Our God is Lord (Isaiah 37:20)

So now, our Lord our God, save us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.
– Isaiah 37:20

So this is the last sentence of a particular prayer from Hezekiah as the Assyrians are threatening to overtake the people of God. And the whole prayer is awesome. Just Hezekiah starts from the very beginning saying, “Oh Lord of hosts, God of Israel enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone of all the kingdoms of the earth.” And what a picture.

Isaiah 37:20 reminds us we pray to the Lord of Hosts.

Whenever we pray, let’s always remember who we’re praying to. I think about many times when my family would gather around the table for dinner and we’d pray, and I’d just say, “Hey guys, let’s remember who we’re praying to. Let’s not just go through a rote exercise where we say, ‘Dear God, this or that. Thank you for our food.'” Yes, let’s pray regularly, but let’s never forget who we’re praying to: the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel.

Hezekiah says, “Enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone of all the kingdoms of the earth.” And think about how important that was as Hezekiah is praying for the deliverance of God’s people from this foreign nation that is mocking the people of God and mocking God Himself, which Hezekiah says in verse 17, “They’re mocking you.”

And so he gets to verse 20 and he prays, “So now, oh Lord our God, save us from his hand,” the hand of the king of Assyria, “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.” Did you hear that language? So that all the kingdoms of the earth. God save us, but our salvation is not the end of the story here. Save us so that you alone might be exalted among all the kingdoms of the earth. And this is what drives our praying. That’s what Jesus taught us to pray from the very beginning. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name in all the earth.

Isaiah 37:20 reminds us of the ultimate goal of our prayers.

So when we pray according to God’s Word, we’re always praying toward this end. Whatever we’re praying for, toward the end that God would be glorified, that God would be exalted. God, save us for your glory. God, satisfy us for your glory. Lord, deliver us for your glory. God protect us for your glory. God, do this, do this, do this. We pray for these things ultimately for your glory, that more people might know that you alone are the Lord, that you might show your greatness and your goodness in all these different ways that we’re praying for these different things.

Don’t forget, one, who you’re praying to whenever you pray and, two, ultimately what you’re praying for. Always let your prayers end so that you might be hallowed, you might be glorified, you might be exalted in my life, in others’ lives, and ultimately in the world among all the kingdoms of the earth.

So we pray. God, help us even right now as we’re praying and whenever we pray to remember who you are. You’re the Lord of hosts, enthroned above the cherubim. You are the God, you alone of all the kingdoms of the earth, and you are worthy. Lord, you are infinitely worthy of all glory and honor, power, and dominion and worship. You alone are the God. Period. You alone are worthy of the worship of our lives. You are alone are worthy of the worship of all nations. You’re worthy of the worship of every single person that we will interact with today.

Prayer for the Pomak People

And so we pray for our lives. We pray for other people around us today. We pray for peoples around the world today, specifically today as we pray for the Pomak people of Greece and Bulgaria, who half a million of them don’t know who you are and how much you love them. They’ve not heard the good news of how Jesus died on the cross for them. So God, we pray for them. Glorify yourself among the Pomak people of Bulgaria and Greece. Cause your name to be hallowed among this Muslim people group, we pray.

And God, we pray for people around us, family members, friends, church members, people who don’t know Jesus around us. As we pray for people around us today, we pray that you would be glorified in their lives. Lord, save them. Lord, help them. Deliver them. Work in their lives for your glory.

And God, we pray the same for our lives. For every single thing we’re praying for in our lives today, we pray that you would help us, lead us, guide us, strengthen us, deliver us, Lord, in all these ways so that you might be glorified, so that you might be honored, so you might be exalted in and through our lives. God, use us today however you want to exalt your name, and help us to pray toward that end in all that we pray.

And God, we pray this knowing that this is your will to be exalted in all the earth. So may it be so. Hallowed be your name in all the earth through our lives, through others’ lives, among all the kingdoms of the earth. We pray in Jesus’ name, according to Isaiah 37:20, amen.