelite king Hezekiah learned this lesson too. In 2 Kings chapter 20, he was told that an illness would soon take his life. In distress, and weeping bitterly, Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord.

In this instance, God's response was immediate. He healed Hezekiah's sickness, added 15 years to his life, and promised to rescue the kingdom from an adversary. God answered his prayer not because Hezekiah was living a good life, but for his own honor and for the sake of his servant David.

We may not always receive what we ask for, but we can be sure that God is working in and through every prayer. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 2 Kings chapter 20 verses 1-6. In those days, Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, went to him and said, This is what the Lord says. Put your house in order, because you are going to die.

You will not recover. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord. Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes. And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him. Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, this is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says. I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you. On the third day from now, you will go to the temple of the Lord. I will add 15 years to your life, and I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria.

I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, it's so comforting to know that we can come to you anytime and about anything and that you will sit patiently and listen to our prayers. As we pray for the cares of our own life, may we also remember the needs of others and bring them to you, trusting that you will answer. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Toni Collier, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.