What do you do when you don't know what to do?

2 Chronicles 20:1-22

King Jehoshaphat was in a dire predicament. All of a sudden the armies of Moab, Ammon and others came to wage a warfare against Judah. The Bible tell us in verse 2 it was a "vast army". Naturally King Jehoshaphat feared. But He did something more than that. He called for a fast and gathered the people to pray. 

 1.   Fast and Pray
The first thing you do when you don't know what to do is to seek the Lord in fasting and prayer. Prayer moves the mountains but fasting and prayer moves the heart of God. Nehemiah fasted and prayed and God moved the heart of the King. So did Esther. She and her servants fasted and prayed and God brought almightily deliverance to the nation of Israel.  2 Chro 7:14 - if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Fasting and prayer is the Christian's secret weapon to crush the works of the enemy. The fervency of prayer is born out of pain. If there was no great army, there wouldn't be the great prayer meeting. Adversity is an opportunity for prayer to invoke God's awesome sovereignty.

 But who were the enemies?

If we read Genesis, we would have known that Moab and Ammon were the grandsons of Lot and were in conceived in incest. These two brothers were conceived in sin. And later on in the history of Israel, King Solomon married many women from Moab and Ammon and these ladies turned him from worshipping the true living God to idols. These nations were responsible for turing the people of God from the true living God to idols. Now they want to destroy the people of God.

That's what the devil does. 

Christians face many onslaughts in our lives. But most of the time we fail to realise that the enemy, the devil, is behind many of these attacks. We simply fall prey to his schemes. Paul tells us in Eph 6:12 - For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. And in John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 
You are free to choose but You are not free to escape its consequences.

 2.   Reflect and pray
Now the King turns to God and offers a powerful prayer on behalf of the people. (verses 6-9). You see King Jehoshaphat knew his enemy, they were so vast and great. He also knew himself, that they had no power to face the enemy (verse 12). BUT HE KNEW HIS GOD. He began to reflect the wonders of his God. 

Verses 6-9

  • Omnipresent -  Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over   all the kingdoms of the heathen?
  • Omnipotent - and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
  • The testimonies -  Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
  • God’s promises - And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.
3.   Listen while you pray

 As they began to pray the prophetic word was released. God began to reveal His plans and His strategy. Our God speaks and we need to be sensitive to His voice not man's. That's the subtle difference which many fail to discern. What did God say?

  • Don't be afraid 
  • Don't be dismayed
  • The battle belongs to God.
  • He will fight your battles.
  • God is with you
Hallelujah. What an answer, what an assurance. The almighty God will himself fight the battles for us. But we need to do something. 

4.   After praying act in faith

Verse 17 - Take up your positions and stand firm. You need to take practical steps as the Lord leads and you will see a great victory. 



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