The Praying King (2 Kings 19)

Upon receiving a threat from Sennacherib, king of Assyria, King Hezekiah went on his knees and prayed. Dear friends, King Hezekiah should be our model today. His prayer is very touching, and it speaks. He starts by acknowledging God as the supreme leader of his people. In his prayer, the king knows that he only leads a section of the people, but God leads the entire creation. Leaders need to remember that. Christian leaders are leaders because of the kingship they received through baptism. Leadership is, therefore, a gift.

As leaders, we normally receive threats. The biggest threat is losing faith in our ability to serve as leaders. It might be true that you feel incapable of being a good father or mother. That you are probably not the example you should be. Perhaps your leadership is doubted in your parish group. It could be that you are failing to please your employees. You could be struggling with loneliness since your team sees you differently. And still, you might lack solutions when everyone is waiting to hear from you. King Hezekiah is in this difficulty. He runs to that one person who is the author of his leadership. He learns to put himself aside without necessarily resigning. He calls God to take control.

I dream of a world when prayer will be our first and last resort. When leaders, even political leaders, call the population to pray. That in difficult situations, the world might not resort to war but to amicable talks. Let us again not only admire the prayer of the king but also imitate the praying King.

Let Us Pray:

Almighty God, we pray for our leaders today. May they know you. May they seek you. That our leadership might draw strength from you alone. We ask this through Christ our Lord.