KJV Sermon Outlines

HOW TO PRAY ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS?

II CHRONICLES 20:1-30

It is a fact that even believers have problems and challenges in their lives. Sometimes they seem to be perplexing and overwhelming. Let me ask you. How do you, as a believer, go about solving those problems and facing those challenges in your life which sometimes seem impossible?

This is what we will be dealing with this morning. In the passage of scripture that we have read, I believe we can find some truths that will helps us to handle our problems, in fact we will discover some truths that will help us to solve our problems through prayer. These will be truths you will want to remember because sooner or later there will be a time when you will need the super natural power of God to help you solve a problem.

II Chronicles 20:1-3, It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. 2Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi..

In verse 6 he prays, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

In verse 14 we find that as they stood in the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and he prophesied what God wanted Jehoshaphat to hear.

Verse 17 gives us part of that prophesy, Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

In verse 20 they met the enemy: Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

Verse 29 says, And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel.

Jehoshaphat was King of Judah, the Southern Kingdom for about 25 years, and he was a good king. He was a righteous man who tried to bring about a revival of faith in God in the nation. He had an army of about a million men. On this particular occasion, he heard about the armies of the Moabites and the Ammonites coming together to do battle with Judah to drive them out of their land. And when he heard this, at first he was afraid. But notice quickly what he did. In verse 3 notice what he did when he was afraid.

A. When You Pray To God About Your Problems, You Need To Understand That He Cares About Your Problems.

If we are not careful we will develop the attitude of the disciples when they were caught in a storm. Master, carest thou not that we perish?. ( Mark 4:38 ) You must understand that God does know about and cares about your problem.
1 Peter 5:7 Tells us that we can cast all of our cares on Him because He cares for us. Jehoshaphat knew and understood this truth. Therefore he could talk to God about his problem.

Let's look at the prayer Jehoshaphat prayed. Notice how Jehoshaphat addressed God, O Lord, God of our fathers . . . It was very important that Jehoshaphat began his prayer in this manner. It's the same with us because when you and I trusted Christ as our Savior, God the Father entered into a covenant relationship with us. This is a relationship of promise whereby God, at that moment, made a pledge with you and me that everything which concerns us will concern Him. Every need we have will concern Him. Every desire of our heart will concern Him. God has committed to live within us and face every problem that we face, because we are in a covenant relationship with Him. This means everything that concerns me concerns God--every problem that I have is God's problem. We entered into a covenant relationship when we invited Christ to be our Savior and He desires to work in our lives if we will let Him. The moment we invited Christ in our life we became a child of God and He cares about His children. So the first thing we need to remember is that God cares about our problems.

B. You Need To Pray With The Understanding That God Is Greater Than Any Problem You Might Have Or Face.

Look at verse 6 again, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

Is God all powerful? He is! Is He all knowing? He is! Is He merciful? Yes He is. Has he made a covenant relationship with us? Yes, He has.

Can you think about anything today, any problem, any challenge, any battle, any suffering, any pain, any circumstance under any condition that is too large for God? Of course you cannot.

So, the second thing you and I need to remember is that our problem is not too big for our God. God is greater than any problem we might have.

What does that mean for us? It means when you and I face problems, we face them on the principle that not only is my God interested in my problems, but He has already become involved in my problems and is powerful enough to handle them. I need to be reminded that if God is powerful enough to rule the heavens and the earth and nothing or no one can withstand Him, then my problems are no match for Him. God is not weakened or intimidated by my problems. They pose no threat to God.

I am sure there are some of you here today who are thinking, “Pastor, that is OK to think about but you don't realize how big my problem is.” I don't have to. God is aware of it. You see the way we pray sometimes indicates whether or not we believe that God is greater than our problems. Do you believe today that God is greater than your problems. or do you see Him confused and perplexed by what you are facing? Once you have established the fact that the God you are serving is greater than your problems, then you have your problems close to being solved.

C. You Need To Pray With The Understanding That Praying To God About Your Problem Is Your First Response Not Your Last.

I read a story a while back about a lady that went to the doctor for a problem. The doctor told her that the only thing left to do was pray. With that the woman grabed her chest and cried out, " O My God Has It Come Down To That?"

What is your first response to a problem? Is it doubt, fear or unbelief? Or is your first response to pray?

For many Christians prayer is often The last response to their problem. They do as the lady did, " O My Has It Come Down To That." Let me say one other thing before moving on. Many Christians don't pray hardly at all until they find themselves in a problem beyond their control.

Notice what Jehoshaphat did. He sought the Lord in fasting and praying, which means that prayer and seeking the presence of God became a priority.

D. When Problems Come Your Way, Ask Others to Pray With You.

Look at verse 4, And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

They Had A Baptist Prayer Meeting!
They Had A Prayer Chain!

E. When Praying Trust God To Give You A Solution To Your Problems.

His solution may not be the solution you expected. Most of us, when we come to God with a problem, have a solution in mind. Many times the solution God has in mind is a total surprise. The best way to bring your problem to God is not to assist Him with a solution. We must bring Him the problem believing that He has a solution.

God's solution may come to you in a way you are not expecting. God may choose to speak to you directly. He can and will do that at times. Or God may choose to give you a solution through another person. Why didn't God speak directly to Jehoshaphat and give him the solution? He is the King.
He is a righteous man. He was seeking to lead the people of God in the right way. God did not choose to speak to him directly. He used a man by the name of Jahaziel. He stood in the midst of the congregation and they all prayed to the Lord for a solution to this tremendous challenge that was before them.

Look at verse 14, Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, …, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation; It was through him the people of God received the solution. Read with me verse 15, And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

You may want to write in the margin of your Bible these words: This is a lesson every Christian must learn. When you invited Christ into your life, God entered into a covenant relationship with you. He promised to work in your life to bring about a solution to all of your problems.

Verse 17 says, Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you,

“You don't need to worry about this problem. Stand firm in your faith. Wait and watch for the solution to your problem. Do not fear or be discouraged. Go out and face your problem for the Lord is with you.”

We all have a tendency to try to help God. God does not need our help. He told Jehoshaphat to let the choir lead the way. When the people of God went into battle praising and trusting Him for the victory, they gained a victory they never had to fight for. They did not have to worry about the battle because God was already there.

F. God's Solution Usually Requires An Act Of Faith.

Look at Verse 20. And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

Let's be honest. Most of us want God to solve the problem without requiring anything of us. God's solution often times requires an act of faith on our part because God's solution is usually beyond human reasoning. If we are going to express faith, it implies a risk on our part. Listen. No risk, no growth. God wants us living by faith. He wants us trusting Him. God says, “I want you to get your choir together.” “Don't you mean the army?” “No, I want you to get your choir together.” “But this is a war!” “I want you to get your choir together and I want you to put the choir out front, and when we get to the battle, we are going to sing and praise.” “Lord, that isn't the way you defeat the Moabites. Lord, you don't defeat trained warriors by singing to them.”

When God tells you to do something, you either do it or you don't get God's solution. Now suppose Jehoshaphat said, “Lord, we don't mind having a choir. They can stand on the mount and sing while we fight.” That is not what God said. When they got to the battle, the Moabites began to fight the Ammonites. When the Israelites got to the battle, all they had to do was pick up the bounty and loot. The fight was over.

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