Читать книгу Prayer Of Jehoshaphat: ”O Our God, Won'T You Stop Them?” - Gabriel Agbo - Страница 5

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Every battle in this life is winnable! You can come out of every life challenge victorious if you understand and follow the divine principles we are about to discuss here. Life is war and like in all wars, you will expect many battles. In this life there will be battles, troubles, challenges, trials, and temptations. They come in deferent shapes and times; some expected and others unexpected. Some of them will come from expected quarters and others from unimaginable sources. Some of these battles will be spiritual, some economical and others physical. As long as you’re alive they must come. Jesus was indeed right when He said that in this world you will have oppositions, troubles and tribulations. And Job also agreed with Him by saying that life is full of trouble. True!

Yes, all the above are correct, but God also gave us the principles to guide us into victory and fortunately, you find them in the encounter between Judah and the three nations that came against them. The Ammonites, Moabites and Edomites suddenly declared war against Jehoshaphat and his people, and before the king knew what was happening, this vast army had already started marching closely to Judah. The challenge was real, sudden, huge and imminent. In this desperation, Jehoshaphat summoned the people, declared a fast and went to the house of God to seek His face:

“After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat,  ‘A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar’. (This was another name for En-gedi.) Jehoshaphat was alarmed by this news and sought the LORD for guidance. He also gave orders that everyone throughout Judah should observe a fast. So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the LORD.”

2 Chronicles 20:1-4

Your victory at the time of trial is determined by your relationship with God before the challenge and your attitude during the period. Jehoshaphat had always maintained a good relationship with God and now that he had a great challenge in his hands, naturally, his first reaction was also to seek the face of that his God for intervention. What is your relationship with God? Where do you go first at the time of trial? In other words, where are your heart and your trust? Jehoshaphat’s were in the God of Israel and that was why, without thinking about it, he ran to Him immediately for help. Personally, I have learnt to always run to God to seek His help any time I have challenges. And I always come out victorious.

As I write, I remember some years ago when as a young man I was working with a publishing company. I was barely 20 years old and had just given my life to Christ. My boss in the office kept on threatening to sack me from the job.

So one day he sent me a note that the next day was going be my last day on the job. I really didn’t know what to do anymore because he had told everybody his decision. Even my dad who had told me he once helped the man got the message.

On that faithful day, as I knelt down to pray, I opened my bible, spread the letter of summon, and placed my hands on a portion of the scriptures that demonstrated how God miraculously delivered the people of Israel from an imminent threat of defeat and destruction from a heathen king; who had boasted that even the God of Israel would not be able to deliver them from his hand.

After the prayer, I left to the office. Now, I didn’t know what will happen, all I did was just to ask God to intervene and save me from that man’s threat. But I was in for the shock of my life. As I approached the entrance of the company, the security men asked me if I heard what happened that morning and I said no. Then, they broke the news that my boss was dead. My God! I asked them what happened to him because he personally summoned me to report to his office that morning. And they told me he came to work the previous night and after finishing his assignment through the night, went home to dress up and did not come back. He died that morning in his house!

My dear, I have not seen that kind of thing before. I quietly went away with that shock. When I met my daddy on the way and broke the news to him, he also couldn’t believe it. I went back to my station and continued my work. God is ever ready to intervene in our situations, but we must also learn to remain, trust and take our matters to Him. No matter how desperate it might look, God can still do something about it. And please note, I did not pray that he should die, but God also refused that his plans against me would be carried out. Imagine what would have happened to my young faith and career if the man had succeeded in carrying out his threat.

Now I understand why the bible said that as the Israelites left Egypt, God did not lead them on the road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. He took them through the wilderness towards the Red Sea, because He didn’t want them to face battles at that stage and change their mind on the journey. There are battles that God will not allow you to face as a new believer and even as a matured Christian, He also said that He will not allow you to face challenges that a bigger that you!

I practice this often. When I receive a threat or face a serious battle, I go to God, spread the threat (especially if it is written) before Him, and ask Him to intervene. It has been working perfectly for me and others. I learnt this also from King Hezekiah. The Assyrian king Sennacherib had written to the king of Judah; harassing, insulting them and deriding their God, comparing Jehovah with the other gods he had defeated with their nations. When Hezekiah got the letter, read it, he took it to the Temple and spread it before God. Please, do you permit me to just read this powerful prayer then we will return to our main discussion – Jehoshaphat and Judah? Thank you! Listen carefully and learn from this immutable principle:

“After Hezekiah received the letter and read it, he went up to the LORD’s Temple and spread it out before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the LORD: ‘O LORD, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Listen to me, O LORD, and hear! Open your eyes, O LORD and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God.

It is true, LORD, that the kings of Assyrian have destroyed all these nations; just as the message says. And they have thrown the gods of these nations into fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all – only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. Now, O LORD our God, rescue us from this power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O LORD, are God.”

2 Kings 19:14-19

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Immediately, after this powerfully, skillfully crafted prayer, God sent a message to Hezekiah that He would not allow the boastful king of Assyria to step into Jerusalem, not to talk of shooting an arrow. And that same night an angel of the LORD went to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Those that survived just woke up and saw dead bodies everywhere. And nobody told them and their King Sennacherib to run away! But why didn’t he stay? Royal fool! Yes, it’s only a fool that will challenge God. Even as he ran home, the unseen hand still pursued him. His own children killed him right where he was worshiping his god – Nisroch. My friend, there is power in taking your case to God in prayer – spreading it before Him. This is a standing spiritual principle. You know the bible said that two or three witnesses shall establish a truth (principle).  Please, let’s go back to our main discussion. Like Hezekiah, like Jehoshaphat.

Now the same thing Jehoshaphat is doing here. He took this imminent threat of these three enemy nations to the house of God and prayed:

“O LORD, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you! O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? Your people settled here and built this Temple for you. They said, ‘whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war, disease, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.’

And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing. You would not let our ancestors invade those nations when Israel left Egypt, so they went around them and did not destroy them. Now see how they reward us! For they have come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us as an inheritance. O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”

2 Chronicles 20: 6-12

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My God! What is this? This is sure one of the most powerful, most comprehensive and most effective prayer you can find in the bible and I have ever heard. And this is why I will never get tired of reading or preaching from it. I love it! Moreover, Jehoshaphat is one of my heroes in the scriptures; my role model. He loved God so much, and God had in return showed much respect for him. You remember when he joined King Ahab of Israel to go and retake Ramoth-gilead; an Israelite city then occupied by the Arameans? As they were preparing for the war, Ahab summoned his four hundred prophets to ask them how the battle will go. After their prophecy of victory, which has been corrupted by the spirit of lies, Jehoshaphat further asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the LORD around, too? I would like to ask him the same question.” Then they called in Micaiah son of Imiah.

Did you hear that? Hundreds of opinions have already been given, promising victory, by this guy was not satisfied and would not step an inch without the full assurance of divine guidance and protection. That was the extent of his trust and love for God. You already know the outcome of that war. Though cornered by the enemy forces, Jehoshaphat was divinely, miraculously spared, and the ungodly King Ahab of Israel killed. Those that honor Him will always be honored and protected!  True!

Also look at the battle against Moab. The king of Israel (Ahab’s son) mobilized Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom to go and fight against Moab for refusing to be bringing tributes after the death of Ahab. On the way, after seven days walk through the desert, there was no water for the horses and the soldiers. Everybody was dying of thirst and confused, but this same Jehoshaphat also asked a similar question “Is there no prophet of the LORD with us? If there is we can ask the LORD what to do.” And they called in Prophet Elisha. Now I want you to remark what the prophet of God said when he came. He told the king of Israel straight that if not for Jehoshaphat, he wouldn’t have bothered to attend to him (king of Israel). Then he gave them the word of the LORD, “This is what the LORD says: This dry valley will be filled with pools of water. You will have plenty for yourselves and for your cattle and your other animals. But this is only a simple thing for the LORD, for he will make you victorious over the army of Moab!”

And surely, the next morning, without any rain or wind, the water came in a great way! And not just for them to drink, it was also used to ensnare their enemies; who were well defeated. This was the extent of Jehoshaphat’s dealings with God. He loved, respected and meticulously followed the way of the God of Israel. He also did everything in his power to make Israel worship the only true God. He destroyed the idols in the land, ensured justice and sent out people to teach the laws of God throughout his kingdom. It is good we get this background so that we will know who was making these supplications that we are about to dissect and imitate.  Now, let’s go back. He prayed against the armies of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir (Edomites).

Prayer Points:

Pray for forgiveness of sins and ask Him to come into your life.

Pray that God would increase His love in your heart.

Go to Him in prayer, spreading your request, case before Him.

You may declare a fast if you are led.

You can also do these as a people, a nation.