There are so many scriptures that encourage us to pray. 

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. – Luke 18:1

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. – Ephesians 6:18 

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. – Colossians 4:2

Why are we encouraged to pray all the time? There has to be a benefit right?

If I had to summarize the benefits of prayer into 3 points it would be…

1. Prayer changes you
2. Prayer changes your circumstances
3. Prayer, done in humility and faith,  invites God to respond 

Let’s focus on the second point, “Prayer changes your circumstances”. I have three examples of where prayer changed things. Each time I had to ask, what would have been the outcome if prayer was not invoked? 

Hezekiah becomes terminally ill, and Isaiah tells him he will die. With that news, Hezekiah prays. He says in verse 2, “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” He wept bitterly. 

His prayer, gives us verse 4 and 5, “And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 5 “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you.

With sincere prayer and reminders of his heart posture, God heals him, promises him 15 more years of life and confirms he will defend the city of Jerusalem from Assyria. 

Prayer changes things!

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Example 2

Reference Text: 2 Kings 18 and 19 

In the sixth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Assyria conquered Israel and in his 14th year  King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. Assyria sends officials to Jerusalem to demand surrender. The field commander speaks loudly in Hebrew, trying to demoralize the people, claiming God cannot save them from Assyria. The people remain silent as instructed by Hezekiah. Hezekiah is deeply troubled and sends messengers to the prophet Isaiah, asking for prayer and Hezekiah himself, prays in the temple, acknowledging God’s power and asking for deliverance so that all nations may know the Lord is God. 

This brings us to verse 21 and 22 of 2 Kings 19:

Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word the Lord has spoken against him…

Because there was sincere prayer and God was sought first, we have verse 35, “That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!” In addition to that, Sennacherib was cut down by the sword. 

Prayer changes things!

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Example 3

Reference Text: 2 Chronicles 33

Manasseh becomes king of Judah at age 12 and reigns for 55 years in Jerusalem. He does evil in the eyes of the Lord, unlike his father Hezekiah. The Lord warns Manasseh, but he refuses to listen. So God sends the Assyrian army, who capture Manasseh with a hook in his nose and bronze shackles and take him to Babylon in chains. In distress, Manasseh humbles himself, prays to God, and God hears him.

This brings us to verse 13, “And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.”

Prayer changes things!

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All three of these examples demonstrate that prayer with humility and faith can change your circumstances. Nothing can thwart God’s plans [Isaiah 14:27], so even when we don’t pray God will have his way, but I believe prayer can bring more immediate response, outcomes in our favor and an opportunity to have the peace of God’s protection and promises. 

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See you next week!