A Prayer for Power

This was a rough week for me. It started out okay but quickly took a turn of events that has had me struggling physically as well as mentally every day. And although I talk to God all the time about whatever is going on, today I took to His word in prayer. The outcome is worth sharing about. So here I am on my laptop ready to tell you, and I hope you are ready for it!

Feeling weak and discouraged, I opened up my Bible and before I could read anything, I cried out to God in a prayer for power. In tears, I asked Him for His power. You should know, that from early on in my life, I've believed in the power of God. I believed the scriptures that depict His powerful glory. His miracles, victories, and triumphs. There is power in His name.  

And so I prayed... "in Jesus' name, Amen."

Randomly, I opened up the scriptures to a story I've read before, but, as usual, had forgotten about it. It's an Old Testament story of a man appointed to lead God's people and lead them into victory over their enemies. He was a man named Jehoshaphat. ---Yup, you heard right, Jehoshaphat, or like I tend to say, "Yoshefat". 

Well, the name is beside the point, although interesting. I'll try to condense the story to get to my actual point. "God's people were being threatened by certain enemies who would overtake their land, so they cried out to God and their leader Yoshefat for help, and He began to pray to God out loud before the peoples." --- This is the part when as I was reading, I came up across timely words. "Oh Lord, God of our fathers.... Power and might are in your hands and no one can withstand you." (Remember my prayer for power?)

He goes on to recall how God had been faithful to them in the past, but pleads with God saying 

"O, our God, for we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."  

Then a prophet brought a word from God to His people saying, "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours but God's. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow and the Lord will be with you."

Jehoshophat then addressed the people and appointed some to sing praises of worship to God, even before the victory was theirs. "As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the enemies, and they were defeated. -- When the men of Judah (God's peoples) looked to see what remained of the enemy army, they saw only dead bodies. No one had escaped.--- God's people worshiped and praised God and the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for His God had given rest on every side."

Hopefully, you were not only able to pick up on why this story spoke so personally to me, but you were also encouraged by it. You see, I came before God in prayer with a broken spirit inside, feeling overwhelmed by what I now face daily as my adversary. A terminal diagnosis. And the effects of the treatment I am undergoing. Feeling weak, I asked for power from God to help me. And how did He respond to my cry? He directs me to an old story about a people that needed His power to defeat their adversary. 

And in His response, He reminds me to not be afraid or discouraged. He reminds me that He is fighting for me. But He also gives me additional instructions. He tells me to take my position. Stand firm. And watch what only He can do. He says, "Go out to face them tomorrow and the Lord will be with you." That's right, He tells me to face my adversary, as much as I'd like to hide or give up. He says, "Go on out there. Live your life. Show up. Don't give up. I am with you. And I've already destroyed your adversary."

Lastly, when I read that all that was left of the enemies were their dead bodies and how God's people worshiped Him for the victory, I couldn't help but think of how much worship there will be when all that we find left of this diagnosis is dead tumors, inactive, without any power. 

That is the victory that God is already preparing me for. Thank you so much Jesus!

Friends, we all have an "adversary" of some sort. And we all lack the power to face it at times. So I pray that you are encouraged by this story knowing that you too can call on the power of God to help you face that adversary. 

"In Jesus name, Amen."