HOW TO PRAY ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS
II CHRONICLES 20:1-30
It is a fact that even believers have problems and challenges in their lives. Sometimes they seem to be perplexing and overwhelming. Let me ask you. How do you, as a believer, go about solving those problems and facing those challenges in your life which sometimes seem impossible?
This is what we will be dealing with this morning. In the passage of scripture that we have read, I believe we can find some truths that will helps us to handle our problems, in fact we will discover some truths that will help us to solve our problems through prayer. These will be truths you will want to remember because sooner or later there will be a time when you will need the super natural power of God to help you solve a problem.
II Chronicles 20:1-3, 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.’ Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. In verse 6 he prays, O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. In verse 14 we find that as they stood in the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and he prophesied what God wanted Jehoshaphat to hear. Verse 17 gives us part of that prophesy, You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you. In verse 20 they met the enemy: Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful. Verse 29 says, The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.
Jehoshaphat was King of Judah, the Southern Kingdom for about 25 years, and he was a good king. He was a righteous man who tried to bring about a revival of faith in God in the nation. He had an army of about a million men. On this particular occasion, he heard about the armies of the Moabites and the Ammonites coming together to do battle with Judah to drive them out of their land. And when he heard this, his first inclination was to be afraid. But notice quickly what he did. In verse 3 notice what he did when he was afraid. Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord and he proclaimed a fast for all of Judah.
I am sure there are some people here who are facing a crisis in their lives right now. I know without a shadow of a doubt that there are some who will face a challenge in the near future. When these challenges come our way, if we do not pray right or act right then our prayers and actions will be in vain. This is exactly why so many people pray but don’t seem to find an answer to their prayers. If you have come here today and you feel that way, maybe God has brought you here to discover why and how a person can pray about their problems and never get a solution. If you will study this passage of Scripture with me and abide by what you learn, I believe you can discover how you can pray and receive a solution to your dilemma. It begins with a question. Am I willing to abide by God’s solution, whatever that solution may be? I may have come to God with a preconceived notion of what the solution is and I have decided what God should do. If God would only cooperate with me, then everything would be OK. The problem with this is that God does not operate this way. So I want us to look at some truths for problem-solving that can be found in this passage of scripture.
A. When You Pray To God About Your Problems, You Need To Understand That He Cares About Your Problems
If we are not careful we will develop the attitude of the disciples when they were caught in a storm. Master, don’t you even care that we are all about to perish. ( Mark 4:38 ) You must understand that God does know about and cares about your problem. 1 Peter 5:7 Tells us that we can cast all of our cares on Him because He cares for us. Jehoshaphat knew and understood this truth. Therefore he could talk to God about his problem.
Let’s look at the prayer Jehoshaphat prayed. Notice how Jehoshaphat addressed God, O Lord, God of our fathers . . . It was very important that Jehoshaphat began his prayer in this manner. It’s the same with us because when you and I trusted Christ as our Savior, God the Father entered into a covenant relationship with us. This is a relationship of promise whereby God, at that moment, made a pledge with you and me that everything which concerns us will concern Him. Every need we have will concern Him. Every desire of our heart will concern Him. God has committed to live within us and face every problem that we face, because we are in a covenant relationship with Him. This means everything that concerns me concerns God--every problem that I have is God’s problem. We entered into a covenant relationship when we invited Christ to be our Savior and He desires to work in our lives if we will but let Him. The moment we invited Christ in our life we became a child of God and He cares about His children. So the first thing we need to remember is that God cares about our problems.B. You Need To Pray With The Understanding That God Is Greater Than Any Problem You Might Have Or Face.
Look at verse 6 again, O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in Heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.
Is God all powerful? He is! Is He all knowing? He is! Is He merciful? Yes He is. Has he made a covenant relationship with us? Yes, He has.
Can you think about anything today, any problem, any challenge, any battle, any suffering, any pain, any circumstance under any condition that is too large for God? Of course you cannot. So, the second thing you and I need to remember is that our problem is not too big for our God. God is greater than any problem we might have.
What does that mean for us? It means when you and I face problems, we face them on the principle that not only is my God interested in my problems, but He has already become involved in my problems and is powerful enough to handle them. I need to be reminded that if God is powerful enough to rule the heavens and the earth and nothing or no one can withstand Him, then my problems are no match for Him. God is not weakened or intimidated by my problems. They pose no threat to God.
I am sure there are some of you here today who are thinking, “Pastor, that is OK to think about but you don’t realize how big my problem is.” I don’t have to. God is aware of it. You see the way we pray sometimes indicates whether or not we believe that God is greater than our problems. Do you believe today that God is greater than your problems. or do you see Him confused and perplexed by what you are facing? Once you have established the fact that the God you are serving is greater than your problems, then you have your problems close to being solved.
C. You Need To Pray With The Understanding That Praying To God About Your Problem Is Your First Response Not Your Last.
I read a story a while back about a lady that went to the doctor for a problem. The doctor told her that the only thing left to do was pray. With that the woman grab her chest and cried out, " O My God Has It Come Down To That?"
What is your first response to a problem? Is it doubt, fear or unbelief? Or is your first response to pray?
For many Christians prayer is often The last response to their problem. They do as the lady did, " O My Has It Come Down To That." Let me say one other thing before moving on. Many Christians don’t pray hardly at all until they find themselves in a problem beyond their control.
Notice verse 3, Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. I am sure there are some here who read that passage and thought, “That is exactly what I do. Pastor, as soon as a problem arises, I start praying.” Notice what Jehoshaphat did. He sought the Lord in fasting and praying, which means that prayer and seeking the presence of God became a priority. Now listen closely to what I am about to say. Here is the reason you and I can bring our problems to God and for some reason do not get an answer. Most of us pray to God on our way to doing something else. Yes, we begin the day in prayer and that is good. It certainly beats not praying at all, but you see, if God is going to solve our problems, then He must be a priority of our lives as well. God needs our attention. He needs our concentration. He needs for us to think the way He thinks. The Bible says, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord . . . He did not call his commanding generals together and say, “OK men, we must devise a strategy to defeat the Moabite and the Ammonite armies.” The Bible says the first thing Jehoshaphat did was to seek the Lord.
When you receive news that challenges you or you suddenly have to face a problem, what is your first response? Do you dial a friend or do you dial God? Is your first response negative or positive? Is your first response to lose heart or express confidence? Do you honestly believe that the God who lives inside of you will see you through this? What is your first response? The natural response of every Christian who is walking in the Spirit should be total confidence that God can handle any problem which comes your way.
I know the natural response for any person, Christian or not, is to first think of meeting needs in our own strength. This is only natural; however, after feeling alone for a moment, the power of God should take over to give you great confidence in His presence. “Is there anything too big for my God?” Nothing!
When Satan whispers in our ears, with his feelings of fear and doubt, we should let them go in one ear and out the other in light of who we are according to Scripture. Of course, you will feel fears at times, but they should be fleeting fears. Don’t allow those fears to dominate you. The Bible tells us 83 times that we should fear not because of our relationship to God. Fear should be a fleeting emotion for the people of God--not one we live with.D. When Problems Come Your Way, Solicit Others to Pray With You.
Look at verse 4, The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek Him.
The people came from everywhere to stand before the Lord. I am not saying you and God cannot solve your own problems. For the most part you and God are plenty, but there are some problems God will not allow you to solve by yourself. There are two reasons.
* God does not want us to live like islands isolated to ourselves. You see, He has made us part of a great family; Therefore there are times when we need to solicit the prayers of other people on our behalf. If you do not have a prayer warrior praying on your behalf, you need to get one fast. One of the greatest benefits of being a member of a fellowship of believers is to have someone you can call and enlist to pray for you. We have people all the time call the church and ask us to start a prayer chain. There has been several times that I would call someone in the church to start a prayer chain on behalf of someone else.
* As you involve other people to pray for you, God may use the solution of your problems to help someone else. You never know. There may come a time in that person’s life when he has a similar problem or a problem entirely different and he remembers what you did to solve yours. That person may not be inclined to pray about a problem, but he knows you did and so he prays to God for a solution and enlists others to pray. If you do not have someone that you can confide in during a time of need, you need to find someone. God has given you a wonderful group of people who will join in asking God to meet your needs in the church. Put us to work praying for you. Jehoshaphat enlisted the entire nation to pray.
E. When Praying Trust God To Give You A Solution To Your Problems.
His solution may not be the solution you expected. Most of us, when we come to God with a problem, have a solution in mind. Many times the solution God has in mind is a total surprise. The best way to bring your problem to God is not to assist Him with a solution. We must bring Him the problem believing that He has a solution.
God’s solution may come to you in a way you are not expecting. God may choose to speak to you directly. He can and will do that at times. Or God may choose to give you a solution through another person. Why didn’t God speak directly to Jehoshaphat and give him the solution? He is the King. He is a righteous man. He was seeking to lead the people of God in the right way. God did not choose to speak to him directly. He used a man by the name of Jahaziel. He stood in the midst of the congregation and they all prayed to the Lord for a solution to this tremendous challenge that was before them.
Look at verse 14, Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, . . . as he stood in the assembly. It was through him the people of God received the solution. Read with me verse 15, He said, ’Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! 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.’
You may want to write in the margin of your Bible these words: “The problem is not mine but God’s.” This is a lesson every Christian must learn. When you invited Christ into your life, God entered into a covenant relationship with you. He promised to work in your life to bring about a solution to all of your problems and to make you successful. He is saying, “Listen, child of mine. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this problem for the battle is not yours, but Mine.” Our first problem comes when we do not come to God with our problems. Our second one comes when we do not leave our problems.
Verse 17 says, You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.
“You don’t need to worry about this problem. Stand firm in your faith. Wait and watch for the solution to your problem. Do not fear or be discouraged. Go out and face your problem for the Lord is with you.”
Now if God who cares about your every need is willing to face the problem with you, why on earth do you continue to insist on facing your problems in your own strength. It just does not make sense. God is willing to walk with you and He has the power and ability to give you a solution.
I found it interesting, what God told them to do in verse 17, You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you. We all have a tendency to try to help God. Mark it down. God does not need our help. He told Jehoshaphat to let the choir lead the way. When the people of God went into battle praising and trusting Him for the victory, they gained a victory they never had to fight for. They did not have to worry about the battle because God was already there.F. God’s Solution Usually Requires An Act Of Faith.
Look at Verse 20. Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and called them to attention. " Listen to me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem," he said. " Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall have success! Believe His prophets, and everything will be all right!"
Let’s be honest. Most of us want God to solve the problem without requiring anything of us. God’s solution often times requires an act of faith on our part because God’s solution is usually beyond human reasoning. If we are going to express faith, it implies a risk on our part. Listen. No risk, no growth. God wants us living by faith. He wants us trusting Him. God says, “I want you to get your choir together.” “Don’t you mean the army?” “No, I want you to get your choir together.” “But this is a war!” “I want you to get your choir together and I want you to put the choir out front, and when we get to the battle, we are going to sing and praise.” “Lord, that isn’t the way you defeat the Moabites. Lord, you don’t defeat trained warriors by singing to them.”
Listen, this is how it is. When God tells you to do something, you either do it or you don’t get God’s solution. Now suppose Jehoshaphat said, “Lord, we don’t mind having a choir. They can stand on the mount and sing while we fight.” That is not what God said. When they got to the battle, the Moabites began to fight the Ammonites. When the Israelites got to the battle, all they had to do was pick up the bounty and loot. The fight was over.
Could it be that God has already given you a solution to your problem and you don’t like step one? You have wanted to short cut God’s solution. If God gives you a solution, are you willing to follow it? Are you willing to be obedient to God no matter what He requires. There is no problem God is unwilling to solve if you will be obedient to Him. Yes, sometimes it will require risks. Other times it will not make sense. It may demand discipline on your part. Are you willing to give God His way in your life or are you so self-centered that you are willing to risk it all. That is what it boils down to.
G. When God Solves Your Problem, He Will Give You Peace And Rest Concerning The Problem.
Look at verses 29-30, The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. And the Kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.
When God solves your problem it’s solved. There is no need for you to continue to struggle with it any longer. He will give you peace concerning your problem. I want you to notice that God did not remove the problem, God conquered the problem, God defeated the problem. That is the way it is with salvation. You don’t save Yourselves, God saves you as you trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. When you get saved God doesn’t remove the the sinful nature that you have, He conquers it. He forgives and cleanses you and I of our sin. All we do is sing praises to Him for the wonderful work He has done on our behalf.
God will handle your problem if you let Him. Don’t you think it is time to let go and let God deal with it? Let God give you peace and rest form your problems. You just sing and praise God for He is Worthy.
