Pray! Say! Obey!

The other day I read one of my very favorite passages in the Scriptures: Jehoshaphat and his prayer to the Lord as the mighty combined armies of the Moabites and Ammonites prepared to invade the tiny nation of Judah. I love the honesty of the Bible--when told of this "great multitude" coming against his people, "Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord." (2 Chron. 20:3). Of course he was afraid! Even though he was the king, he knew enough to be terrified of this huge army that would surely wipe out his little nation. But, even though he was afraid, he "set his face to seek the Lord." When I'm fearful or anxious or frustrated or perplexed, how do I set my face? Do I seek advice from friends or the internet? Do I seek refuge in food or shopping or busyness or entertainment? Or do I determinedly set my face like flint towards the Lord and ask Him for strength and guidance and enablement and encouragement? Just as I talked about yesterday, I love the fact that it is a choice--a choice to set our face toward the Lord. We don't just have to give in to the fear. And the emotion of fear is okay--it is natural--but it is what we do with that fear that matters.

And the next thing Jehoshaphat does is assemble his people and pray. He begins, "O Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In Your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand You." (2 Chron.20:6) Then the king goes on to delineate the problem: the Ammonites and Moabites are about to attack them, and "we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You." (v.12)

Lord, we are powerless against this tough economy, but our eyes are on You. Lord, we are powerless against this illness our loved one suffers from, but our eyes are on You. Lord, we are powerless against this struggle with depression or addiction, but our eyes are on You. Lord, we are powerless against this besetting sin or habit, but our eyes are on You. Isn't this just the place God works best--when we are powerless and weak and He can be shown powerful and sovereign? I've always loved the quote: "God works best in a graveyard." Dead marriages, dead hopes, dead dreams, dead people--He resurrects and restores and redeems. So our first response must be to PRAY it!

But then we need to SAY it! Proclaim His Word, sing His praises even when you struggle to think of one thing for which to be thankful. You know, there is just something powerful about saying the Word of God aloud. Reciting His faithfulness; Singing songs to Him; Declaring His praises. I've learned that I don't have to feel like worshipping Him. I don't have to feel grateful. I don't have to feel like speaking His Word out loud. I may be angry or exhausted or discouraged or terrified, but there is power in declaring His Word out loud and in praising and thanking Him.

And that is exactly what Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah do! While they were praying, God's spirit spoke through one of the Levites: "Thus says the Lord to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold they will come up by the ascent of Ziz... You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you." (v.15-17) And Jehoshaphat and all the people "fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord." (v.18) And all the priests and Levites "stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel with a very loud voice." (v.19)

We might think, well, of course they did--look what God told them through the Levite! But don't forget, that tremendous army is still out there loaded for bear! It's just God's word, as proclaimed through a Levite, against the overwhelming evidence of an enormous, well-armed foe within shouting distance of the Israelites. Who would you believe? Your eyes, your ears, your common sense or the Word of God?

Jehoshaphat and the Israelites, despite all the evidence to the contrary, believed God and praised Him BEFORE the battle and before the victory. Early the next morning, the king proclaimed to His nation: "Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe His prophets, and you will suceed." (v.20) And based on that belief and trust, they appointed singers, yes SINGERS, to lead the army in battle! And you know what those singers were supposed to do at the head of the army facing their mighty foe: "sing to the Lord and praise Him in holy attire... [singing] 'Give thanks to the Lord, for His steadfast love endures forever.'" (v.21)

Great things happen when we say it, when we speak aloud His praises! But here's my favorite part: "And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. (v.22) They had to start singing and praising before the battle and before the victory. It was as if when they obeyed God and spoke out loud the praises of God, then He set in motion His mighty deliverance. They had to say it, they had to obey it, and God would do the supernatural. He calls us to pray, to say, to obey and then He does what we cannot. He does immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine (good old Eph 3:20!).

What battle are you facing today? What seemingly "great horde" is coming against you and you simply "do not know what to do?" Like Jehoshaphat and the Israelites, will you choose to take your feelings of fear or frustration or powerlessness and determine to seek Him and His ways? Will you choose in faith to pray, to say, and to obey and then to "stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf." (v.17) To Him be the glory!