Hezekiah's Prayer

Scripture:

II Chronicles 30:20 "And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people".

Observation:

Our scripture says that the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.  The background beautifully shows the mercy of God when His people want to pursue Him.  Hezekiah had restored the priesthood, the temple, and the Levites and invited all Israel and Judah to come to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover for the first time in years.  Some of the people who sacrificed and came to the celebration ate the Passover without being ceremonially clean.  Hezekiah prayed to God and told Him they had set their hearts to worship God, therefore God should heal them and He did.  God blessed the people and healed them even though they had approached Him in the wrong way.

Application:

God always looks at the heart.  He knows if we are trying to honestly pursue Him or if we are just going through the motions or trying to cut corners.  These people were sincerely trying to worship God and He pardoned them for it.  They were trying to do the right thing, but in the wrong way and God honored them and healed them.  God is more interested in the heart of your worship than the precise technique, style, or pattern.  When someone determines to worship God with all their heart, He will hear them, whether they have the pattern perfect or not.

Prayer:

Father, let my heart be pure before You.  When I approach You wrong, let it be with a pure heart and a love and passion for You.  Let my motives, actions and heart be pure before You all the days of my life.  You are loving and great in mercy.  You never fail and I want more of You in my life.  Fill me with Your Spirit and let me live a life that pleases You completely.

Yours,
Jeff