For My sake, and David’s

For I will defend this city, to save it For My own sake and for My servant David's sake." – 2 Kings 19v34

Okay, one more note about prayer and how it works.

I think this passage gives us just a little hint about how the mystery of prayer plays out. God was going to defeat Sennacharib because Hezekiah prayed, but He also did so for His sake and His servant David’s.

I am intrigued by the ‘my servant David’s’ phrase, but am going to leave that for now.

God answered Hezekiah’s prayer because He prayed, but also because it was in accord with His will. While God does answer prayer, our prayers do not change God. The New Testament makes it clear that when we pray ‘in His will’ He will hear and answer our prayers.

This allows us to be a part of a wonderful relationship with God. We pray, and as God hears and answers we can be assured that we are praying in His will. If He does not answer the way we think we want we can still be assured that His will is being accomplished and we are able to know the will of God.

God is not a genie for us to rub a lamp and get three wishes. He is a perfect, holy, and sovereign God who allows us to walk in accord with and pray in His will.

Prayer does ‘work.’ It draws us closer to God.