TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23
Scripture: Isaiah 37:17-21, 35-38

In Isaiah 37:17-21, Hezekiah had to pray the judicial prayer that would demand covenant justice. He was not praying for Sennacherib, he was praying against him. Judicial prayers go that way. they often bring the judgment of God on the perpetrator. Hezekiah prayed it this way, “’Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord, You alone.’ Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria,…’” verses 35-38 say, “’For I will defend this city, to save it For My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’ Then the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.” Not only did Hezekiah pray it, but God gave him the answer. And the answer to his judicial prayer was an angel of the Lord that killed 185,000. Hezekiah got justice. Are we willing to pray to the Lord and get justice for our generation in our nation? Lord knows, we need it!