Second Kings is the continuation of the historical past of Israel, specializing in the kings of the southern kingdom. For essentially the most half, it’s a story of unfaithfulness, despair, and tragedy. Like us, many of the characters neglect to reward, thank, or confess to God throughout such occasions; as an alternative they give attention to asking him for assist. Whereas it’s comprehensible that our prayers are largely petitions throughout these occasions, we should always not neglect the opposite types of prayer. However tragedy and ache have a means of turning us inward. Since one of many main themes of this ebook is the failures of the kings of Israel, it isn’t shocking to search out them unable to rise above the self-centeredness. Except for the specifics of what we study from every prayer, the general mannequin is one we should always keep away from if potential.
When issues aren’t going effectively for us, we have a tendency to wish solely petitions or intercessions. We are able to turn into so overwhelmed that we neglect that praising God and even thanking Him are necessary. We see that state of affairs mirrored in Second Kings: all however one are both petitions or intercessions.
Second Kings, like most of the surrounding books, tells the disheartening story of Israel’s declining faithfulness and fortunes, punctuated with a couple of shiny spots. A lot of the prayers ask God for one thing. A few of them are fairly self-serving. But they nonetheless have lots to show us lots about petitionary and intercessory prayer—not solely how one can provide them (or not), but in addition the angle we should always have as we method God with our requests. And it stands as a reminder to to not neglect different kinds of prayers within the midst of struggling!
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