When Jehoshaphat stood up in the place where God commanded, there was no divine light from heaven. There were no angels, no audible voice from God, nothing supernatural happened, but Jehoshaphat was strategically positioned to receive an answer from God.
Since he didn’t know what to do about his problem, Jehoshaphat did the only thing he knew to do. He began to pray:
Verses 6-12 "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 dwell 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."
Jehoshaphat’s prayer contained eight elements that our own intercession should include when we face difficult circumstances. They are declarations that change our focus from self to God, “from me to Thee” :
1. Jehoshaphat focused on Who God is, proclaiming His royalty and divine attributes. "Are You not our God?" It was a declaration rather than a question. When you call on God, you actually invoke all the inherent power of His name. God addresses every potential problem and need of life. When you declare, “You are my God,” you are actually confessing these benefits.
2. Jehoshaphat confessed God’s authority over every circumstance of life:
"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?"
Some of us readily see the hand of God in the good things of life, but do we really believe He is in control of negative circumstances? Do we see Him ruling in power and might on those routine, hum-drum days of life? Can we see God’s hand at work when all around seems to be falling apart? Can we declare with Job:
Job 13:15 "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him?"
3. Jehoshaphat’s prayer focused on God’s past record of faithfulness. He asked:
"Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel?"
When we face difficult circumstances, how quickly we forget all God did for us in the past. Did He not provide in time of need? Wasn’t God faithful when you were faithless? Didn’t God stand beside you in times of grief and financial hardship?
When you face situations for which there seems to be no answer, focus your attention on God’s track record. As you declare the faithfulness of God in the past, it encourages faith that He will move in your present circumstances.
4. Jehoshaphat appealed on the basis of a friendship relationship with God.
"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?"
A covenant was established between God and Abraham that extended to succeeding generations and in his crisis, Jehoshaphat appealed for help on the basis of this relationship.
There is a level of intimacy with God that is cultivated in no other way than through the difficulties of life. The Apostle Paul cried out, “That I might know Himin the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering!” It is exciting to experience God in resurrection power, when prayers are answered, the sick are healed, and your finances are blessed. But there is another dimension of relationship discovered only in the fellowship of His suffering when bad reports and great multitudes are bombarding you. It is then you learn to love God for Who He is, not only for what He has done.
5. Jehoshaphat confessed God’s promises:
"Here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit."
Jehoshaphat declared, "This is Your land and You gave it to us as an inheritance! This is your promise to us!"
The Bible reveals that God promises aid in times of trouble. He pledges salvation, healing, and deliverance. He said your household can be saved and your children be strong in the Lord. When you face impossible situations, appeal to God on the basis of His promises because when God moves it is always in response to His covenant with man.
6. Jehoshaphat reminded God of His responsibility to deliver His people:
"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."
Jehoshaphat did not deny the devastating potential of life’s problems. Some people claim that acknowledging a problem is a negative confession that aborts faith. When Christ’s disciples thought Lazarus was sleeping, however, Jesus pointedly corrected them. “Lazarus is dead,” He declared. Talk about a negative confession! But in the next breath Jesus said, “But I go to raise Him!”
If you do not acknowledge a problem, how can you deal with it? When deliverance comes, how can God receive glory if you refuse to admit there was a problem in the first place? Acknowledge the problem, but at the same time proclaim your confidence in God’s promise to help.
Jehoshaphat mentions the sword, judgment, pestilence, and famine which are inclusive of every category of life’s problems. He realistically appraised the challenges, but his focus was on God’s promises rather than the problems. “When we cry out in our affliction,” he declared, “You will hear and save!”
When you face difficult circumstances of life, where is your focus? Are your thoughts constantly consumed with the problem? If so, you must change your focus from the problem to the promises of God.
7. Jehoshaphat appealed to God on the basis of His righteousness judgment asking, "O our God, will You not judge them?"
Jehoshaphat did not rant and rail against the enemy. He did not start a negative propaganda campaign against the enemy or call the elders together to rehearse their sinful acts. He committed his enemy to the righteous judgment of God.
8. Jehoshaphat declared absolute reliance on God:
"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."
No mention is made of Jehoshaphat calling up the military, although he had a great army. Instead of summoning his army, he declared his complete dependence on God. He used “thou, thy, and thee” a total of 18 times in his prayer (King James Version), changing his focus from the problem to the solution, from “me to thee.”
Where do you place your confidence in times of crisis? Is your trust in other people? Do you rely on your own natural abilities to solve the problem? Do you trust in your finances, position, and education or do you, like Jehoshaphat, declare your absolute reliance on God?
Jehoshaphat’s enemy was advancing rapidly, yet this man stood where God commanded and prayed. Your enemy is advancing also and his forces and threats are fearsome. Will you focus on the problem or the promises? Don’t deny the problem, just change your focus from “me” (your problems and circumstances) to “Thee” (God’s unlimited resources).
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