prayer school series 2010 - part 6 (the place of battle became the place of blessing)

I taught the following at a recent prayer school - just around mid-July.

It was not the first time i taught from this passage, but as I prepared God showed me a couple of new (to me, at least) insights and applications in our lives.

2 Chronicles 20:1-41
It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others ... came to battle against Jehoshaphat. ... 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD

Jeremiah 33:3

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.

(v1-3) Jehoshaphat's first response was fear. But he quickly turned and sought the Lord, leading the whole nation into a time of fasting and prayer. The Lord always responds when we turn to Him.

2 Chronicles 20:5-12

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem... 6 and said: "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? ... 9 '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.' ... 12 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."

(v5-11) Jehoshaphat and the Israelites focused fully on God and not the enemy (problem). Confidence grew as they reminded themselves and God who He was, what He could do, and His promises to them.

(v12) They trusted in the Name of the Lord and that He would show them what to do at the right time as they kept their eyes on Him. And God spoke...

2 Chronicles 20:17

You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you."

As in Ephesians 6:10-13, the Lord told them to stand still for He would be with them. It was His battle. The Lord takes on your battle as His own when you cast your cares on Him. We have the same enemy.

2 Chronicles 20:18-19

18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. 19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high...

When the Lord spoke through His prophet, the people listened and responded with worship (v18) and praise (v19), and did exactly as the Lord instructed them to (v20). They chose to praise the Lord that very moment they heard the promise of the Lord.

2 Chronicles 20:22, 25-26

22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated... 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies,[d] and precious jewelry... they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much 26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the LORD; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah[e] until this day.

On the day of the battle, they did not waver in their trust in the Lord. They stood still and did not fight. Instead they chose to send the singers to praise the Lord.

As they praised the Lord, He caused confusion within enemy camps and gave them the victory (v22). But they had, in fact, anticipated the victory when they first prayed, and starting praising even before the victory was seen

(v18-19). This demonstrated their faith in the Word of the Lord.

(v26) The place of battle became the place of blessing - Valley of Berachah (literally, Blessing).

And it all started with seeking the Lord and praising Him.