Question about prayer in the bible

[jcl365]

I hope this is the right forum for asking a general question about prayer. I could not find the answer myself, as my bible knowledge is only superficial:

Does anyone know a situation in a book of the old testament where someone prayed for something, and God granted his wish and would not have done so without prayer?

I do not mean praying for inner strength, or for the answer on a question, but praying for some external event to happen. Such as in "God, cure my sick child" or "God, let Obama lose the election" or "God, give me a Mercedes". The question came up in a recent discussion with a priest who said that this sort of prayer has basically not Christian, but pagan origins.

[Indueseason]

2 Kings 20

20 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 “Remember,(B) Lord, how I have walked(C) before you faithfully(D) and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard(E) your prayer and seen your tears;(F) I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend(G) this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”

7 Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil,(H) and he recovered.

8 Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the Lord on the third day from now?”

9 Isaiah answered, “This is the Lord’s sign(I) to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”

10 “It is a simple(J) matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.”

11 Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back(K) the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

blessings to you

[L'Ange]

Scriptures say, "You have not because you ask not..." but we are also told that our prayers will not be answered if we "ask amiss" and that our prayers must be in accordance with the Father's will.
We are also told, "Do not be fretful about anything but in everything with prayer and supplication make your request known to YHWH" aka God. Praying for you to become a great prayer warrior.

[Frances]

Exodus 17:10 - 13 Aaron and Hur held up Moses hands in prayer when he got tired.

Judges 6:12 - 24 Gideon asked for a sign, and the food he prepared was burnt up.

Judges 6:36 - 40 Gideon asked that the wet, then the dry fleece be a sign.

Ezra 8: 21 - 23 When Ezra led Israelites back to Jerusalem.

Esther 4: 15 - 17 and 9:25

etc.

[jcl365]

Thanks for the helpful answers!

[Ta-An]

Ps 9:12..... he is not without thought for the cry of the poor.
This verse to me proofs that God hears the cries of the afflicted...

[Diggindeeper]

2 Kings 20

20 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 “Remember,(B) Lord, how I have walked(C) before you faithfully(D) and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard(E) your prayer and seen your tears;(F) I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend(G) this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”

7 Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil,(H) and he recovered.

8 Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the Lord on the third day from now?”

9 Isaiah answered, “This is the Lord’s sign(I) to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”

10 “It is a simple(J) matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.”

11 Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back(K) the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

blessings to you

This one is what I was thinking about also.

Because Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed, God added 15 years to his life!
(Certainly not a pagan origin at all, in any way!)