Youth Sermon: Always Hearing

Introduction

You know how you pop in your earbuds and tune out the world when you're listening to your favorite tunes? That's kind of like how God tunes in when we pray. He's always ready to listen, no matter what's going on around us.

God is always ready to listen, no matter what's going on around us.

King Hezekiah's Prayers

In 2 Kings 19 and 20, we see this dude, King Hezekiah, pray two big prayers. Hezekiah was a good king who trusted God and followed His rules. He's a great example of how to pray.

In the first prayer, Hezekiah's got a national crisis on his hands. The King of Assyria is threatening Jerusalem. Hezekiah heads to God's house, lays out the threatening letter before God, and asks for help. God hears him and steps in.

In the second prayer, Hezekiah's got a personal health crisis. He turns to the wall, cries his eyes out, and prays to God. He reminds God of his faithfulness and asks for healing. Once again, God hears him and gives him 15 more years of life.

The Importance of Humility and Honesty in Prayer

A good prayer starts with a humble attitude. Hezekiah shows this by going to God's house and laying out the letter. Our physical actions can show what's going on in our hearts. God loves it when we come to Him with humility and honesty.

To pray right, we gotta remember we're not God. Pride can mess up our prayers. Doubt, selfishness, disobedience, and messed-up relationships are all forms of pride that can stop God from answering our prayers. We gotta check our hearts and admit any wrongs that might be messing with our prayers.

The Right Perspective in Prayer

Good prayer also needs the right perspective. Hezekiah knows God's in charge and trusts Him to answer in His own way. We gotta trust that God knows best and His ways are better than ours. Our prayers should line up with what God wants, not just what we want.

Conclusion

Let's take a minute to check our hearts and admit any wrongs that might be messing with our prayers. God's ready to forgive us and clean us up. We can go to God with confidence, knowing He's listening.

When life's tough and we don't know what to pray, we can still ask God to step in. The Holy Spirit's got our back when we can't find the words. We can trust that God hears us and will answer in His way.

Let's take this chance to answer God's invite to chat with Him in prayer. God, thanks for always being ready to listen. Help us to come to you with humble hearts and the right perspective. We trust you to answer our prayers in your perfect way. Amen.

Small Group Breakout Questions

1. What stood out to you about Hezekiah's prayers?

2. How can we approach God with humility in our prayers?

3. How can we trust God to answer our prayers in His own way?

4. What might be hindering our prayers?

5. How can we align our prayers with God's will?

Get the Full Youth Group Plan

• Icebreaker: Invitation to Pray
• Group Activity: Hezekiah's Prayer Challenge
• Youth Challenge: Prayer Posture Challenge