Introduction

Some days feel like you wake up to a wall of wind. The inbox pings with pressure. The headlines hum with heaviness. A diagnosis raises questions you never wanted to ask. A bill arrives that your bank account can’t meet. And your heart—your faithful, beating companion—feels like it’s carrying a backpack full of bricks. You smile through it, sing a little louder on Sunday, but Monday comes with marching boots. What do you do when you don’t know what to do?

There’s a reason your soul keeps circling back to prayer. Not as a performance, but as a place to come home, to catch your breath, to tell God the truth before the tears dry. Tim Keller put it plainly: "Prayer is both conversation and encounter with God."—Tim Keller. Conversation means you can talk to Him like a child talks to a father. Encounter means you can meet the One who isn’t nervous about your news, the One who sees the end from the beginning and the battle from above.

King Jehoshaphat knew what it felt like to be outnumbered. Three enemy groups formed a coalition; the crisis didn’t knock—it barged in. And what did he do? He didn’t pace; he prayed. He didn’t pretend; he sought God. He called the people together, and they stood before the Lord with one candid confession: "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." That’s not a slogan; that’s a lifeline.

Friend, maybe that sentence is where you are today. You’re facing a fight you didn’t choose, a timeline you didn’t plan, and a future you can’t forecast. Hear this: God is not indifferent to your tears. He’s not distant from your need. He isn’t asking you to be impressive; He’s inviting you to be honest. Bring Him your anxious thoughts, your empty hands, your sleepless nights. He hears. He helps. He holds.

And in this passage, God gives us a clear pattern for days like these: seek Him first, pray with honesty, and then stand still long enough to see His salvation. We’ll read it together—let the words wash over your worry and steady your steps.

2 Chronicles 20:1-12 (KJV) 1 It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. 2 Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazon-tamar, which is Engedi. 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. 5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? 7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? 8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, 9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. 10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; 11 Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. 12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

Before we open our hearts to the message, let’s pray.

Opening Prayer: Father, we come to You as we are—frail, finite, and feeling the press of problems bigger than our strength. You are the God of heaven, the King over every kingdom, and there is power in Your hand. Teach us to seek You first when fear rises. Train our tongues to pray honestly, to confess our need without pretense. Lift our eyes so we can fix them on You, even when the enemy looks large. Give us grace to stand firm, to wait for Your word, to watch for Your hand, and to worship while we wait. Speak peace to anxious minds, courage to weary hearts, and faith to faltering feet. We trust You to act for Your glory and our good. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Face the crisis by seeking the Lord

When trouble shows up, the first move matters. The king felt fear. He did not hide that. He set his face toward God. He chose a fast. He asked the whole nation to pray. That choice is where faith starts. Turn your heart. Clear your schedule. Make space to seek. Your mind may spin. Your body may shake. Set yourself anyway. Pick a time. Pick a place. Bring your worry to God. Say it out loud. Ask Him for help. This is not about being strong. This is about being honest and present with Him.

Look at how he began. He called a fast across Judah and gathered the people to ask for God’s help. That is more than a church event. Fasting is a way to aim the heart. Food takes a back seat so the soul can focus. The king did not wait for perfect calm. He made a public choice in the middle of fear. He pulled the people into it. Seeking can be a simple plan. Stop. Turn off noise. Set a meal aside. Kneel. Say, "God, I am coming to You first." That first step shapes the whole day. It moves the center of gravity. It keeps the crisis from driving the agenda. It keeps the heart from drowning in details. When you fast, you feel need in your body. That feeling becomes a prayer in itself. Every hunger pang says, "I need You." That is how seeking starts. It is a steady posture, not a quick fix. It is a way of living inside a storm.

Then listen to how he prayed. He did not start with the enemy. He started with God. He named who God is. The God of our fathers. The God who reigns over every kingdom. The God whose hand holds power and might. The One no force can resist. He remembered what God had done. He gave the land. He called Abraham His friend. He heard past prayers from this very house. That is not flattery. That is alignment. It puts the mind in the right frame. It tells the heart, "This is the God we are speaking to." Our prayers gain courage when we remember the story. Open your Bible and use its words. Take a verse and turn it into a sentence back to God. Say, "You rule. You led us before. You keep Your name and Your promises." Say it until your breathing slows. Say it until your shoulders drop. Say it until your fear has a frame. Memory feeds faith. Who God is guides what we ask. And even when we lack words, the names of God carry us. King. Father. Savior. Helper. Shield. Each name is a handle to hold when the ground shakes.

He also told the truth about the threat. He named the groups coming against them. He remembered how they had spared them years ago. He laid out the facts. He said they wanted to push Judah out of the land. He owned the weakness of the people. He said they did not have the strength. He said they did not have a plan. He lifted his eyes to God. That kind of prayer is clean. No spin. No show. No fake cheer. Just facts before the Father. You can do the same. Say the doctor’s words. Say the due date on the bill. Say the hard email. Say the knot in your chest. Say, "I do not have what this takes. I need You." That is not defeat. That is faith. Humble words make room for holy help. God does not need a speech. He wants your heart to turn toward Him with simple honesty. Keep nothing in the dark. Bring it all into His light. Tears are welcome. Silence is welcome. Sighs are welcome. The Spirit hears what you cannot form into lines.

He did not stand alone either. He stood in the house of the Lord with the people. Men and women and kids came near. They stood together. They asked together. They waited together. Seeking in a crisis is a family thing. It is a church thing. You may pray in your room. Please also pray with your people. Call a friend and ask them to agree with you. Send a note to your pastor or small group. Gather your home for a simple prayer at the table. Stand up together and lift the same need to God. There is power when a community lifts one voice. And the place matters. They stood where God had put His name. We now carry that presence anywhere in Christ. Still, there is something strong about coming into a place set apart for worship and saying, "We are here to ask." Stand. Lift your eyes. Open your hands. Wait without rushing. Worship while you wait. Sing a line. Whisper a psalm. Let the room teach your body to be still and your soul to be watchful.

There is also a pattern in his words that helps us form our own. He starts with God’s reign. He moves to God’s acts. He remembers God’s house. He names the threat. He confesses weakness. He looks to the Lord for help. You can pray in that order. Try it when panic hits. Step one, say who God is. Step two, thank Him for past grace. Step three, claim His promise to hear. Step four, lay out the problem. Step five, admit your limits. Step six, lift your eyes. That is a simple map. Keep it near. Put it on your phone. Write it on a card. Use it when your mind feels scattered.

Fear is real. So is faith. Fear will get loud. So let prayer get louder in your life. Not with volume. With priority. Make it your first action. Even a short prayer can set a tone. "Lord, I come to You." That line opens the door. Then keep coming. Morning. Midday. Evening. In the car. At the sink. On a walk. You do not need fancy words. Keep it plain. Keep it honest. Keep it often.

Notice the king remembered promises tied to a place. We stand now on promises tied to a Person. Jesus brings us near to the Father. We ask in His name. We stand by His blood. We come with boldness to the throne of grace. That means we can expect mercy. We can expect help in time of need. So when you seek, expect to be received. Expect to be heard. Expect help that fits the need. It may come through a word in Scripture. It may come through a friend’s call. It may come through fresh strength to do the next right thing. Stay near until it comes.

Seeking also shapes community habits. Leaders can set a tone like Jehoshaphat did. Parents can set a tone at home. Pastors can call a fast. Friends can set aside a lunch hour to pray. Make room in your calendar. Put it in writing. Treat it like the most important meeting of the day. Bring people in. Share the load. Let little ones listen and learn. Let them hear you say God’s names. Let them hear you confess need. Let them hear you ask for help.

This kind of seeking is not passive. It is a choice to come near. It is a choice to place the weight of the day in God’s hands. It is a choice to stand where His promises live. It is a choice to keep gaze and grip steady. Do that, and you will notice small shifts. Your breath evens out. Your thoughts settle. Your heart grows soft. You start to sense what to do next. Or you receive grace to wait for the next word.

There is a line in the passage about standing before God’s house because His name is there. Carry that picture. Picture yourself standing where His name rests. Picture His eyes on you. Picture His hand strong to save. Then open your mouth and ask. Keep your eyes up. Keep your heart open. Keep your feet planted. God hears. God helps. God holds.

Pray honestly and confess dependence

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