The news of three powerful armies marching toward Judah brought great fear to King Jehoshaphat. His plan to battle the Ammonites, Moabites, and Meunites, was both unusual and remarkable. He didn’t call his trusted advisors together to strategize, nor did he pull his generals together to form a battle plan. The first thing he did was to call a fast (2 Chronicles 20:3), and not just for the leaders, but for the whole nation!
Why did King Jehoshaphat call for a fast? Does fasting earn an answer to our prayers? No it doesn’t! But it does show God how serious we are about our prayers. There are over 90 references to fasting in the Bible. Here are a few examples: Moses fasted before God gave him the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28), Daniel fasted in order to receive guidance from God (Daniel 9:3), Nehemiah fasted before starting a building project (Nehemiah 1:4), Jesus fasted before he faced a crucial testing from Satan (Luke 4:2), and the early church fasted before making major decisions (Acts 13:2-3). Not only does fasting and prayer show God how serious we are, it also helps us to focus on Him, and displays humility and repentance.
After calling for a National fast, the king then lifted up his voice to God in prayer. He ended that prayer saying, “We have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee” (2 Chronicles 20:12). After praying, the great multitude of people simply stood and waited. A godly man by the name of Jahaziel spoke up saying, “Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15).
The people then begin to sing and praise God! The rest of 2 Chronicles chapter 2 spells out the great victory God gave the Israelites over their enemies. We as Christians are in a great battle right now for our country. The upcoming presidential election is a pivotal point in the battle for right. We must continue to fast and pray, asking God to intervene in this very serious time in our nation’s history. While the people of Judah waited on God to answer, they praised the Lord! That’s a great example for us to follow. Fast, pray, patiently wait, and praise God!
“The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14:14).