Wednesday was a quiet day for the most part. We did chores during the morning. In the afternoon I went with Naomi and did music filing for an hour or two. Later that evening we went to Wednesday night service. Pastor McMath preached a message on prayer. He based it on where Jehoshaphat prayed in the assembly "and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? And they dwelt in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence for Your name is in this temple, and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”"
Prayer is a mighty weapon of God. We as Christians are to pray without ceasing. We can, also, aggressively seek the throne of God, pleading with God. One example of this is in Genesis 18:23-33 where Abraham pleads with God for the righteous in Sodom. Like Abraham and Jehoshaphat, we are to argue our case with God not, often, to convince Him to help us, but to convince ourselves that He can and will help. Jehoshaphat first reminds God of His power. He reminds God that He is the God of all creation and God over heaven and earth. Jehoshaphat reminds God that He is God of the nations. He also reminds Him that He is his God. As God's children we have the privilege of petitioning God. He then reminds God of what He's done before. On the basis of what God has done before, we know He can do it again. He, then, reminds God of His promises. We have so many promises in God's word. Jehoshaphat reminds God of His purpose. He says to God 'You gave us this as our inheritance; you purposed that we should have it forever. Now someone is trying to take it away and go against what Your will is.' In the same way, we might say 'God you gave us this, You started it, You provided for it and now the enemy is trying to take it away." One way Satan comes against God's purpose is when he tries to keep sinners lost. Jehoshaphat, then, recognizes that he has no power to save himself and he is completely reliant on God. We too must say with Jehoshaphat, 'Lord we do not know what to do but our eyes are on you.' Then as the inhabitants stood before The Lord, He replied 'And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the
brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:15-17 I love this part "Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you"
All of our battles are God's! So let us fight them on our knees in prayer with His Word.
Genesis 18:23-24
And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
Prayer is a mighty weapon of God. We as Christians are to pray without ceasing. We can, also, aggressively seek the throne of God, pleading with God. One example of this is in Genesis 18:23-33 where Abraham pleads with God for the righteous in Sodom. Like Abraham and Jehoshaphat, we are to argue our case with God not, often, to convince Him to help us, but to convince ourselves that He can and will help. Jehoshaphat first reminds God of His power. He reminds God that He is the God of all creation and God over heaven and earth. Jehoshaphat reminds God that He is God of the nations. He also reminds Him that He is his God. As God's children we have the privilege of petitioning God. He then reminds God of what He's done before. On the basis of what God has done before, we know He can do it again. He, then, reminds God of His promises. We have so many promises in God's word. Jehoshaphat reminds God of His purpose. He says to God 'You gave us this as our inheritance; you purposed that we should have it forever. Now someone is trying to take it away and go against what Your will is.' In the same way, we might say 'God you gave us this, You started it, You provided for it and now the enemy is trying to take it away." One way Satan comes against God's purpose is when he tries to keep sinners lost. Jehoshaphat, then, recognizes that he has no power to save himself and he is completely reliant on God. We too must say with Jehoshaphat, 'Lord we do not know what to do but our eyes are on you.' Then as the inhabitants stood before The Lord, He replied 'And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the
brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:15-17 I love this part "Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you"
All of our battles are God's! So let us fight them on our knees in prayer with His Word.
Genesis 18:23-24
And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”