A story that will inspire you to pray!

A Story that will Inspire you to Pray!  James 4.2 – You do not have because you do not ask God.

Greetings! 

It is no secret that our faith does not usually grow too much unless it is tested . . . Could it be that FAITH is much like a muscle?  It grows bigger and stronger when we exercise it; and conversely, when we do not exercise it, our faith shrivels and … well maybe even dies.  Hmmm . . .  Yes, I am quite sure that is true.  Inevitably, in life, there are difficult times that come our way.  Sometimes, there is absolutely nothing we can humanly do to effect change; however, God can act.  The fact is, God does act, in response to the prayers of those who place their trust in him, and turn to him in prayer.  It is ours to pray in faith, and his to come and do what only he can do.  He specializes in that.

Come with me to 2 Chronicles, chapter 20. Please, get to a Bible, and read verses 1-30, or click http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles%2020:1-30&version=NIV1984.  It is an incredible story.  Here's the scene--Jehoshaphat is made aware that he is about to be attacked by a 'vast' army.  To say that his back is against the wall is an understatement, but what is his response?   Jehoshaphat prays to God for help, and declares a fast--not exactly a tactic that would have appealed to General Patton, eh? Clearly, Jehoshaphat is a respected leader as verse 4 tells us the people heed his words.  From the temple courtyard, he stands and addresses his Commander in Chief, God.  Notice how he starts his prayer with adoration, and then recalls how God has taken care of the Jewish people up until this point.  He concludes his prayer with, "we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us.  We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."

The Lord hears his prayer and sends a message through Jahaziel to the people: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army.”   Check out what God says next:  For the battle is not yours, but God's. (verse 15) Jehoshaphat takes his strength from this word from God and then further encourages the faith of his people in God's deliverance.

What are you up against, my friend, trying to fight, control or solve on your own, that God is saying, 'do not be afraid or discouraged. . . the battle is not yours, but God's.'

Could we stop right here, and pray?  From Southern California to New York, down to Florida to Portugal, the Netherlands, to Kenya and South Africa, the Philippines and Japan---let us join together in prayer:  Dear God, we know that there are those of us who are up 'against it' right now. . . nothing escapes your notice, and nothing has caught you by surprise.  So, Father--won't you take our situations--the cancer diagnosis, the test results that will soon be given, the storm pounding Florida, the......?  We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you, Lord.  We will not be afraid, we will not let ourselves be discouraged. We take you at your word--the battle is not ours, but yours. Our trust is in you, sweet Lord.  Come, move. . . In your powerful name we pray, Amen.

Meanwhile back on the hillside with Jehoshaphat . . . what happens?  Well, as his men are marching down to face the battle, Jehoshaphat appoints men to sing praises to God-- (can you just imagine what the opposition was thinking as they heard them coming? Crazy Jews)-- so sure of the victory God had promised them (verse 17).  The opposing armies then turn on each other, destroy one another,  and Jehoshaphat's men never have to fight!  Isn’t that crazy?   Oh, how I love this story of God's faithfulness!

What was the response of J's people?  Led by J, they went back into Jerusalem, went to the temple to praise God with musical instruments, giving him the glory he deserved.

Once again, we see how different things are when we are operating in God's economy--God didn't just help J's armies, he caused the other armies to destroy each other so that J's men never had to fight the battle!  Not much has changed in 3000 years.  God is still willing . . . no, not just willing, but wanting to fight our (just) battles.   Surrender to God whatever concerns you today; go ahead, he's big enough.

Man, I love a good story, especially when it shows the power of our God, wielded through the prayers of the faithful. 

Grace and Peace,

Christine