Hezekiah’s Prayer for Deliverance – Stepping in the Light

“Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD, even thou only.” Isaiah 37:20

Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, sent Rabshakeh, the captain of his army with 185,000 men to surround the city of Jerusalem. The people of Jerusalem lacked the military might to repel such a formidable foe. Rabshakeh sent a message to Hezekiah, the king of Israel, demanding that he surrender and turn the city over to Assyrian control. He cautioned Hezekiah and the people not to trust in the Lord. He said that none of the gods of the nations that the Assyrians had conquered had been able to deliver them and that it was pointless for them to hope that God would save them. When Hezekiah received the message, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth. He then sent messengers to Isaiah the prophet asking him to pray that God would deliver them from their enemies. Hezekiah went up to the temple and spread the letter that he received from Rabshakeh before the Lord. He began to pray that God would show Himself strong on their behalf. Hezekiah acknowledged that the Assyrians had defeated many nations and had burned their gods in the fire, but he prayed that God would deliver them so that the whole world would know that He was the living God. The Lord heard Hezekiah’s prayer and sent an angel to kill the whole Assyrian army! Hezekiah’s prayer demonstrates that God wants His name to be honored and that He will answer us when our petitions are for His name’s sake.

Morning: Isaiah 37-38

Evening: Colossians 3

About This Site

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

If you were to find yourself walking down a path in the dark of night with only an old-fashioned lantern to light the way, you wouldn’t be able to see very far ahead. You would be able to see just enough of the pathway to know which direction to take your next step and enough of the ground to choose the best place for your feet. When it comes to our daily lives, God’s Word is a lot like that lantern. It will not show us the whole path at once, but it is exactly what we need to help us decide how to take the next step.

The Bible is our source of spiritual light, and if we consistently seek God’s direction as we read from its pages, we will always have enough light for our next step along the pathway of life. It is then that we are, in the words of an old gospel song, “stepping in the light.”

The goal of this devotional guide is to encourage you to spend time in the Word of God each day. Reading the passages listed at the bottom of the page will take you all the way through the Bible in one year. The devotional thought for each day is taken from a text within that day’s reading, so even that small daily portion of reading will take you on a journey through God’s Word. It is my prayer that this guide would help you to walk closer to the Lord and that you will find yourself taking each step in the light of His Word.