| Day 382: Read today's devotional on Bible Gateway. Prayer for DeliveranceAfter 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. 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. "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. 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 19:14-19) ReflectSennacherib's armies were on the verge of destroying Judah completely. Realizing that the situation was hopeless, Hezekiah went to the Temple and prayed. Although Hezekiah came boldly to God, he did not take God for granted or approach him flippantly. Instead, Hezekiah acknowledged God's sovereignty and Judah's total dependence on him. Hezekiah sought deliverance for Judah for more than his own security. He desired that God be glorified through it all. God answered Hezekiah's prayer and delivered Judah by sending an army to attack the Assyrian camp, forcing Sennacherib to leave at once. RespondHezekiah's prayer provides a good model for us. Prayer should be our first response in any crisis, not a last resort. We should not be afraid to approach God with our prayers, but we must come to him with respect for who he is and what he can do. We must also submit ourselves into God's hands and ask that his glory be seen clearest of all. | 
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