“…but our eyes are on you” (2Ch 20:12). The preceding expression was the conclusion of king Jehoshaphat’s earnest supplication to God for help. His kingdom was under an imminent attack from three great kingdoms, namely: Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir. Those kingdoms were a great multitude which, needless to say, meant that Jehoshaphat and his people were outnumbered and outmatched. It was humanly impossible for Judah to defeat the three kingdoms. If you have ever been in a situation in which you felt completely overwhelmed by pressures, then you have an idea of Jehoshaphat’s predicament.
    Jehoshaphat’s initial reaction to the news of the potential confrontation was to fear—a normal or common human response to such circumstances. Like Jehoshaphat, we all have enemies (though ours today are primarily in Satan and his cohorts)—whether we believe it or not—who threaten to destroy us. Similarly, we experience the surge of fear in the face of threats. This is just the effect our enemies hope their menacing disposition towards us will have on us. The idea is to stir as much fear as possible in us, as  to make us baulk under the unbearable pressure. It is precisely at this point that the battle is either won or lost, depending on what choice is made.
    Though the situation was frightening and the prognosis bleak, king Jehoshaphat made the right choice to seek God. The question is not whether  fear assails us when we are threatened, but whether we make the right choice, in spite of how we feel. For Jehoshaphat, as it should be for us, once he detected that fear was about to subsume him, he set himself to seek God, “And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” (2Ch 20:3). To give fear a chance is to lose the battle before it actually begins. Jehoshaphat turned to the Lord in his time of need because he knew God was the solution and not the cause of the problem. You must come to the place where you know beyond a shadow of doubt that, God is not the source of your problems, but the only real solution to them.
    It is worthwhile to examine Jehoshaphat’s prayer in some detail. “Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?” (2Ch 20:5-6). It is instructive that Jehoshaphat began his prayer by acknowledging their (Israel’s) covenant relationship with God through Abraham, Isaac and Israel (Jacob). God is a God of covenant. Jehoshaphat was aware that he and his fellow Israelites had a special relationship with God that entitled them to His help. It is similar to how Jesus taught His disciples to pray: “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.” (Matt 6:9). God wants you to approach Him on the basis of your covenant relationship with Him in Christ Jesus. This special relationship with God as our Father entitles us to His fatherly care. Whenever we acknowledge God as our Father, we demonstrate our dependence on Him for our welfare. Jehoshaphat was well advised to have begun his prayer that way—an acknowledgement of his right standing with God.
        Jehoshaphat also acknowledged the greatness of God, in his prayer, by praising Him: “…are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?” (2Ch 20:5-6). The Bible says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” (Ps 100:4). We gain entry into the courts of God by praising Him. Jehoshaphat did not first present his problems to God. This is where we miss at times. Christians sometimes come before God whining, instead of acknowledging and bowing before the Majesty of God. Remember, God knows your needs before you ever voice them. Therefore, spend more time praising and thanking God for who He is and what He has done. As you do this, your consciousness that He is Almighty will increase, thereby increasing and strengthening your faith.
    In addition, Jehoshaphat recounted specific acts of God’s faithfulness to His people in the course of their history: “Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’” (2Ch 20:7-9). Every act of God’s faithfulness reveals His nature and character. By reminding God of His mighty work on behalf of His people, Jehoshaphat positioned himself to experience a reenactment of those miracles. Has God ever acted on your behalf? Then, rest assured that He wants to do so again. Therefore, thankfully remind Him of His goodness to you.
    It was after the foregoing that Jehoshaphat proceeded to make his request of God: “And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them—here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not judge them? 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.”” (2Ch 20:10-12). His request was specific and to the point—their enemies were rewarding them (the Israelites) with evil for good. Therefore, he pleaded with God to judge them—and God responded. Come boldly to God with requests for He awaits your prayers and will gladly respond to your plea. God’s response was clear: “…And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. …You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”” (2Ch 20:15,17).
    King Jehoshaphat, alongside all the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem, bowed before the Lord and worshipped Him (2Ch 20:18). By that act, both Jehoshaphat and his people demonstrated that their eyes were truly on God, as he had said in his prayer. God had spoken and the matter was, therefore, settled. If your eyes are on God, you look forward to receiving his response in acknowledgement of your prayer to Him. Oh, the faithfulness of God! The Psalmist testified to it: “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.” (Ps 34:4-6). Shalom.