God Hears Our Prayers 神垂听我们的祷告
Dexu Xia
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord. Isaiah 38:2
Today's Scripture Isaiah 38:1--6
Today's Insights In Isaiah 36-37, Hezekiah is portrayed as a man of faith, but after the miraculous defeat of the Assyrian army and Hezekiah’s miraculous healing, he becomes more characterized by pride. In fact, that pride would lead to disaster for the nation. Hezekiah proudly took representatives of Babylon to see the treasure storehouses of the kingdom, and that act would lead to divine discipline. In 39:5-8, the prophet Isaiah declares that everything in Hezekiah’s treasures and all the treasures of the land would be carried away to Babylon, which resulted in the Babylonian captivity. The flaw of Hezekiah’s heart is seen when, in spite of the prophet’s dire warning, he was happy that his own life would know “peace and security” (v. 8). God answered Hezekiah’s prayers, but his pride would bring calamity to the nation. Today, God invites us to bring our concerns to Him in prayer. We can be assured that He hears us (38:5) and will answer according to His plan
Today's Devotional
My friend Christine and her husband sat down to dinner at their aunt and uncle’s house. Her aunt had recently been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. Before anyone started to eat, her uncle asked, “Does anyone have anything to say?” Christine smiled because she knew he meant, “Does anyone want to pray?” He wasn’t a believer in Jesus, but he knew Christine was, so this was his way to invite prayer. Speaking from her heart, she gave thanks to God for His care and requested that He would perform a miracle for her aunt.
King Hezekiah became ill and had something on his heart to say to God after the prophet Isaiah told him he was going to die (Isaiah 38:1). He “wept bitterly” and pleaded, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion” (v. 3). His was an honest, desperate appeal for deliverance. Even though healing isn’t dependent on our “goodness,” and God doesn’t always heal, He chose to extend the king’s life by fifteen years (v. 5). After his recovery, Hezekiah thanked and praised Him (v. 16).
God invites us to pray—whether it’s for an urgent need or to thank Him for something small or significant. He hears our prayers, sees our tears, and will answer according to His plan. Our place is to “walk humbly all [our] years” with Him (v. 15).
Reflect & Pray What concerns do you have to bring to God? How can you place your trust in Him?
Loving Father, thank You for wanting to hear my heart. I trust that You’re powerful and able to bring about Your good will in my life and in those I love. By Anne Cetas
希西家转脸朝墙，向耶和华祷告。（以赛亚书 38:2）
今日经文 以赛亚书 38章2节
今日洞见：在以赛亚书 36-37 章中，希西家被描绘成一个信心满满的人，但在亚述军队被神迹击败以及希西家奇迹般地痊愈后，他心里的骄傲就显露无疑。事实上，这种骄傲最终给国家带来了灾难。希西家骄傲地带领巴比伦的代表参观王国的宝库，这一举动招致了神的管教。在39章5-8节中先知以赛亚宣告，希西家所有的财宝以及全国所有的财宝都将被掳到巴比伦，最终导致犹大国民被掳到巴比伦。
希西家内心的缺陷在于，尽管先知发出严厉警告，他却仍为自己的生活将“平安稳妥”（第8节）而沾沾自喜。神应允了希西家的祷告，但他的骄傲却给国家带来了灾难。
今天，神邀请我们向祂祷告，倾诉我们的忧虑。我们可以确信，祂垂听我们的祷告（38:5），并会按照祂的计划回应我们。
今日灵修 我的朋友克里斯汀和她的丈夫在姑姑和姑父家吃晚饭。她的姑姑最近被诊断出患有侵袭性癌症。在大家开始吃饭之前，她的姑父问道：“有人要说点什么吗？”克里斯汀笑了，因为她知道他的意思是“有人想祷告吗？”他自己不信耶稣，但他知道克里斯汀信，所以这是他邀请大家祷告的方式。克里斯汀发自内心地感谢神的眷顾，并祈求神为她的姑姑行一个神迹。
希西家王病倒了，先知以赛亚预言他即将离世（以赛亚书 38:1），这让他“痛哭流涕”，迫切地向神祷告，他恳求道：“耶和华啊，求你记念我怎样在你面前行事为人，怎样存着忠心和虔诚的心”（第3节）。这是他真诚而绝望的祈求，恳求神拯救他。虽然医治并非取决于我们的“善行”，神也并非总是医治病人，但他仍然选择延长希西家王的寿命十五年（第5节）。希西家王康复后他向神献上感谢和赞美（第16节）。
神邀请我们祷告，无论是为了紧急的需要，还是为了感谢祂所赐予的微小或重要的事。祂垂听我们的祷告，看见我们的眼泪，并会按照祂的计划回应我们。我们的使命是“一生一世谦卑地与祂同行”（第15节）。
反思与祷告 你有什么忧虑要向神倾诉？你如何才能信靠祂？
慈爱的天父，感谢祢愿意聆听我的心声。我相信祢大有能力，能够按照祢的美意，使我的人生和我所爱的人都蒙福。作者：安妮·塞塔斯