Pray, Be Still! And Watch the LORD Fight Your Battles!

Pray, Be Still, and Watch the LORD Fight Your Battles! Devotional Reading July 2, 2023

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” —Jeremiah 29:13

Our Spiritual journey is one of continuous growth and development. We gain spiritual insight, discernment, and wisdom as the Holy Spirit works His transforming power in us. As we reflect on our lives, we are thankful that history is not repeating itself—we are not making the same mistakes that brought disruption and negative consequences into our past life.

“And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” — Psalm 9:10

Yes, the best feeling ever is to enjoy the calmness of peace and the happiness of joy in our minds and souls that comes from praying, obeying, and studying the Scriptures. Even in our trials, we never lose our peace because we receive spiritual strength from the Holy Spirit and have the utmost confidence that our God will deliver us.

“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” — Psalm 105:4

Those who worship God several times a day receive spiritual strength from the Holy Spirit. They have unrealistic faith and trust in God because their lives are in alignment with God’s will and plans. “Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the path chosen for him” (Psalm 25:12). The human effort of loving God with faithful obedience results in a thriving relationship with Christ who is the foundation for our salvation and faith. And the righteous always receive God’s benefits!

Reflection: You may think, I wish this was my life. If this is not your story then you are relying on your own strength which is inadequate for life’s journey.

Seeking God only in times of trouble reveals a spirit of self-reliance. Trusting in oneself produces overconfidence and we cease praying [in faith] for God’s daily spiritual blessings. Sporadic worship not only decreases our faith in God, but we also lose courage and the desire to persevere in hardships.

“The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey. Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.…” —Psalm 37:23-24, BSB.

Because we have distanced ourselves from God, we see ourselves as alone. The seed of discouragement flourishes and changes our perception of God. We have forgotten God’s promise, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Still, He is our Loving Heavenly Father who possesses unlimited POWER and is just a prayer away!

“Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). When the righteous face adversity [whether from spiritual warfare, a trial, or our disobedience], in humility, we come boldly before the throne of grace for our Father’s Help. With confidence and faith, we rely on the LORD’s promise to intervene and give us a victorious outcome.

The Old Testament has many stories of humanity’s faith, failures, repentance, and victories which give us hope and substantiate that God loves us. And these real-life stories indicate that God is not expecting the impossible from us. God knows our human limitations. He desires that we love Him, and place all of our faith and trust in His love and Power.

King Asa’s Dilemma–2 Chronicles Chapter 14

The Human Effort of Obedience—”2 Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God, 3 for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images. 4 He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment. 5 He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him. 6 And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; he had no war in those years, because the Lord had given him rest.” Verses 2-6

The Impossible Dilemma—”And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah who carried shields and spears, and from Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand men who carried shields and drew bows; all these were mighty men of valor. 9 Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah. 10 So Asa went out against him, and they set the troops in battle array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.” —Verses 8-10

King Asa’s Prayer of Faith—”And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, ‘Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!’ ” —Verse 11

The Warrior God’s Divine Intervention—”The Lord helped Asa and his army defeat the Ethiopians. The enemy soldiers ran away, 13 but Asa and his troops chased them as far as Gerar. It was a total defeat—the Ethiopians could not even fight back! The soldiers from Judah took everything that had belonged to the Ethiopians. ” —Verses 12-13, Contemporary English Version

King Asa had the confidence to bring his army out for battle. Yet, he prayed and waited for God’s answer before the soldiers moved forward against their enemies who outnumbered them. God always requires the human effort of a prayer of faith before He intervenes. Even if our faith is weak, we can approach God with confidence because He always answers our prayers.

Pray an honest prayer by confessing your fears, doubts, and sin of self-reliance to God—He knows the true condition of our hearts. To know God is to stay in His presence not only during times of private worship but throughout our waking hours.

There are prayers that God answers immediately, but most of the time, He requires us to “Be Still.” The waiting has a purpose—to build our faith. Do not attempt to rush God’s Divine Intervention by thinking of strategies for a quick resolution [that will always fail]. Wait in faith and trust God.

Something wonderful happens when we stop trusting in ourselves. We begin to totally rely on God for help in our adversities and dilemmas and our faith and trust in God increase. Despite the situation, we know that we know God never fails! We receive peace, courage, and strength from the Holy Spirit. No more worries!

Try God! In every aspect of your life including Him, faith will replace fears, anxieties, and worries. Your outlook will change and you will view life through spiritual eyes with confidence. God promises to give us spiritual joy, and peace and to provide us with a victorious outcome that demonstrates His glory and power! His promises are Yes, to which we proclaim in faith, Amen [It is so!].

Scripture: “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” —Deuteronomy 31:8

Prayer: Lord, we confess that we trusted in ourselves and have not included You in our daily lives. Yet, today, we lay our burdens, trials, and hardships at Your feet asking with the meager faith we have for Your Divine Intervention. We thank You with a heart of gratitude for never leaving us or forsaking us. In Jesus’ Worthy Name, we pray. Amen.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries