2 Chronicles 31:20–21: “Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.”
October 18th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotionalAs the king of Judah, Hezekiah took a very public stand for God, and in doing so set a strong example and a high standard for the people to follow. Notice that it says “in every work,” the king “did it with all his heart,” in obedience to God, and “he prospered.”
Another picture from history of this kind of determined dedication to the Lord is found in the life of the famous British political leader William Wilberforce. During the early 1800s, he was an outspoken opponent of the then legal slave trade in England. As he surveyed the terrible moral and spiritual climate of his day, he did not lose hope, writing:
My own solid hopes for the well-being of my country depend, not so much on her navies or armies, nor on the wisdom of her rulers, nor on the spirit of her people, as on the persuasion that she still contains many who love and obey the Gospel of Christ. I believe that their prayers may yet prevail.
Within a few years of making this statement, the country he loved experienced one of the greatest revivals in modern times, bringing salvation to thousands and producing widespread social changes, including the banning of slavery. As New Testament believers, we are required to pray for our national leaders, in confident faith, knowing that God hears and responds to prevailing prayer.
“LORD, we pray in faith that You would bring revival to our nation, which ‘still contains many who love and obey the Gospel of Christ.'”