2 Chronicles 30:27 The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people and God heard them, for their prayers reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.

The purpose of prayer is to acknowledge the deity and sovereignty of Almighty God. On the average we think of prayer in terms of asking for things much the way we would approach a Santa Clause. Seldom do we stop to think about what God wants us to know about him or what he desires to do in response to our requests. We simply want what we want.  Don’t misunderstand me – God is our Father and he desires to give good gifts to his children but we also have to realize that there is divine order and wisdom and God can be approached for that reason alone. So prayer includes “not my will but yours, O Lord.”

In 2 Chronicles 29 we learn about King Hezekiah who became King in Jerusalem when he was 29 years old. He decided to reign in righteousness as David had done. He cleansed and repaired the temple. He called on the priests and Levites to restore practices of temple worship which had ceased during the prior years of ruin and devastation. In short he called the nation to prayer and repentance. He also revived the celebration of the Passover and invited all the tribes of the children of Israel to participate. Some mocked while others heeded his call to come to worship. There was a great gathering and much sacrificing of animals as atonement for their sins and Hezekiah prayed for them. In Chapter 30 verse 20 we read that “The Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. In verse 27 “The priests and Levites stood and blessed the people, and God heard them for their prayers reached heaven.”

If we study these two chapters we learn much about the posture adopted by Hezekiah and the people who heeded his call. It is all about repentance, praise, and honoring God. All this should precede our requests. It is in this atmosphere that we move the heart of God.