Idea: "The way of believing prayer is the truly practical way of dealing with the harsh realities of this world....Here is a mystery of prayer: it is a means by which the Lord brings eternal counsels to pass. The Lord performs foreordained purposes in answer to prayer." (Motyer)
1. The mystery of prayer rests on God who answers prayer (Vss. 21-22) 2. The mystery of prayer rests on a sovereign God (Vss. 22-32). In other words, God accomplishes His eternal purpose. a. The Assyrian king wouldn't accomplish his purpose. b. God defends His own honor. c. God accomplishes His eternal purposes in His children and in history. d. God's eternal purpose is ultimately to destroy the wicked and to save His people.
Conclusion: I admit that this is a great mystery. It calls for the exercise of faith. Believing that God is our father; we appeal to our Father in heaven. Believing that God alone is sovereign and that He is zealous for His own honor we go to Him in prayer, asking hallowed be Your name. Believing that He accomplishes His purposes, we turn to Him, believing and pray, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Believing that God accomplishes His eternal purposes in history we turn daily to ask Him to give us this day our daily bread. Believing that God's purpose is to destroy the wicked and save His children we pray in faith, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. All the while taking ourselves to our sovereign Lord in prayer through our savior, Jesus Christ, to whom belongs kingdom, power and glory forever.
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