When we pray to God, what do we normally say or ask for? Some of us may start asking for all sorts of things, some would ask for good health, some would ask for peace and happiness in the family, some would even be pleading with God for His help and deliverance, especially when they are in a desperate time of need or in danger.
But today’s reading surprises us with a different way of praying. Instead of starting with a tirade of supplication or petitions or even pleas, Azariah praised God for His mercy and even admitted that the sins of his peope had caused them to be in the situation they were in. Azariah even continued by asking God to accept their contrite and humble hearts as an offering, and asked God to “Grant us deliverance worthy of your wonderful deeds, let your name win glory, Lord.” If we observe what Azariah said, we can see that ultimately, he was putting his companions and he at the mercy of God, and he was confident that no matter what happened in the end, it would be for the glory of God.
What about us? Do we pray in such a way that ultimately, it would be for the glory of God? Or have we been praying to satisfy our needs and wants? May we come to realise that at the end of the day, all that we have, all that we ask for, is meant to glorify God.