Prayer as a First (not a Last) Resort

Of the 41 kings of Israel and Judah in the Old Testament, only 9 were righteous.

So whenever we do see a righteous king, we should pay close attention. 

Jehoshaphat was one such king. We learn that “The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel” (2 Chronicles 17:3-4 ESV). Though he was not without faults (2 Chronicles 19:2), Jehoshaphat modeled a life that feared the Lord. 

One day during his reign, Jehoshaphat learned devastating news:

“...the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, ‘A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar’” (that is, Engedi) (2 Chronicles 20:22-23). 

Put yourself in Jehoshaphat’s shoes. A massive force of foreign nations is coming to destroy everyone. You’ve been entrusted to lead and care for the people of God. Your heart rate increases. Sweat begins to form on your hands. The clock is ticking. 

What would be your response? Would you run? Cower in fear? Assemble the army for battle?

Here’s what the righteous king in Judah did:

“Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah” (2 Chronicles 20:3).

No running, no hiding, not even any fighting.

He feels the pang of fear, and the first thing he thinks to do is pray. 

This is backwards from how many of us  think, especially in the political sphere. We see an America in rebellion against God, so steeped in sin and darkness that it’s hard to even see the way out. We see these things and immediately spring into problem-solving mode. How can we fix what’s broken? What are the steps we need to take?

While we busy our hands, we see king Jehoshaphat falling on his knees. The king’s action is, of course, absurd to the world. Why would this defender of the people spend precious minutes praying when he could be preparing for war?

Jehoshaphat understood what many Christian Americans miss: our actions are useless if we do not first seek the Lord (Psalm 127:1). He must help us. He must act. If He doesn’t, we are doomed, despite our best, well-meaning efforts.

Jehoshaphat went on to pray a glorious prayer of faith, declaring the Lord’s power and pleading with Him for help and deliverance (2 Chronicles 20:6-12). As He does when His people pray in faith, God answered. The people assembled in the wilderness and worshipped the Lord. God alone fought for His people. In the end, the once-intimidating foreign nations were destroyed in such a way that only God could receive the glory (vv. 20-23). 

In all of our efforts to honor Christ in the political sphere, let us not forget to seek the Lord as a priority. When we do, we will see–as Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah saw–that “...the battle is not yours but God's” (v. 15).