Day 127.
“O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. So now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.” (Isaiah 37:16-20 ESV)
Hezekiah offers this prayer when the Sennacharib of Assyria invaded Judah and captured its fortified cities. He has already wiped out the kingdoms to the North of Israel, those between Assyria and Israel, and humanly speaking there is nothing to stop him from taking Jerusalem too. This prayer of Hezekiah shows us a kingdom, rather than personal well-being, mindset. Rather than praying for deliverance for himself and for Israel, his first concern is the reputation of God. He does ask that God would save them, but not for their own prosperity sake. He asks God to save them “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.”
The Lord’s Prayer shows us this same kingdom focus. This does not mean we should refrain from asking for things from God for ourselves, just that we should recognize that the things we pray for ought to be things that will help us with our calling to be about kingdom business.
Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
