Just DO it!

Nike had a slogan several years back where they encouraged people with a catchy little phrase... " Just DO it!". Now, when I was faced with an heart-wrenching hurt this past week,  this ad came to my mind.  I was reading about Solomon's prayer for wisdom and knowledge.  It was NOT just a vain prayer that he THOUGHT God wanted to hear, NO, Solomon pursued God...he sought Him out ( 2 chron. vs 6,8)  God saw that it really WAS the desire of his heart to do right unto Him ( v.10) therefore, He granted Solomon what he asked of Him and so much more (v11-12)   God wants to give us the desires of our heart and He will... He knew what Solomon needed...yet He asked him...'what shall I give thee'... Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give the desires of thine heart (ps 37:4) is a promise for those who truly seek the Lord in our lives. He desires is for us to pray and ask!!  Now, this got me to thinking about my prayer life.  Do I pray with this kind of sincerity? Do I pray with all faith BELIEVING that I have the power of Christ inside me to even change God's mind? Whoa! "Strange concept", you say? "Impossible!", you chide.  well, not so my friends... There are too many instances in the Bible where the prayers of a saint change the mind God. One such instance was with Hezekiah.   It was his time to die, but just listen to what unfolds because of His prayer of faith... 2 Kings 20:1-6 (KJV) "In those days was Hezekiah sick UNTO DEATH, And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for THOU  SHALT DIE AND NOT LIVE.  Then he turned his face to the wall, AND PRAYED unto the  Lord, saying, I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have HEARD thy prayer, I have SEEN thy tears: behold, I WILL HEAL thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.  And  I WILL ADD unto thy days fifteen years; and I WILL DELIVER  thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I WILL DEFEND this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake." The scripture says he was SICK unto death.  I am sure that his body was trying to fill his mind with doubt and fear. Yet, he put his face against the wall and cried out to the one He KNEW could change it!  It says he 'wept sore'...see, that is where we miss the boat.  We don't pray with THAT kind of conviction and fervency, the bible says that the 'effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  Prayers are powerful people! We reason and plead our case when we cry out to Him to help us and it CAN change your circumstance!  No matter how impossible it seems.  Do you think for one second Hezekiah didn't recognize this? Of course he did. But, he believed in God's  power to heal and in the end got even more than he had originally asked for...not just healing, but...FIFTEEN years ADDED to a life that was already settled to be over AND deliverance from his enemy AND  a defense of his city...so you see, your prayer of faith can change the lives of those around you as well!  And not only did God grant Hezekiah's request to remember him, just as he did with Solomon, he gave him even more than he had asked in the first place.   Hezekiah personified the kind of guy Nike execs would have loved...Because, even while up against enemies, his body wracked with illness and facing death, he poured it all out and took a chance, believing God could change his situation.   Just like with Solomon...he knows our hearts intention ...He knows what you need, but He wants YOU to seek it out! and He, just like with Hezekiah, knows if you are gonna waste the wisdom and possiblities that come with an extra 15 years or not.  Hezekiah's heartfelt  pleas didn't go unnoticed, neither will yours...Are you willing to be obedient unto the call of our Savior? He is watching and waiting for your cry...He will meet you in the midst of your storm...listen to Him, seek Him and  " just DO it"!!