Jehoshaphat had just heard the news that a great army was massing on the border of his nation. He spent the last couple of years moving forward with a spiritual restoration in the nation. Jehoshaphat worked hard to bring them back to the Lord by sending out the teaching priests to instruct them and set righteous judges in the cities. As we step into this “National Day Of Prayer” we see a desperate need to once again call America back to the truth. Our founding fathers were willing to give their lives to establish a nation that would stand for genuine freedom. Our constitution and our Declaration of Independence declared that freedom must be centered on a biblical foundation as well as biblical principles. Throughout this blog post, we will look at a couple of things Jehoshaphat did to rescue the nation from the invading armies. We must know that without having driven the nation towards a spiritual renewal, he would not have had the faith to trust God for their defense let alone for direction. If we are not God-centered, we won’t pursue God for the answers.
2nd Chronicles 7:14 states, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land.” The first thing that Jehoshaphat does, is that he proclaims a fast and calls the people and leaders together to pursue the Lord. One accord is where we need to be at this time as a people. Jehoshaphat knew this scripture well, and the first thing he does is go after it. Repentance is a great key to favor. Confronting what’s in the way of our relationship with God must be first and foremost. As Jehoshaphat does this, he then pursues the 2nd part.
Our confession of the heart, the will, and the word of God is vital. We must know His power and His might. We also need to know that God can confront what has confronted us. America, as a nation, must recognize as Jehoshaphat did, that it is God who established this nation. As Americans, we must understand that it was according to God’s word that our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution were both formed. America is under attack from the inside. It is a genuine hatred for our faith, our values, and the God of the Bible whom we are called to serve. It is a unified front that assaults our families, children, and our very freedoms. This will take a concerted effort on the part of God-hungry believers who recognize that we are to be “One Nation Under God” and be willing to stand up and chase the heart of God for this nation.
After Jehoshaphat rehearses the calling of God for his nation and declares the strength of the God he serves, he rehearsed the attacks against him and looks to God for his deliverance and protection. If we don’t know that it is God’s will to bring waves of revival to this land and that it is His holiness that brings us to a place of repentance, then all we can do is complain about all that is going on against the values of this land. If we recognize that God has called this nation to Himself with all her flaws and faults, we will see that God has called us to be a beacon of freedom to the nations of the world. We must choose to stand strong as a nation, so we can see that we are called to be a stop gate against all those that hate freedom and the very values we hold dear and are the source of all that blesses us. We are to be a light to the nations of the world. If we will hold these values, we will be the leading nation in evangelizing the nations of the world.
Jehoshaphat stood with all the leaders and people who joined him and they waited on God for an answer and strategy. Standing their ground and watching God defend them was the result. We as the God-hungry, nation-loving believers in this land, need to stand our ground immovable in the faith that defined us once and is to define us again.
As we press forward in prayer for this nation, we know that God has the revival that we need to heal this land. If we stay the course in our faith and confidence as we call a nation back to God, then we have a right to see heaven move on our behalf. It’s time as we reach toward heaven to see the church come to a place of power, and to see a nation come to the place of being able to take its place to see revival explode across this land.
Blessings,
Pastor Giovannetti
