Give the lord the battle – 31 days of praise week 2

Welcome to week two of 31 Days of Praise! Don’t forget to grab your FREE printable 7-day Bible study entitled Psalm 34: The God Who Rescues at the end of this message! Today, I want to encourage you through the familiar story of King Jehoshaphat and the battle against enemies who tried to invade Judah.

Let’s jump in! 

Many people are familiar with the story of Jehoshaphat and how he defeated the armies who marched against Judah without even having to fight. We know and quote the familiar line from this account, “The Battle is the Lord’s,” but we still own our battles and try to fight them ourselves. We end up tired, frustrated, and disappointed, wondering why God didn’t take your battle and fight for you. 

God will take your battle and fight for you, but you’ve got to give it to Him! Let’s look at what Jehoshaphat did. 

King Jehoshaphat reigned in Judah. He was considered one of the nation’s few “good” kings. Read 2 Chronicles 17:3-6. Jehoshaphat was a man of godly character. The Lord was with him and established the kingdom in his hand. 

Here Comes Trouble

Jehoshaphat’s reign started well, but enemies soon threatened and attacked. On one occasion, the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites joined forces to attack Judah. Word came to Jehoshaphat that the enemies were coming, and they were close! 

Naturally, fear was Jehoshaphat’s response. Fear was his natural reaction, but he didn’t let fear grip him. Instead, he sought the Lord (v. 20:3). Jehoshaphat called a fast, and the whole nation of Judah fasted during this time of prayer to God. People gathered from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord’s help. 

As the king, Jehoshaphat showed his leadership differently than most kings. He demonstrated his dependence on God. He stood in the midst of the assembly and prayed. He declared what God had done and gave glory for Who He is. Jehoshaphat boldly proclaimed, “In our affliction, You will hear and save.”

Jehoshaphat did not deny the reality of the situation. He knew they were no match for the invading enemies. But he also knew that the enemies were no match for his God! 

The prayer ends with Jehoshaphat saying, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” 

Position Yourselves, Stand Still, and See the Salvation of the Lord

Then the people began to bow down in worship and praise God with loud voices!

Jehoshaphat led them not in military might but in faithful devotion. Then God gave the battle plan, because it was His fight. The plan didn’t include armor or chariots, not even swords. 

Jehoshaphat followed the battle plan; he appointed some to sing and some to praise. And they went forth singing, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.” 

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. 2 Chronicles 20:22. 

Read that verse again. Who set the ambush? Who fought the battle? The Lord did! It was indeed His battle. The invading armies were so confused that they began fighting each other until they were all defeated. 

Fear may be a natural response when trouble comes, but you must act before fear grips you! Before fear takes root in your heart, pray. Seek His face. Jehoshaphat could have faced the enemies alone, but he knew he was defenseless against them. He gave the battle to the Lord. 

Give the Lord Your Battle 

This is how we give the Lord the battle; we trust Him and seek His direction first. When we do, we will feel the presence of the Lord with us. 

When the Lord is with you, you can ride through the storm with a praise on your lips, looking for God’s hand of deliverance. 

We give Him our battles on our knees in passionate prayer. Seeking the Lord, His will, and His ways. 

We give Him our battles with uplifted hands to the Lord, who rescues us from all of our troubles. 

We give Him our battles by bowing in submission to His will and ways. 

We give Him our battles with shouts of praise and words of adoration.

We fight by giving every battle to Him. 

He will take every battle we give Him. 

Be encouraged, dear friends, when the storms rage, and the enemy seeks to destroy, you can rest in the fact that the Lord will fight for you! Sometimes we, like Jehoshaphat, don’t know what to do. But we can confidently say, “Lord, our eyes are on You. I give you my battle.” Then we can throw up our hands in praise and say, “This is not mine; it’s the Lord’s.” Now, watch Him fight! 

Pause: 

• Have you given your battle to the Lord?
• Have you allowed fear to grip you? 
• How can you position yourself to see the salvation of the Lord? 

Pray: 

Dear Father, 

Sometimes the things that I face are overwhelming. Fear desires to take hold in my mind. But, right now, I give You this battle. I know I cannot fight it alone. Lord, I submit to You and Your will. I praise You because I know that You are always victorious, and I am victorious in You! 

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen

Praise: 

Praise God for fighting for you! In the midst of the storm, He is with you and will take every battle you give Him! 

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Jehoshaphat said we “cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save” (20:9). He was well acquainted with the Lord who rescues. You can become more acquainted with Him, too. Download your FREE copy of Psalm 34: The Lord Who Rescues, a 7-day devotional Bible study to see how God rescues His children for ALL our troubles.

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Your friend in the journey, 

Remember: The Word W.O.R.K.S. We are walking in Wholeness, Obedience, Righteousness, and Kingdom Success through the Word of God.