Answered Prayer
Jothany Blackwood
“Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.” II Kings Ch 20:5
Hezekiah‘s testimony demonstrated that his faithfulness in living for God resulted in God’s swiftness to answer. As he was sick and near death, we see that Hezekiah’s appeal was effective because he was morally upright and ceaseless in entreating God.
A little over a year ago, I was suddenly fighting for my life against pulmonary embolism, where blood clots attacked my lungs. I could not breathe on my own and was immediately placed in critical condition. The reports and faces of the staff told a bleak story.
I recall the physician telling me he did not know if I would live until morning and the complete faith I felt, when I responded he must not have met the God I serve. Despite the predictions of the reports, I had belief that I was going to walk out of there.
Like Hezekiah, I have sought to live a life for God’s approval. Even when I fell short of the mark, I would try again with a humble heart. So then how do we make our prayers as prevailing as Hezekiah’s?
He first showed us that prayer was a personal request. You need to be able to go to your Father yourself and speak on your own behalf. There’s a time for the saints to cover you in prayer, but we have to also have a personal relationship with God.
I stayed in a place of constant prayer as I fought day after day in the hospital. I was able to speak with my Daddy and ask what was it He wanted me to know from this experience. I would simply say, Speak Lord. Speak to me.
Next, Hezekiah showed us that he had the potential of being righteous. He reminded God that he had a pure heart and had lived a life good in his sight. And sometimes we have to remind God of His own words and promises for our lives.
I was not in denial about dying, it was more that I was denying the possibility that I would not walk into my destiny. I reminded God constantly about the promises He had spoken into my life and that He could do anything but lie, so I had to live to fulfill my purpose in Him.
When we live a righteous life, we can be confident that God will hear our cry and answer our prayers in His own time.
Finally, we see that God’s power is revealed when He answers us. According to man, I’m not supposed to be here but I am. And if you looked over your journey, you’d understand that we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be.
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In addition to serving as a college dean and motivational speaker, Jothany Blackwood is the founder of MidWife Ministries, which supports ministers and churches in birthing their vision.
*Jothany Blackwood is a 2009 StreamingFaith.com Guest Columnist. |
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