“Facing The Giants In Your Life With Prayer”
Text: 2 Chronicles 20:1-30
We all have probably heard the story of David and Goliath in I Samuel 17…how God used a brave young man full of faith to face a huge hulk of a man so that God could get the glory. With sling in hand, he chose 5 smooth stones from a brook and yelled charge as he ran into a valley of certain death. It was then that God guided his actions and the stone that he hurled went right between the eyes of the giant who fell flat.
David is not the only person to come up against a giant. All who are believers in Jesus Christ will find themselves quite often I’m afraid face to face with big challenges, some seeming impossible challenges! You and I find ourselves staring into the eyes of a Goliath! Then either fear or faith takes over. Most often it is fear and an expectation that we are about to be squashed!
In our story this morning, the king of Judah, King Jehosophat and the people of God are faced with a GIANT PROBLEM and they are faced with a GIANT QUESTION – Will we shrink in FEAR & UNBELIEF at what our human eyes and ears are seeing and hearing or will we throw ourselves on and TRUST THE ONLY ONE that can help us face this GIANT ISSUE we are facing.
Jehoshaphat was a relatively obscure ruler of the southern kingdom of Judah. Second Chronicles 20 gives us a snapshot on a day in his life that began like any other day, but quickly turned into chaos:
Verses 1 & 2 say, “After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea. It is already in Hazazon Tamar"
It was "after this," our author notes, that enemies from the east sought to invade and overcome Judah. It is significant to note that these armies massed and mounted their attack at this particular time. Jehoshaphat was on a high. This was a time of great victory for the young king. God had made him his instrument to bring about a great revival in the land - 1 Chronicles 19:4-11 records that.
With the announcement of the invasion, King Jehoshaphat comes down from his high in a hurry. Hazazon Tamar was a town only fifteen miles from Jerusalem, less than a day's march away and he is faced with a giant decision and a giant of a dilemma.
This morning, I want to speak about what I believe to be one of the greatest formulas for how to deal with PROBLEMS, TRIALS AND IMPOSSIBILITIES in our lives.
When you and I are faced with “giants” in our lives like sickness, wayward children, a troubled marriage, financial loss, death of a loved one and the list goes on and on, YOU FILL IN THE BLANK THIS MORNING - we must respond the way Jehosophat and the people of Israel responded. It truly affords us the greatest chance of surviving and a path that will lead to – thriving and blessing!!!
NOTE/COMMERICAL: In a family as well as in a church, almost everything RISES AND FALLS WITH – SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP!! As Leaders as fathers, as leaders here at LCC, we must be spiritually wise & valiant in how we lead those who are under our care. Jehoshaphat & His wise and godly leadership shouts to us this sobering command – BE ETERNALLY CAREFUL HOW YOU LEAD. BE ETERNALLY CAREFUL HOW YOU RESPOND TO THE BIG CHALLENGES OF LIFE!!! Others are watching and God is holding us responsible to lead others faithfully - to HIM!!!!
“Facing the Giants Of Your Life With Prayer”
Watch what Jeshosophat and the people of God do in response to this great challenge they are facing…………
The first thing we must do is turn to God in prayer and share our need with other believers. (20:1- 4)
That is what the King did in the opening verses of chapter 20. Verse 3 says he was “alarmed” literally “woken up & aroused” and what does he do – HE CALLS UPON THE LORD & CALLS HIS PEOPLE TO JOIN HIM!!!
He could have …..given in to fear and began to humanly try to deal with this giant problem.
He could have……given into laziness and believed that what they were facing was really not that bad.
He could have ……trusted & rested in his past victories and might and just not worry about from that standpoint but ………….
HE DOES WHAT IS – NOT NATURAL!!! He calls on the Lord to deal with the fear, the worry, the uncertainty & the hopelessness!
Q. Where do you CAMP when there are giants in your land? Where do you TURN when you are facing insurmountable odds? I BELIEVE WE MUST FIRST TURN TO THE LORD BUT WE ALSO MUST INCLUDE HIS PEOPLE IN ON OUR – GIANT PROBLEM!
Five young college students were spending a Sunday in London, so they went to hear the famed C.H. Spurgeon preach. While waiting for the doors to open, the students were greeted by a man who asked, "Gentlemen, let me show you around. Would you like to see the heating plant of this church?" They were not particularly interested, for it was a hot day in July. But they didn't want to offend the stranger, so they consented. The young men were taken down a stairway, a door was quietly opened, and their guide whispered, "This is our heating plant." Surprised, the students saw 700 people bowed in prayer, seeking a blessing on the service that was soon to begin in the auditorium above. Softly closing the door, the gentleman then introduced himself. It was none other than Charles Spurgeon.
When we are facing a GIANT in our lives, we must strike up the heater & our heart must be warmed with PRAYER towards God & we must be willing to share our GIANT with the people of God!!
The second thing we must do is remember how powerful and mighty God is and how faithful He has been to us in the past. (20: 5- 9)
I want you to notice the progression of this prayer…….
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said:
(1ST- A RECOGNITION OF WHO GOD IS) “LORD, 1-the God of our ancestors, 2- are you not the God who is in heaven? 3- You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. 4- Power and might are in your hand, 5- and no one can withstand you.
(2ND – A RECOGNITION OF WHAT GOD DID IN THE PAST) 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’
Jehoshophat reminds God of how great He is and how mighty & powerful He is and that nothing is to difficult for Him. He calls to mind that in the midst of this great CHALLENGE, God is the God of the PAST & the God of the PRESENT – and if He is, than what do we have to be fearful over or what are we fretting over? “YOU GOD, WILL HEAR US & SAVE US…” YES HE WILL!!!
The third thing we must do is admit this – “I do not know what to do, but my eyes are on you.” (20:10-12)
Jehoshophat continues 10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
DID YOU KNOW THAT IT IS OK TO BE CLUELESS OR CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT THE DO WHEN YOU FACE A GIANT IN YOUR LIFE?????
The King says, “we have no power to face this vast army…” BUT WAS THAT REALLY TRUE? Yes & No. Yet, one thing is for sure – Jehoshophat was not going to trust in anything that was human, earthly or fleshly!!! Reminds me ….
ILLUS: Peter walking on water – Matthew 14
-As long as Peter kept his EYES on Jesus, he was safe and secure! When he took his off the Lord & put them on the giant waves that were beneath him, only then did he begin to go down! Yet, the story doesn’t end there!
WHY? Because Peter was wise enough to get his eyes back on Jesus when he cried out, “Save me Lord” and immediately the salvation of the Lord came!
The third thing we must do when we face a giant in our life is to immediately admit this “I do not know what to do, but my eyes are on you.”
WHAT A GOOD PLACE TO BE IN THE MIDST OF THE MADNESS WE ARE FACING!
The fourth thing we must do is once we admit our powerlessness; we must listen to God’s direction in the matter. (20:13-15a – “This is what you are to do”…)
The scriptures say, 13 “All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD. 14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly. 15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you:
Q. In the midst of our “giant” circumstance, how does God give us direction?? Primarily in (2) Ways: Thru The Word Of God & Thru The Man/Woman Of God
……….And very often the man/woman of God is empowered by God’s Spirit to deliver the words of God for us in our given situation!!
Jahaziel was the chosen vessel here in our story to give the direction but the question is, WHO IS IT IN YOUR LIFE?
Is it the Lord & His Word? YES! But what person(s) are giving you wise advice in your situation. Take it very seriously and ask the Lord if what they are saying is what you need to follow?
The fifth thing that we must do (as we face the giant(s) in our life is to realize that the battle or the burden is not ours, but the Lord’s. (20:15-17)
This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”
Listen: The GIANT that you are facing individually or as a family or even as a church is NOT OUR BURDEN OR BATTLE – IT IS THE LORD’S!!! Did you hear that????
So ….God says to you…”Stop fighting this battle. Take your position of strength in Me. Stand firm and see what I will do for you. Do not give into fear & do not continue in your depression. Go out and face this giant in my strength and remember I am with you” WOW!!!
The Bible says, “when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Lord will lift up a standard” AND THAT STANDARD IS A REMINDER THAT GOD IS FOR US & WITH US & HE WILL DELIVER US!!
The sixth thing that we must do (as we face the giant(s) in our life is to praise the Lord for the victory BEFORE we see it. (20:18-19)
Verse 18 gives us this principle: 18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
Q. Had they AT THIS POINT enjoyed the victory that they were promised?
A. NO THEY HAD NOT!
But……. That didn’t stop King Jehoshaphat from claiming the VICTORY BEFORE HAND!!!
Listen: The truth is – as God’s people, we already have the VICTORY over our enemies & over the GIANTS in our lives!!! Do you know – HOW I KNOW THAT???
2 Cor. 2:14 declares, “14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph [victory] in Christ…”
I Jn. 5:4 declares, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
PRAISE & THANKFULNESS for your situation and the answer to your situation DOES NOT START when you SEE THE VICTORY; it starts BEFORE YOU SEE IT as you recognize that the answer is already on the way!!!
The seventh thing that we must do (as we face the giant(s) in our life is to keep an eye on our “faith level” while the answer is on the way. (20)
One of the challenges of our Christian lives is when we are faced with a GIANT situation in our lives, our FAITH can go up and down and we find ourselves doubting what God will do more than believing what He has promised He will do.
Look at verse 20 – “Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”
Q. What is your “FAITH LEVEL” this morning as you face the giant in your life? What is your FAMILIES faith level?
Notice the progression here:
First, we are to have FAITH in God if we are to make it.
Second, we are to have FAITH in God’s leaders & what the leaders have declared thru the ages if we are to be successful.
George Mueller said, “Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man's power ends.”
Faith is not merely your holding on to God--it is God holding on to you. He will not let you go!
Q. Are you tempted to let go of God’s hand this morning because you can’t see how God is going to intervene in your GIANT situation? Listen, when you can’t see His hand in the matter, trust His ever loving heart. HE WILL NOT FAIL YOU!!!
The eighth thing that we must do (as we face the giant(s) in our life is praise & worship is the prerequisite to victory AS we see it. (21-24)
Praise & worship is a strange & hard thing to do very often ESPECIALLY when we do not see God working in our TIRING/STRESSFUL situation!
But ………. SHAME ON US if we are silent when God comes thru for us! We need to shout it from the HOUSETOPS!!
Look at verse 21 - 21 “After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.”
22 As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another. 24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.
Q. Are you facing a seeming impossible situation in your life this morning?
You need to begin to PRAISE & WORSHIP God because God inhabits the praises of His people. God does not come to the rescue of Christians who neither hungry for His blessing or willing to give Him glory for the victory!!!!!
MUSIC IS A VERY POWERFUL THING IN THE ARSENAL OF THE CHRISTIAN. THE BIBLE TELLS US TO ‘MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE TO THE LORD”. THAT MEANS ALL OF US CAN PRAISE THE LORD IN SONG AND WE MUST IF WE ARE TO FACE THE GIANTS OF OUR LIFE HEAD ON!!!
Results of Letting God in on your problem:
1 - Untold & immeasurable blessing will come our way. (25)
25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it.
Listen: YOU CAN’T OUTGIVE GOD AND WHEN YOU DO THINGS HIS WAY YOU GET THINGS HIS WAY – AND HIS WAY IS ALWAYS MORE THAN ENOUGH!!!
2 - God’s answer & miracle will encourage the whole body. (26)
The scriptures record, “On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the LORD. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah to this day. “
The moral of this story is simply this: When God does something great for us individually or as a family, than the church family ought to be encouraged and strengthened as well!!!!!
Ps. 34:3 “Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.
Result of Letting God in on your problem:
3 - We will praise & worship even in a deeper way because we stayed the course & trusted God. (27-28)
27 Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. 28 They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the LORD with harps and lyres and trumpets.
NOTICE HOW PRAISE & WORSHIP IS NOT JUST – DURING THE CRISIS. IT IS NOW APART OF THEIR LIVES – EVEN AFTER THE VICTORY!
Praise & Worship is not something WE DO it is something WE LIVE. It is not just an event or a service but it is a – LIFESTYLE!
LISTEN: Each time we OBEY GOD AND DO THINGS HIS WAY in the midst of our GIANT TRIAL, we deepen our praise & worship anchor so that we want more of God than we did before.
4 - Spiritual & Relational Peace will be ours in abundance. (29-30)
Finally verses 29-30 (WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE!!!) 29 “The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.”
God gave Jehoshaphat and the people of God – spiritual and relational PEACE in abundance.
Solomon wrote, “When a man/woman’s right with the Lord, even his enemies are at peace with him.”
