7/31/2019 383_The Power of Praise
1/3
THE BATTLE ISN'T YOURS Eltham Baptist Church 15th July 2012 No.
383
I was reading about King Jehosaphat in 2 Chronicles chapter 20
and could see a vast treasuretrove of amazing revelation and
sermons that you could preach for months. In this chapter theKing
is up against great odds.
"After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the
Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat."2 Chronicles
20:1
First of all I noted that there were 3 armies that came against
Jehosaphat to make war with him.Not just one big army only but 3.
He must have felt overwhelmed by this challenge. Aren't theredays
when we feel the same? Days when it seems like the enemy is
attacking us from everyquarter and we just don't have the forces to
overcome them.
We notice that Jehosaphat (being a man of God) first inquired of
the Lord on what he should do.He got himself focused by fasting and
praying and not only he himself but all the nation as
well.Sometimes you can be confused by too much information and the
deceit of your own heart, so it'sgood to humble your flesh with
fasting. Next Jehosaphat prays in the midst of the congregationand
brings forth his strong arguments to God. I have personally found
this method of prayer a veryeffective way to pray. The Bible
encourages it in this verse.
"Present your case," says the LORD. "Set forth your arguments,"
says Jacob's King. Isaiah 41:21
It is scriptural to do. God wants to see if we really desire
what we are asking for. We see in theverses below that King
Hezekiah was told that he would die by a Prophet, but he cried out
to Godwith a strong reason why he should live and things
changed.
In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death.
The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to himand said, This is what
the LORDsays: Put your house in order, because you are going to
die; you will notrecover. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and
prayed to the LORD,Remember, O LORD, how I have walkedbefore you
faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is
good in your eyes. And Hezekiahwept bitterly. Then the word of the
LORDcame to Isaiah:Go and tell Hezekiah, This is what the LORD, the
God ofyour father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen
your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.And Iwill deliver
you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will
defend this city. Isaiah 38:1-6
We notice that Jacob brought forth his strong arguments too when
faced with the overwhelmingarmy of men that came with Esau his
brother to apparently kill him. He was vastly outnumberedand the
last time he heard from Esau he had said that he was going to kill
him.
"When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, We went to
your brother Esau, and now he is coming tomeet you, and four
hundred men are with him. In great fear and distress Jacob divided
the people who werewith him into two groups, and the flocks and
herds and camels as well. He thought, If Esau comes and attacksone
group, the group that is left may escape. Then Jacob prayed, O God
of my father Abraham, God of myfather Isaac, O LORD, who said to
me, Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you
prosper, Iam unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have
shown your servant. I had only my staff when Icrossed this Jordan,
but now I have become two groups. Save me, I pray, from the hand of
my brother Esau, forI am afraid he will come and attack me, and
also the mothers with their children. But you have said, I will
surelymake you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand
of the sea, which cannot be counted. Genesis
32:6-12
You see here how Jacob used strong arguments in his prayers. He
reminded God of what he hadpreviously promised him. Jacob reminds
God that it was He who told him to return home and thatthere he
would prosper.
Jehosaphat told God that when the children of Israel came out of
Egypt they could have wiped outthe Moabites and Ammonites but they
didn't. They spared them and here they are coming now tokill him
and he is vastly outnumbered. God heard this prayer and gave a
prophetic word.
Next we see someone who I have never heard of before bring a
prophetic word. They were notone of the recognised Prophets of the
day but just an ordinary Levite. 2 Chronicles 20:15-17
He told them not to be afraid by what they saw, but trust in
God. He said the battle wasn't theirsbut God's. He then went on to
say that they are to still go out against them but they would
seesomething great that God would do for them. After this they
worshipped God and then lifted uptheir voices in praise very
loudly. Jehosaphat then went on to say.
"As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Listen to me,
Judah and people of Jerusalem!
7/31/2019 383_The Power of Praise
2/3
Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have
faith in his prophets and you will be successful.(prosper) 2
Chronicles 20:20
"Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established;
believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper." kjv
They didn't treat this prophetic word lightly even though it
wasn't from an established Prophet.Next Jehosaphat did something
that wasn't mentioned in the prophetic word and that was to
placethe singers first in their army as they marched out against
these 3 great armies.
"After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing
to the LORD and to praise him for the splendourof hisholiness as
they went out at the head of the army, saying: Give thanks to the
LORD, for his love enduresforever. 2 Chronicles 20:21
You can imagine how the enemy must have scoffed when they saw
this small band of men comingout against them with singers in the
lead. It's like Goliath seeing David the shepherd boy coming
tofight him little realising that with that small boy he would soon
be destroyed.
"As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against
the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seirwho were invading Judah,
and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against
the men fromMount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they
finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped todestroy one
another." 2 Chronicles 20:22-23
Even though the army of Jehosaphat was told that the battle
wasn't theirs but God's, they still wentout to battle but didn't
trust in their own strength. They believed that Praise and God go
hand inhand. They had prayed, worshipped, praised and then marched
forward fearlessly and thenpraised some more. They knew that there
was power in praise. It had a spiritual dimension thatconfused the
powers of darkness. The armies of the enemy ended up fighting
amongstthemselves. Oh that we would realise the power of praise
more, not only in our Church servicesbut in our personal lives.
Sometimes when I look out over the congregation on a Sunday and
seehow disinterested some folk are in the praise side of things I
sense the sadness of God's heart. Ifonly we knew what power could
be flowing into our lives with praise. What darkness could
bedispelled and what chains could be broken over our lives in the
service if we did. So often we want
a meaty sermon or some great revelation given to us thinking it
would be the answer when Godsays - PRAISE ME. Not only in the
Church but in our own lives we can march out against theenemy
singing songs in English and singing in the Spirit as well knowing
that as the enemy wasput to flight in Jehoshaphat's day so can it
be today.
Not only did they win the battle that day but there was a great
spoil to be taken up.
"When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the
desert and looked toward the vast army, they sawonly dead bodies
lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25 So Jehoshaphat and his
men went to carry offtheir plunder, and they found among them a
great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of
valuemore than they could take away. There was so much plunder that
it took three days to collect it ." v24-25
This reminds me of the days of Elisha when those people who
believed the Prophet Elisha were
greatly rewarded."..and they found the whole road strewn with
the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown away intheir
headlong flight. So the messengers returned and reported to the
king. Then the people went out andplundered the camp of the
Arameans. So a seah of flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of
barley sold for ashekel, as the LORD had said. 2 Kings 7:15-16
"On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah,
where they praised the LORD. This is why it is calledthe Valley of
Berakah to this day. Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah
and Jerusalem returnedjoyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given
them cause to rejoice over their enemies. They entered Jerusalemand
went to the temple of the LORD with harps and lyres and trumpets.
The fear of God came on all thesurrounding kingdoms when they heard
how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. And
thekingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him
rest on every side." 2 Chronicles 20:26-30
So they began with praise and also ended with praise. So often
we forget to thank God foranswered prayer. We are all in there when
we are in trouble but walk away when we are delivered.When we had
the twin tower disasters in America the churches were filled but
soon their passionwaned and things went back to normal and so did
the Churches. Let that not be said of us. Pray
