PRACTICAL LESSONS for UNDERSTANDING the WORD of GOD

Solving Problems Through Prayer

KEY PASSAGE: 2 Chronicles 20:1-31 | SuPPOrTINg ScrIPTurE: 2 Chronicles 19:3-4, 6-7, 9 | Psalm 55:22; 62:8; 68:19 Jeremiah 32:17, 27 | Matthew 7:7; 10:30 | John 14:6 | Romans 8:31-32 | Hebrews 4:16

SUMMARY:
Becoming a Christian doesnt solve all your problems.
However, it does mean you have access to the One who can help you solve any challenge in life. Instead of wrestling with difculties in your own strength and according to your own wisdom, you can turn to your heavenly Father. This is exactly what King Jehoshaphat did when he was told that his nation Judah would be soon attacked. He immediately turned to the Lord by calling his people to fasting and prayer. From Jehoshaphats example, we can learn several key principles about solving problems through prayer.

Holy Spirit. Only then can they experience the joy of leaning on the Lord for all their needs.

God is greater than your problem.

Jehoshaphat knew the three armies coming against Judah were capable not only of defeating him in battle, but also of destroying the homes of his people and robbing them of their valuables. Yet he responded with the same attitude the prophet Jeremiah had: Ah Lord God! . . . Nothing is too difcult for You (Jer. 32:17). Do you also trust God to handle any problem you face? The Father doesnt wring His hands when you come to Him with a difcult situation. He is perfectly capable of leading you to victory, no matter what the situation (Jer. 32:27).

ScrIPTuraL PrINcIPLEs:
God is interested in your problem.
As soon as Jehoshaphat learned that three armies were coming to attack his nation at the same time, he was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah (2 Chron. 20:3). He knew that God cared about what concerned him and demonstrated that faith by turning to the Lord in prayer. If you are His child, the Father is interested in helping you overcome anything that is defeating, discouraging, or depressing you. Those who arent believers dont have this same promise (see John 14:6). They must begin by accepting Jesus as their Savior: asking Him to forgive them of their sins, to take control of their lives, and to ll them with His

Your rst response should be to seek the Lord.

Jehoshaphats initial reaction to the bad news wasnt to call his generals to a conference to discuss war strategy. Instead, he immediately turned to prayer (2 Chron. 20:3). Scripture tells us this was typical for HimHe was known as a king who regularly sought the Lord (2 Chron. 19:3). In times of crisis, do you initially turn to the Lord, or do you immediately call a friend? I challenge you to go to God rst with your problems. As His children, we have the incredible privilege of going directly to Him with our concerns and burdens (Heb. 4:16). Let the Lord put your problems in perspective. After that, you should tell a friend who will support you with prayer and godly advice.

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God may want to involve other people in praying for your situation.
Sometimes, the things that worry us affect other peopleour families, churches, communities, and even entire countries. Jehoshaphat involved the entire nation in praying for the Lord to deliver them from their enemies (2 Chron. 20:3-4). One of the greatest treasures in life is godly, caring friends who know how to go to the Father on your behalf. Dont be too prideful to open up to a trustworthy person about your struggles. The blessing is two-fold: friends can help carry your burdens, and seeing God answer your prayers will increase their faith.

greatness, and love, your problem will seem smaller and less frightening.

Gods solution usually requires an act of faith.

Important decisions typically challenge our faith to some degree. In 2 Chronicles 20, God revealed He didnt want Judah to ght at all. He told them, Station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf (v. 17). Sure enough, by the time Judahs army reached the battleeld, not a single enemy was alivein confusion, they had killed each other (vv. 21-25). The Lords instructions wont always make sense from a human point of view. But if the answer is truly from Him, He will give you the faith you need to follow His commands and resolve even seemingly impossible situations.

God will always provide a solution to your problem.

While the people of Judah were in prayer, the Lord revealed He would ght the battle on their behalf (2 Chron. 20:15). You also can trust that God, who for our sake did not spare Jesus the agony of the cross, will willingly give you what you need (Rom. 8:31-32). But what about those times when He doesnt answer your prayers immediately? If a solution is slow in coming, you should prayerfully search your heart. He may want to reveal areas of sin or compromise that may have contributed to the problem. The Father may also want to deal with motives or negative thoughts that the difculty reveals because He is more interested in your character than your comfort.

Gods solution is always best.

The Lord knows the personality and past of each person involved as well as every intimate detail of a situation and what the future holds. As humans, our knowledge is limited, but if we are willing to trust in our heavenly Father, we will discover the best solution possible.

cONcLusION:
Do you think God is interested in your pain and heartache? Do you believe He is able to help you overcome any problem? If so, I pray you will be willing to surrender your life to Him. Focus on the Fathers awesome power, and trust Him to resolve your situation in His timing. In Gods hands, your problems arent roadblockstheyre awesome opportunities for you to develop a more intimate and dynamic relationship with Him.

Prayers should be God-centered, not problem-centered.

If you look carefully at Jehoshaphats prayer in 2 Chronicles 20:6-12, you will notice He focused almost exclusively on the Lords power and His promises to deliver His people. The king briey mentioned Judahs weakness in comparison to the multitude coming against them, but concluded his prayer by afrming that the nations trust was in the Lord (v. 12). When you pray, do you tend to focus on your problemits details, severity, and possible consequences? I can assure you if you will choose to focus on the Fathers resources,

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