Preschool
Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19).
A Sincere Plea Extends Life
Memory Verses
Primary
And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19).
Junior
And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19).
Background Scripture: 2 Kings 20
Lesson Scripture: 2 Kings 20:1-11
Introduction
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Heb. 4:15). This statement reveals the heart and character of Jesus, our advocate to the Heavenly Father.
Our access to the Father through Jesus is the result of faith, “for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6). This faith must firmly believe that God is a kind and gracious heavenly Father who is intensely interested in our well-being. He hears our prayers and understands every situation that we bring to Him. In faith we submit ourselves to God’s answer of our prayers, believing that He will answer in a way that He sees best.
Key Verse
And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight (1 John 3:22).
Lesson Scripture
2 Kings 20:1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.
2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying,
3 I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
5 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.
6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.
7 And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.
8 And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day?
9 And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?
10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.
11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.
Studying the Lesson
“But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word” (Isa. 66:2).
Hezekiah came to the throne of Judah as a young man of twenty-five years. He succeeded his father, Ahaz, whose wickedness had led Judah into idolatry and brought about the demise of true godly worship.
Hezekiah was particularly zealous for the Lord. He destroyed all the means of idol worship including the brazen serpent of Moses, which they had begun to worship. “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him” (2 Kings 18:5).
The Temple, whose doors had been nailed shut, was opened and cleaned, and the true worship of God was resumed (2 Chron. 29:1-8). The Passover was reinstated, and through Hezekiah, revival came to Judah (2 Chron. 30:1-5).
Hezekiah’s trust in God included the defense of Jerusalem, which resulted in God slaying 185,000 of their enemies in one night (2 Kings 19:35).
Perhaps the crucible of his life is found in our lesson text. The message “Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live” was a solemn warning. Hezekiah’s sincere prayer changed the course of his life. Although it would appear that Hezekiah reminded God of his faithfulness as a merit for his healing, perhaps it was more a declaration of “whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom. 14:8).
Practical Truths for Today
The lesson title suggests that “the effectual fervent [sincere, earnest] prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). The basis for fervency in prayer is not emotion but the sincerity of our heart; this connects us with God. Sincerity is found in an open and childlike heart that both trusts in God’s help and is submissive to his will.
When we pray, we come directly into the presence of our eternal Father through the atonement of Jesus Christ. By the merits of Jesus and his righteousness, we can “come boldly [confidently] unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).
Prayer is fellowship with God. We thank and praise Him, we bring our fears and needs to Him, and we confess our sins and share the innermost desires of our heart. In sincerity and with a broken and contrite heart, we bring our petitions to our heavenly Father with the assurance that the “Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26).
“Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire, unuttered or expressed.” 1 Our prayers are more than spoken words: they are an expression of the heart directed by the Holy Spirit. In this way, we pray without ceasing, and it becomes a natural part of our walk with God.
Divine healing is a part of “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3). “Divine healing is a special privilege of God’s children and is not necessarily a command. James states it is thus: ‘Let him call for the elders . . . let them pray.’ He leaves it to the discretion of those involved and according to the proving of God’s will in the matter.” 2
What is the prayer of faith that James speaks about? There are times when we experience the discomfort of an illness or have come to the end of our resources to comfort a sick child, and we pray for God’s help and healing. Many are the testimonies of the answers to those prayers. There are times when a loved one is facing surgery or treatment for a serious illness that we gather together as a family, and an elder leads in prayer that God will heal our loved one and guide the hand of the physician. There are also those illnesses or tragic circumstances that James speaks about when he says, “And let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick” (James 5:14-15). A healing prayer is not the last resort or “when all else fails,” but it is entered into upon the conviction and faith of the sick one as well as those involved that God is leading the way. Faith acknowledges our helplessness and confidently brings our request to God. We then leave the results in his hands. To pray for God’s will to be done and not our own is not a backdoor but is confidence in an all-wise God who hears and will do what is best for my eternal salvation.
The basis for healing prayer—ultimately, any prayer—is God’s mercy and fatherly care. Our faith is what brings us to God in time of need as our source of help. Faith as small as a grain of mustard seed is all that is required. This faith is humble, broken, and surrendered. Jesus said this kind of faith can move mountains (Matt. 17:20).
All healing is a miracle from God. In Jesus’s ministry, the healing of the soul was his primary concern. His first words to the man who was let down through the ceiling was, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee” (Mark 2:5), yet God is very interested in our physical well-being. With some, the miracle of healing is a complete restoration of physical health. With some, the miracle of grace and acceptance to bear the thorn in the flesh is so complete that they can glory in infirmity, a peaceful testimony to the honor and glory of God. With others, He delivers from the fear of death, and their testimony is that “an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1) is waiting for them. Many times this testimony is a greater drawing to the unsaved and more encouraging to the faithful than a physical healing.
May this lesson assure us that our kind, heavenly Father hears and understands our sincere plea. We should never be afraid to come to Him in childlike humility with our needs whether they are spiritual or physical.
Questions
- What are hindrances to prayer?
- Is it acceptable to ask for signs?
- Do our prayers change God’s mind?
- 1 James Montgomery (1771-1854), “Prayer is the Soul’s Sincere Desire,” Christian Hymnal
- 2 Bible Doctrine and Practice, p. 150
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).