King Jehoshaphat learn that armies from Edom had banded together to wage war against him and his people. What did Jehoshaphat do in response? Did he run, hide, puff up?
2 Chronicles 20:3-9
Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said: “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. 7 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? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 ‘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.’
How does our perspective change when we remember that God is greater than the problems we face?
There are times in life when we face impossible situations. Times when we don’t see a way through the storm. Times when the enemy seems to be invincible. Times we realize, we don’t have a solution to what is going on. It’s times like these that we need to respond in prayer and deed, like Jehoshaphat. He didn’t focus on the problem, he focused on the Lord. He said, “no one can stand against the Lord”. If what you are dealing with is too much for you to handle, change your perspective by changing what you are focusing on. Remember, God has been faithful in the past and He is unchanging. That’s what Jehoshaphat did and that’s what we can do. Jehoshaphat prayed for God’s help again. We should never feel like we are being a burden to God by coming to Him again and again. We are actually worshiping God, when we pray expectantly and focus on His strength being what we need to rely on, to get through the tough times.
If you trust God more than yourself, will you pray expectantly?
