If you want to watch someone who was completely unafraid to put audacious requests before God, look no further than King Hezekiah of Judah. He was a master of bold prayer.

With Sennacherib and 185,000 of his best men surrounding the walls of Jerusalem, and ready to decimate Judah's puny homeland defenses, one would have thought that it was prudent, if not pre-ordained, that Hezekiah would simply surrender and end the siege.

Instead, Hezekiah prayed. Against all odds. Against all reasonable expectations. Against all public opinion. And probably even against his own raging, internal doubts.

He prayed. Boldly.

And he asked God to simply be God. Hezekiah knew that his God reigns over all the kingdoms, all the kings and all the emperors who rule the kings. He was confident that his God is the One who makes and sustains all of creation -- whether in heaven above or down here on earth.

His shoulders are broad. He can carry us. Whatever we might need as he guides us along the way, he'll provide it. That's the way Hezekiah saw it.

And most of all, Hezekiah was confident that for his children God has open eyes, understanding ears, and an empathetic heart. And since Hezekiah knew full-well that through faith he was God's child, he was sure that God would affirm that faith by hearing and answering his prayer.

And that's exactly what God did -- in a miraculous and astounding fashion! You'll want to get the rest of the story for yourself in our reading from 2 Kings for today.

Pray boldly, my friends. You'll never go wrong by doing so.

"And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: 'Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see...'" (2 Kings 19:15-16a, NIV).

Our Bible reading for Friday, July 10, is 2 Kings 19:14 - 20:21, Acts 28:1-16 and Psalm 83:1-18.

Jesus, teach me to pray boldly, knowing that through you, I pray as a dear child of my Heavenly Father. Help me to be confident that my Father's eyes are ever turned toward me and his ears are always tuned in to me.

Header image based on "171.365" by Morgan, CC By 2.0