Prayer in difficult times. Bringing Our Tears to God
There are moments when faith encounters fear up close. Illness, danger, or difficult news bring us to a place where there are no words and tears speak. This is how we meet Hezekiah, King of Judah, in Isaiah 38: a man carrying great responsibility for his people, now faced with the news that his life is ending.
In the background stands Assyria, a mighty empire that had captured Judah’s fortified cities and threatened Jerusalem. Sennacherib’s messengers tried to break the people’s spirit and undermine their trust in the Lord: “Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us’” (Isaiah 36:15).
Behind the city walls were families and children whose lives were in danger. Hezekiah carried their concerns, and amid this crisis he became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah came to him and said: “Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover” (Isaiah 38:1).
Prayer in difficult times
It is hard to imagine the weight of that moment. The king, who was expected to strengthen others, now needed mercy himself. His response was personal and sincere:
“Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD” (verse 2).
In his prayer he pleaded:
“Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.”
Then Scripture adds: “And Hezekiah wept bitterly” (verse 3). His confidence in God appears in his willingness to turn to Him through the pain. He brings his life and their relationship before the Lord. We can hear the heart behind his request: Lord, You know me. Remember me now. His tears do not cancel his faith; they are part of how he entrusts his heart to God in prayer in this difficult time.
The Lord’s answer meets him there:
“I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life” (verse 5).
God hears the words and sees the person behind them. His answer also addresses the concern for Jerusalem:
“I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city” (verse 6).
The king receives a promise of life, and the city receives a promise of protection. The sign of the shadow moving backward ten steps confirms that God will fulfill His word.
(Isaiah 38:2-8)
Hannah also teaches us about prayer rising from the depths of the soul. In her grief over having no child, she prays and weeps. Explaining herself to Eli, she says:
“I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:15).
Even before Samuel is born, her expression changes and she begins to eat again. The waiting continues, but she has brought her burden before God.
In the New Testament, we see that Yeshua the Messiah also knows prayer through suffering. Hebrews 5:7 describes His prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears. In Gethsemane, He asks the Father to take the cup from Him and entrusts Himself to the Father’s will (Luke 22:42). Yeshua teaches us to ask honestly and trust the Father amid uncertainty.
As a congregation, we must make room for such prayer; a place where people can weep, ask for help, and lean on one another. Hezekiah encourages us to turn to the Lord even when the news is devastating. Hannah invites us to pour out our souls before Him. Yeshua teaches us to place our lives in His hands. Through them, we hear the invitation to come before God with our whole heart.
