Who said prayer doesn't work?

In 2 Kings, Hezekiah is a true man of God...finally. After all the many Kings of Israel/Judah, so many have fallen by the way side, only to follow so many other gods. But Hezekiah stands true to the Lord his whole life.

Hezekiah became ill and was given a prophecy that said he would die soon and not be able to recover from the illness. His heart was burdened and so he went directly to the Lord in prayer and prayed a magnificent prayer in 2 Kings. As a direct result of not only his prayer but his faithful walk with the Lord, God decided to tell him that he would now recover and live another 15 years more so he could finish the tasks that God had him on earth for.

Do you know "those" people who say prayer doesn't work? Have you heard it said that prayers are pointless because God isn't going to answer you the way you want? C'mon, you know you have had times when you even believed that praying a certain way wouldn't be the right thing to do?

Well, Hezekiah knew what the Lord wanted. He knew what he wanted. He lived a faithful life close to God. He obeyed God in all he did. Therefore, he went to prayer and asked God specifically for what he wanted, all in the caveat it was God's will.

Do you pray like Hezekiah or do you pray generically and at a high level so the details are never prayed about? I believe God wants us to voice our concerns to Him. I believe He wants us to be specific in our requests. I believe He wants us to tell Him our every need and want. I believe He expects us to yield to His will when what we are praying for isn't in His plan for us.

Doesn't God already know these things? So why pray for them? It is a matter of closeness and friendship with God that matters. Do you tell you every little detail to others, friends, mom/dad, etc.? We have all sat around with our very closest friend and discussed an issue with them...yet, so many times, we have left the most important friend out of the picture, who has the unimaginable ability and power to actually help us in the situation...that being, God!

The assumption here is a very big one: living according to God's Word. If you are truly "right" with God, then ask Him, tell Him, discuss with Him everything in detail that is going on in your life and He will become even closer to you than you thought possible. God does care and He does hear our prayers...and yes, they do work.