Imagine your country being threatened with invasion by foreign powers: Would your president or prime minister call a national prayer meeting to plead with God?
Probably not. Even Christian leaders these days are unlikely to make group prayer to God a priority.
But King Jehoshaphat of Judah did exactly that when faced with an invading force of Moabites, Ammonites and Meunites.
I believe we can learn from the steps Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah took when confronted by this powerful threat.
Jehoshaphat believed in God and turned to him first before taking any action.
In 2 Chronicles 20, we read that Jehoshaphat proclaimed a national fast and called a prayer meeting.
"The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him."
Clearly, the fear of invasion galvanized the people. At the same time, they obviously believed that God could do something.
Do we believers consult God before we take action? Do we seek our commander's orders before going into battle in our everyday lives? Do we join together in the face of adversity?
Jehoshaphat opened the prayer meeting by laying out the problem clearly before the Lord and declared his confidence that God "will hear us and save us". He was placing his entire trust in God.
His prayer concluded with these words: "We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."
Do we as believers try to do everything on our own strength? Or do we, like the apostle Paul, admit that we are weak and depend on the strength of God (2 Corinthians 12:10)? God works best when we allow him to lead us and work through us.
After Jehoshaphat's prayer, Jehaziel, a Levite, is moved by the Holy Spirit to deliver a message to his king and the people of Judah. He tells them that God has informed him that they are not to fear the enemy because "the battle is not yours, but God's". He even says the Lord declares they will not even have to fight their enemies - the Lord will take care of them.
For me, this is one of the great blessings of group prayer. As we pray together, God moves in our hearts and solutions to problems emerge simply as we pray. One person's prayer sparks a response in another individual's and suddenly we see an answer emerging. It is the Holy Spirit at work.
As a result of the prayer meeting, the people of Judah go out to meet their enemies, praising the Lord. They do not have to raise a finger in anger - God causes the enemies to fight among themselves. They win a victory without striking a blow.
We North Americans are so used to using our minds and our hands in practical ways that we have forgotten the value of coming together in prayer.
But the apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12: "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."
If that is true - and I believe it is - we should pray first before acting. What we see around us is not the most important thing - what is happening behind the scenes in the heavenly realms is far more important.
We don't need a war to spur us to pray. Satan is behind evil and is always active.
We need to pray together - united - all the time.
Probably not. Even Christian leaders these days are unlikely to make group prayer to God a priority.
But King Jehoshaphat of Judah did exactly that when faced with an invading force of Moabites, Ammonites and Meunites.
I believe we can learn from the steps Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah took when confronted by this powerful threat.
Jehoshaphat believed in God and turned to him first before taking any action.
In 2 Chronicles 20, we read that Jehoshaphat proclaimed a national fast and called a prayer meeting.
"The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him."
Clearly, the fear of invasion galvanized the people. At the same time, they obviously believed that God could do something.
Do we believers consult God before we take action? Do we seek our commander's orders before going into battle in our everyday lives? Do we join together in the face of adversity?
Jehoshaphat opened the prayer meeting by laying out the problem clearly before the Lord and declared his confidence that God "will hear us and save us". He was placing his entire trust in God.
His prayer concluded with these words: "We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."
Do we as believers try to do everything on our own strength? Or do we, like the apostle Paul, admit that we are weak and depend on the strength of God (2 Corinthians 12:10)? God works best when we allow him to lead us and work through us.
After Jehoshaphat's prayer, Jehaziel, a Levite, is moved by the Holy Spirit to deliver a message to his king and the people of Judah. He tells them that God has informed him that they are not to fear the enemy because "the battle is not yours, but God's". He even says the Lord declares they will not even have to fight their enemies - the Lord will take care of them.
For me, this is one of the great blessings of group prayer. As we pray together, God moves in our hearts and solutions to problems emerge simply as we pray. One person's prayer sparks a response in another individual's and suddenly we see an answer emerging. It is the Holy Spirit at work.
As a result of the prayer meeting, the people of Judah go out to meet their enemies, praising the Lord. They do not have to raise a finger in anger - God causes the enemies to fight among themselves. They win a victory without striking a blow.
We North Americans are so used to using our minds and our hands in practical ways that we have forgotten the value of coming together in prayer.
But the apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12: "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."
If that is true - and I believe it is - we should pray first before acting. What we see around us is not the most important thing - what is happening behind the scenes in the heavenly realms is far more important.
We don't need a war to spur us to pray. Satan is behind evil and is always active.
We need to pray together - united - all the time.
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