When YOU pray, God moves! In other words, God does not unless you pray!

• Prayer is an expression of this unique relationship between you and God.
• Prayer is that expression in terms communication between you and God.
God does not move in your when you struggle; He moves when you pray!
• Prayer should be the steering wheel and not the spare tire!

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. (1 John 5:14 NLT)

• Our confidence in Him hearing us here is based on our relationship with Him.

“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. (Matthew 18:19 NLT)

• The You here is important

Backdrop of Isaiah Chapter 38: The year is around 722 B.C, during the reign of King Hezekiah, King of Judah. At the age of 25, he succeeded his father and became king. Among his first acts as king, he restored the temple after the Assyrian invasion. He enacted laws and mandates that will restore worship as an essential part of their Jewish traditions. In essence, King Hezekiah restored prayer and worship as an essential part of everyday life. Hezekiah was a good king. But here in chapter 38, at the age of 39, he became deathly ill.

About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.’” (Isaiah 38:1 NLT)

Hezekiah’s response to God.

When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, O Lord, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.” Then he broke down and wept bitterly. (Isaiah 38:2-3 NLT)

• He takes his prayer beyond just asking: Act of surrender and putting yourself in the hands of God.
• Prayer is putting yourself in the hands of God.

“Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.” – Mother Teresa

• Prayer is deeper that just asking. Prayer is surrendering to God. When you surrender everything in prayer, God moves!

he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, O Lord, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.” Then he broke down and wept bitterly. (Isaiah 38:1 NLT)

• He appealed to the memory of God with a short and simple prayer.
• Hezekiah puts himself in the hands of God, at His disposal.
• God delights in the shortest and the simplest of prayers!

“Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.” – Max Lucado

• Prayer is simply connecting and communing with God!

Then this message came to Isaiah from the Lord: “Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I HAVE HEARD YOUR PRAYER AND SEEN YOUR TEARS. (Isaiah 38:4-5 NLT)

• God hears our cry for help, and He sees our tears.

“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (Psalm 56:8 NLT)

• God is keeping track of every single one of your prayers.

I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, I will defend this city. (Isaiah 38:5-6 NLT)

• God not only heals Hezekiah but He also adds15 more years to his life and gives sign to Hezekiah

“‘And this is the sign from the Lord to prove that he will do as he promised: I will cause the sun’s shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz!’” So the shadow on the sundial moved backward ten steps. (Isaiah 38:7-8 NLT)

When you pray, God moves extravagantly!

Now to Him who is ABLE to do EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL that we ask or think, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKS IN US (Ephesians 3:20 NKJ)

• #1 Our God is ABLE!
• #2 Our God is EXTRAVAGANT!
• #3 Our God is focused on US: YOU and ME!

The word ACCORDING here comes from the Greek Word “Katho” which means “to measure out” or “to release”

CONCLUSION

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?