Prayer Week 2, Day 4

Book The Essentials of Effective Prayer

Week 2, Day 4, pages 21-22

Scripture:  2 Chronicles 20:1-4

What do verses 1 and 2 reveal about Jehoshaphat's situation?

He was afraid because the enemy was making war against God's people.

Fear/yare' (3372) 
connotes the psychological reaction of fear, being afraid of something or someone.

Note:  There is another word fear/mora that is used exclusively of the fear of being before a superior kind of being, to describe the reaction evoked in men by God's mighty works of destruction and sovereignty

What was his initial response?  How did he overcome it?

He resolved to seek the Lord.

Seek/darash (1875)

To inquire of God.  Often it refers to the contacting of a prophet who would be the instrument of God's revelation.  Reading the rest of this chapter, we see that God did answer through a Levite.

What did Jehoshaphat lead Judah to do and why?

He asked them to fast, so they would not be preparing to receive food for the body's sustenance but, instead, be preparing to receive revelation of the Lord's sustenance.

Seek/baqash (1245)

In such usages the intellectual element usually is in the background; there is no seeking after information.

Discuss how this course of action would apply to our lives today.

Praying for revelation from God and fasting from the physical in order to receive spiritual affirmation of the Lord's presence in the midst of an enemy's attack would draw us closer to God.

Also, I noted that Jehoshaphat prayed directly to YHWH, using God's personal name by which He related specifically to His chosen or covenant people.  Lord/Yĕhovah means "I am Who I am."

When we are afraid, Lord, because of overwhelming pressures upon us, prompt us to resolve to seek You, our covenant-God, through inquiring to receive an answer and through preparing (either through fasting or otherwise) to receive Your peace that passes understanding, knowing You are with us and in control.

Linda

Moderator

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TruthHimself/