Prayer: Our will or God's?

The Paradox

We are told in prayer to ask, seek and knock. We are further told to be persistent when we pray, and to have faith and believe. Finally, we are told to say to mountains, "move," and they are to move.

Prayer for many of us is an incredible aspect of our relationship with the Lord, and we can testify to the miraculous results.

Yet there is one story of prayer that is haunting: King Hezekiah in the book of 2 Kings, told by the prophet Isaiah that he was to prepare himself because he was going to die, responds by crying out to the Lord in earnest for God to remember and have mercy on him.

The Lord responds by sending Isaiah back to Hezekiah, telling him that the Lord had heard his prayer and would grant his request, extending the king's life 15 more years.

What is often not known or simply overlooked, is that in that 15 year life-extension, a son is born to Hezekiah, Manasseh, who takes over at the age of 12 when his father dies. This son, Manasseh as King of Judah, takes on the dubious distinction of shedding so much innocent blood that he "filled Jerusalem from end to end" (2 Kings 21:16), and essentially bears the blame for Judah's future exile. 

Under Manasseh's reign of terror and evil, Judah goes beyond apostasy into such atrocities that they had never done before (2 Kings 21). It is also thought that this dangerous king was the one to kill this same prophet Isaiah, by cutting him in half.

How are we to understand this story: a miraculous healing yet future disastrous consequences?

The Dilemma

Struggling for his life in the grip of an illness and upon news of his impending death, Hezekiah responds as we all would; to beg God for mercy, and to pray for healing.

Was it wrong for Hezekiah to pray for healing?

Note the prayer and Hezekiah's response to the news of his death as recorded in scripture: "Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, "Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly" (2 Kings 20:2-3).

Additionally, note his response later on, when he learns that his kingdom and the land of his people in Judah will be destroyed and that judgment is coming: "The word of the LORD you have spoken is good," Hezekiah replied. For he thought, "Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?" (2 Kings 20:19).

We might be able to understand his initial devastation at news of the loss of his life, but seeing his response to the news of future judgment that does not affect him, it makes one wonder, did Hezekiah care about others, or was his character primarily selfish?

The Nature of Prayer

This story indicates the power of prayer, and that God indeed listens to His people. Yet this story also indicates that prayer has the power to move God's hand, sometimes with undesirable consequences.

We must ask ourselves, is our primary motivation in prayer to ask for things, and is our primary method in prayer to unburden ourselves by focusing upon what we want, never seeking God's will?

The perpetual struggle in life is to let go, and the struggle in prayer is to let go of our will.

It seems that prayer must be understood in the larger context of a dialogue and conversation with the God of the universe, who has entrusted us with the precious power of prayer. We need to see prayer as more than an opportunity to wield our will upon our lives.

Prayer is powerful, and for that reason alone prayer must be undertaken with care. Prayer, though bringing about incredible results, is ultimately about our way of connecting with the Father, in conversation, communion, and concern for His will....