Wednesday – 2 Chronicles 20:2-30

“Prayer is not a preparation for the battle, it is the battle.”   — Leonard Ravenhill

In his book And God Changed His Mind, Brother Lawrence writes about what he calls Christian fatalism, that is Christians who believe God has already decided what he is going to do so there’s no need for us to pray for things to change. While it’s true God is sovereign, God has also chosen to make us his “partners and collaborators in writing the story of mankind.”  Laurence says, “Not only that, but we are empowered to challenge the powers of evil that have been at war with God since the beginning of time.”

In 2 Chronicles 20, after receiving news of a vast approaching army, Jehoshaphat’s first response was to fast and pray. His confession was, “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.” Then, speaking through Zechariah, God told them to not be afraid or discouraged because “the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

Do you see prayer as a weapon for the battles you face? If you’re like me, your default setting is to do something instead of pray. In those times, we can remind ourselves the battle is won or lost in prayer.