How Heaven Answers When We Worshipনমুনা

Day 2: Worship Unlocks Victory

So many times when problems come, we try to fix them by ourselves, but the Word of God tells us that the battle is not ours. The pressures all around us may be screaming that we need to do something or we will be overcome, but what we really need is to sit still and set ourselves in worship to the Lord.

This is why I love the story of King Jehoshepaht. When the Israelites were facing an enemy three times their size, Jehoshephat was afraid, but he did not sit in that fear. The Bible tells us that he instantly called a fast throughout the kingdom, and he set himself to seek the Lord.

With the whole kingdom worried that they are going to die, the first thing Jehoshephat did was start telling God who He is: “God, you are ruler over everything, and you are more powerful than any army in the world. You have saved us in the past, and you blessed our people with this land.” Now, Jehoshephat didn’t say all these things because God didn’t know or because He needed to be reminded — he said these things to remind himself!

When we face fearful situations, it's important to remember who God is and what He’s done for us. We have to stand against our own fear and clearly say, “God, You are the God above cancer. You are the God above relational problems. You are the God above human rejection. I really don’t see how this can work out, God, but you’ve saved me in the past, and somehow, I know you will do it again.” When you set yourself in that attitude, you are setting yourself up for victory.

The next thing that Jehoshephat did was tell God exactly what the problem was: “Lord, these enemies have come to remove us from the land that you gave us, and we don’t have any power against them.”

When Jehoshephat finished his worship and petition, the Lord spoke, and He gave this king a plan. The next morning, Jehoshephat and all the people of Israel went out before their enemy with the worshipers ahead of them just filling the air with glory for God, and in that worship-filled atmosphere, God destroyed the enemy. He protected His people, and he will be faithful to do the same for you when you sit still and praise Him in the midst of fear.

For Your Consideration

• How often do you use praise as your first response to fearful situations? How can you remind yourself to do it more often?
• How has God helped you in the past? How often do you remember these things and give Him thanks for them?
• What difficult situations are you facing right now? Using Jehoshephat’s prayer as a template, pray to God in worshipful petition for whatever you need.