50 Days of Prayer – Day 44
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“Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” … “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12; 17 (NIV)
What do you do when you’re facing overwhelming odds, when the problem, or as in this case, threat, is real and beyond your ability to handle. Life can do that at times. We live in a fallen and sinful world. Every day the Christ follower faces three formidable enemies – the world, the flesh, and the devil. Sometimes they are referred to as sin, self, and Satan.
In our passage today, Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, just received news that he had three enemies coming after him and his nation. Messengers came to tell him that a vast army of Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites were already approaching and time was short. Verse three says that he was terrified by this news! I love the fact that the Bible doesn’t hide the raw human emotion of its spiritual heroes. Who wouldn’t be afraid when the odds are stacked against you? But what Jehoshaphat did next provides a model for you and me when we find ourselves in overwhelming situations and don’t know what to do.
“Jehoshaphat … begged the LORD for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting.” 2 Chronicles 20:3 (NLT) In short, Jehoshaphat cried out to God. When the people from all over Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help, the Bible says he stood before the community of Judah and Jerusalem at the Temple and prayed, “LORD, the God of our ancestors, are You not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can withstand You. Our God, did You not drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend? They have lived in it and have built-in it a sanctuary for Your Name, saying, ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in Your presence before this temple that bears Your Name and will cry out to You in our distress, and You will hear us and save us.’ But now here are men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whose territory You would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession You gave us as an inheritance. Our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” 2 Chronicles 20:6-12 (NIV)
Imagine being one of the Israelites there in the crowd and hearing your King pray like this? His prayer inspires me. It challenges me to take my fears to God and trust Him to come through for me. This was a King who knew the Lord and knew His Word. He acknowledges that God rules over all the kingdoms and nations of the world, that power and might are in His hands and no one can withstand Him! Wow! Praying like this strengthens my weak faith! It’s not really a matter of how big your faith is anyway. It’s a matter of how big your God is!
I’m also impressed with the fact that Jehoshaphat didn’t deny reality. He admitted how powerless he was against this mighty army. The attack was imminent! He said, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” That was all God needed to hear. Look at how God responded in verse 17. “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.”
In other words, God said, “Jehoshaphat, the battle is the Mine and the victory is yours!” That is true for you and me today. The bible says in Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” And we are told in 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NLT) “But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
What battles are you facing today? Review how Jehoshaphat prayed and use it as a model for your own prayer. Then take courage in knowing that the victory is yours, and the battle is the Lord’s.