No matter how out of line we may have been, when we pray, God is there

3 min read

O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.

-David, Psalm 86:5

Do you have anything in your life to which you have a hard time saying “No“? Maybe ice cream? McDonalds french fries? A favorite TV show? New shoes?

Okay, it’s a silly question. We all have that thing that gets to us…that something we simply cannot resist.

Did you know God has something like that, too? Here it is: God cannot resist the prayer of someone asking for His help.

Apparently, there is just something about a person humbling themselves and seeking Him in a time of need that God cannot ignore. Even if the person has been ignoring Him, when they stop ignoring and turn to Him, God hears and responds.

Meet Jehoahaz.

This was the story of a guy by the name of Jehoahaz. He had been doing life his way and leaving God out of the picture, even though he knew better. As a king, he followed the bad examples of previous kings and put himself and the people in his care in a bad situation. Because they were vulnerable, their enemies kept taking advantage of them, picking them apart piece by piece.

Finally, Jehoahaz had enough. He realized he could not fix the problem he had created. He needed help. Specifically, he needed God’s help.

But, would God listen? Why should He? Jehoahaz and the people had completely offended God with their idolatry and such. Would it not be presumptous to think that God would stoop to help them out of a situation they had brought on themselves?

That’s a fair question, but here’s how it actually played out:

Then Jehoahaz prayed for the Lord’s help, and the Lord heard his prayer, for he could see how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. So the Lord provided someone to rescue the Israelites from the tyranny of the Arameans. Then Israel lived in safety again as they had in former days. -2 Kings 13:4-5

God cannot resist the prayer of someone asking for His help.

Plain and simple, when Jehoahaz became desperate enough to request the LORD’S help, his prayer was heard. Because God cannot help but help. It’s who He is. Because of His merciful and gracious character, He stands ready to help those who call upon Him – no matter how long it’s been or how far we’ve drifted.

Truth is, there’s a little bit of Jehoahaz in all of us. We all have a tendency to try to be kings and queens unto ourselves, calling our own shots and doing our own thing. But it doesn’t work. It never has and never will.

So when we’ve had enough, as with Jehoahaz, God is ready to help us. For Him, the prayer of someone asking for help is simply irresistable.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.