"When you come to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, 'I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,' 15 you may indeed set a king over you whom the LORD your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. Deuteronomy 17:14-15
Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the LORD has said to you, 'You shall never return that way again.' 17 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. 18 "And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. Deuteronomy 17:16-18
And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. Deuteronomy 17:19-20
Prideful Independence – Man’s King Prayerful Dependence – God’s King
“ And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the L ORD his God.” 2 Chronicles 14:2 “But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the L ORD all his days.” 1 Kings 15:14
Prayer the Unlikely Weapon of Warfare
Prayer the Unlikely Weapon of Warfare And Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, armed with large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin that carried shields and drew bows. All these were mighty men of valor. 9 Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. 10 And Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up their lines of battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 2 Chronicles – 14:8-10
Prayer the Unlikely Weapon of Warfare 11 And Asa cried to the L ORD his God, “O L ORD , there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O L ORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O L ORD , you are our God; let not man prevail against you.” 12 So the L ORD defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 2 Chronicles – 14:11-12
Prayer the Unlikely Weapon of Warfare Nevertheless, they shall be servants to him, that they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.” 9 So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures of the house of the L ORD and the treasures of the king's house. He took away everything. He also took away the shields of gold that Solomon had made, 2 Chronicles – 14:8-9
Prayer the Unlikely Weapon of Warfare and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house. 11 And as often as the king went into the house of the L ORD , the guard came and carried them and brought them back to the guardroom. 12 And when he humbled himself the wrath of the L ORD turned from him, so as not to make a complete destruction. Moreover, conditions were good in Judah. 2 Chronicles – 14:10-12
Prayer the Unlikely Weapon of Warfare “We can not know what prayer is for until we know that life is war.” - John Piper
Embracing Wholehearted Prayer Leads to Repentance
Embracing Wholehearted Prayer Leads to Repentance The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, 2 and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The L ORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3 For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, 2 Chronicles 15:1-3
Embracing Wholehearted Prayer Leads to Repentance but when in their distress they turned to the L ORD , the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. 5 In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 They were broken in pieces. Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress. 2 Chronicles 15:4-6
Embracing Wholehearted Prayer Leads to Repentance But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” 8 As soon as Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, he took courage and put away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the L ORD that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the L ORD 2 Chronicles 15:7-8
Embracing Wholehearted Prayer Leads to Repentance They swore an oath to the L ORD with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with horns. 15 And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the L ORD gave them rest all around. 2 Chronicles 15:14- 15
Prayer is where God shifts the motivations of our heart At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the L ORD your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. 8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the L ORD , he gave them into your hand. 2 Chronicles 16:7-8
Prayer is where God shifts the motivations of our heart For the eyes of the L ORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.” 10 Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time. 2 Chronicles 16:9- 10
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” Galatians 5:16-17
The Unlikely Learn to Pray by the Spirits Power “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27
The Unlikely Learn to Pray by the Spirits Power “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
• Why don’t we pray? • What are common hindrances to prayer? • What are common misunderstandings to prayer?
Recommend
More recommend
