Using king Hezekiah as a case study, I’d like to state that that your lifestyle is a catalyst to receiving instant answers to prayers.
Hezekiah became sick unto death and he only prayed a prayer that lasted 10 seconds and God heard him (Isa. 38: 1-6). This is a classical breakthrough prayer that God responded to immediately.
Breakthrough is a process which is initiated when you discover the will of God for you, using God’s rules to achieve it, until God’s intent is shown.
What is prayer?
Is it the noise and the shaking? No, it is not the shouting but how you live. Prayer is the soul of your relationship with God. It is the link between you and God. 1 Thess. 5:17 says we should pray without season; this means your life must be continually praying for you. If your life prays for you, no curse can overcome you, but if your lifestyle is cursing you, no prayer can help you. You make it easy for God to do what He desires, if your lifestyle prays for you. Hezekiah’s lifestyle and relationship with God was what made his prayer to be easily answered -2 Chron. 29-33 gives details of his lifestyle.
Prayer is not a spare tire, calling upon God in the day of trouble. Rather, your life is supposed to be your steering wheel which is used all the time.
What does the bible say?
- Hezekiah did what was right in God’s sight (2 Chron. 29:2). He made his life a pure one before God. He lived to please God, even if he would have no friends. If you want God to answer you, live a life of purity on Monday through Sunday. 1 John 5:14 says if we do what is right in the sight of God, He hears us.
Lesson learnt: You will cry less, if you obey God, doing what is right in His sight. “To obey is better than sacrifice …” (1 Sam. 15:22)
- He promoted holiness and purity among the people – (2 Chron. 29:3-5).
Lesson learnt: It is your inner heart that God is auditing. If you are pure in heart, God will bless you with speedy breakthroughs (Ps. 24:3-6; Ps. 73:1; Mat. 5:8).
- He feared God and spare-headed spiritual revival, bringing reformation (2 Kings 18:1-8).
Lesson learnt: We must stand and fight for God’s cause.
- He was a man of prayer. Anytime you saw Hezekiah, he was praying. He prayed when Sennacherib harassed his nation (2 Kings 19:14-19); He prayed when he fell sick (Isa. 38:1-6).
Lesson learnt: We too must be prayerful at all times and in all circumstances (1 Thess. 5:17; Eph. 6:18).
- He was a man of faith; he always expected God to answer and God always did (2 Kgs. 19:19).
Lesson learnt: We must have faith in God (James 1:5-7; Mark 11:23-24).
- He was a good man (2 Chron. 31:20-21).
Lesson learnt: When you do good, your prayers are answered with speed because God has something good to remember you for.
- He walked with God by keeping a genuine relationship with Him (2 Kgs. 18:6-7).
Lesson learnt: We must our relationship with God a real living one, being a diligent seeker of God (Heb. 11:6; Prov. 8:17).
Conclusion
God wants to answer our prayers speedily but He is not a magician; It is our lifestyles and relationship with Him that moves Him to immediately respond to our requests. King Hezekiah’s daily lifestyle of purity, fear of God and reformations toward godliness, as shown in 2 Chronicles 29–33, made his prayers in Isa. 38 easy to be answered. Walk in purity, you won’t tarry too long to get your breakthrough prayers answered.
I credit the thought of this teaching to Bishop Elijah Bankole of The Way of Peace Ministries, from his teaching on August 1, 2016