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Preparing for Battle—Prayer and Praise (June 27, 2025)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

One certainty of life is that we all have to endure hardships and trials. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Since seasons of suffering are inevitable, Christians should stock up our storehouses of faith in Christ, the source of salvation and eternal hope that bolsters us when we face adversity. A biblical example of the proper response to life’s difficulties is Jehoshaphat, one of the few godly kings of ancient Israel who exhibited his faith in God in a crisis situation through prayer and praise.

When an imposing enemy force came against his kingdom of Judah, Scripture says a fearful Jehoshaphat cried out to God, using one of the most powerful weapons that believers have when life’s battles are brewing—prayer! Imploring God to intervene on his nation’s behalf, he prayed: “For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” (2 Chronicles 20:12) We too should prayerfully cry out to God for deliverance from our afflictions, believing that wars are won not on the battlefield but on our knees.

An unlikely second element of Jehoshaphat’s wartime strategy that we can just as effectively employ in our conflicts was praise. The king and his nation humbly bowed before the LORD in worship. “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever (2 Chronicles 20:21),” chanted the singers appointed by the king as his army marched out to battle an enemy that God would deliver into Judah’s hands without a fight. In times of turmoil, let’s follow Jehoshaphat’s example, allying ourselves by faith to an all-powerful God through fervent prayer and heartfelt praise.



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