A Cry for Open Hearts: Prayer Based on 2 Kings 17:14
"Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God." - 2 Kings 17:14
Heavenly Father,
In reverence and humility, we bow before Your majestic throne, acknowledging You as the Creator of the heavens and the earth. You are the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, and we come to You today in a spirit of deep prayer and reflection.
As we ponder upon the solemn words of 2 Kings 17:14, "Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God,” we recognize the weight of these words within our own lives and the lives of those around us. Father, we ask that You may open our ears to hear Your voice, our hearts to feel the tug of Your Spirit, and our minds to understand the depths of Your love and truth. We are surrounded by a world that often chooses to harden its heart, turning away from the truth of who You are and the grace You extend to us.
Lord, we confess that at times we too harden our necks; at times, we disregard Your gentle whispers that guide us towards righteousness. Forgive us, O Lord, for moments when we have been obstinate, allowing pride and self-sufficiency to overshadow our need for You. We acknowledge that there are ancestors, both physical and spiritual, who have come before us, set in their ways, choosing not to believe in Your power and goodness. Help us to break free from the chains of disbelief that may have been passed down through generations, that we may walk in faith and not just in the shadows of lives unmoved by Your grace.
Father, we pray for the state of our hearts. You see the areas where we may still cling to bitterness or skepticism, and we invite You into those chambers. Shine Your light into the dark corners, evaporating the doubts that linger. Just as You were patient with the Israelites who could not hear, may we also be filled with patience toward ourselves and towards others who wrestle with belief.
We lift before You our families, communities, and nations. We see how collective disbelief can lead to chaos and destruction; when we refuse to heed Your warnings and guidance, we face the consequences of our choices. Lord, grant us a spirit of discernment to recognize when we are following in the footsteps of those who have turned away from You. May we be the change that draws others back to Your presence by the way we live, love, and worship.
Lord, let this be our prayer: That our hearts are softened, that they are teachable and moldable in Your hands. Revive in us a desire to seek You, to search Your Word for truth, and to surround ourselves with Your community. Help us to be diligent in our prayers, optimistic in our hope, and persistent in our faith. We desire to become vessels through which Your grace can flow unhindered, revealing Your compassion to a world lost in its defiance.
We put our trust in You, Lord, for we believe that healing and transformation begin when our hearts are open. Raise us up as a generation that believes in the Living God wholeheartedly, that does not shy away from proclaiming Your goodness. Help us to listen intently to Your instruction and to pass down a legacy of faith, not disbelief, to those who come after us.
As we meditate on this verse, may it spur us to action, to a renewed commitment to be followers of Christ—believing wholeheartedly, listening earnestly, and living according to Your commandments. May we never be labeled as those who have hardened our necks, but as a people who are constantly seeking, believing, and walking in faith.
In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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2 Kings 17:14 - "Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God."
"Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God." - 2 Kings 17:14
2 Kings 14:17 - "¶ And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years."
2 Kings 17:2 - "And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him."
2 Kings 19:17 - "Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands,"
2 Kings 14:18 - "And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?"
1 Kings 14:17 - "¶ And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died;"
"¶ And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years." - 2 Kings 14:17
Revelation 17:14 - "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful."
1 Kings 17:2 - "And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,"
Genesis 14:17 - "¶ And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale."
2 Kings 17:40 - "Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner."
2 Kings 14:29 - "And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead."
2 Kings 12:14 - "But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the LORD."
2 Kings 17:8 - "And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made."
2 Kings 21:17 - "¶ Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?"
2 Kings 14:16 - "And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead."
2 Kings 14:14 - "And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria."
2 Kings 17:17 - "And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger."
"And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him." - 2 Kings 17:2
2 Kings 14:22 - "He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers."
Genesis 14:17–24 tells the story of a meeting between Abram and two kings. Returning as the victor after having defeated the eastern kings and recapturing all their plunder, Abram is met by the king of Sodom and by Melchizedek, the mysterious king of Salem.
"Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands," - 2 Kings 19:17
2 Kings 17:19 - "Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made."
2 Kings 14:12 - "And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents."
2 Kings 14:15 - "¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?"
1 Kings 17:14 - "For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth."
2 Kings 17:5 - "¶ Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years."
2 Kings 24:17 - "¶ And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah."
2 Kings 17:22 - "For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;"