Fight!

Three against one. A heavily armed army against a choir. Who will win?

Hey GEM girls! Do you know the story of Jehoshaphat? He was a king of Judah in the Old Testament and he was faced with problem. Three mighty nations were going to war against him. These nations were the powers of the world at that time and it didn't seem very likely that King Jehoshaphat would win.

So, what did he do? He gathered up all the people of Judah and Jerusalem and prayed that God would help them. God heard their prayer and answered with a very strange battle strategy. "Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, march out against them... you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!”" (2 Chronicles 20:15-17 NLT)

Then next day, King Jehoshaphat followed God's orders, and instead of taking weapons to fight, he took a choir to sing. The choir went ahead of all the people and sang praises to God. Well, as they were singing, "the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped." (2 Chronicles 20:22 NLT) These armies that were coming to destroy the people of God ended up destroying themselves!

We face battles in our lives too. They can appear in the form of friends, family, circumstances, and whatever else we encounter. Jesus said, "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows."(John 16:33 NLT) Nobody wants "many trials and sorrows." When we go through these things we tend to complain to people, pout on the internet, or just outright give up. But these things don't help us, instead they harm us. We need to do what King Jehoshaphat did when he was in trouble.

1. Go to God. Instead of complaining or pouting, King Jehoshaphat went to God in prayer. Spend time praying and reading the Word of God. Listen for God's advice before other people's advice. (https://www.gemgirls.org/post/need-some-advice)

2. Spend time with people who go to God in prayer. When King Jehoshaphat called his people together, they sought God in prayer. Surround yourself with people who follow Jesus, not just in word, but in their lives. Satan wants us to try to depend on ourselves, by isolating ourselves from others. Find people who love Jesus and follow what He says in the Bible.

3. Surrender. The nation of Judea surrendered themselves to the will of God. By laying their burden at Jesus' feet, they were able to trust Him completely. Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 NLT)

4. Thank God for deliverance. King Jehoshaphat told the choir to go to the battle field singing praises to God. They were thanking God for the victory before He had even given it to them! God is working behind the scenes to answer you prayer before you even pray it. Thank Him for answering your prayer, even if you don't see the evidence yet.

So, even if you have trials and sorrows, Jesus promised that He has "overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NLT) Take your problems to Him in prayer today!

If you are struggling with any problems you are facing, or just need prayer, share your prayer request with us by using the chat feature on the lower right corner of your screen. If you don't mind sharing your prayer request with the Sisterhood and would like your fellow sisters to pray too, post your prayer request in the Let's Pray group in the Sisterhood Community! (https://www.gemgirls.org/group/lets-pray/discussion)

We love to pray for our GEM girls sisters! ♥️

Love and Prayers,