1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:12,040 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Untangling Prayer Podcast. I'm Rachel Wojo, and 3 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 2: each week we unravel life'esnots through prayer. Here you'll find 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 2: practical wisdom and prayer encouragement to guide you through life's 5 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 2: hardest seasons. Join me as we untangle life's messes together, 6 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 2: one prayer at a time. 7 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:36,520 Speaker 1: Sure. Well, hey there, I'm Rachel and I'm so glad 8 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: you've joined me today. I want to start by telling 9 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 1: you about a friend of mine. Her husband is fighting 10 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:48,880 Speaker 1: cancer right now, and it's not the first time he's 11 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: been in this situation. He's barely over sixty five years old. 12 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: And I got to spend some time with them last 13 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: week or recently, and I came home and I couldn't 14 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: stop the thinking about both of them. Because that is 15 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: what we mean when we use the word battle. It's 16 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: not the everyday hard stuff that wears this down. It's 17 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: this thing that you didn't ask for that's now showing 18 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:17,960 Speaker 1: up at your door without any kind of warning and 19 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: you don't get to say. And whether it comes or not, 20 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: maybe that's where you are today. Maybe you're the one 21 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: in the fight, or you love someone who is. And 22 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: either way, this episode is for you because today we're 23 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: in Second Chronicles twenty and there's a man in this 24 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 1: chapter who is handed a battle he never asked for. 25 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: What he did with it is something that I have 26 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: been trying to think about and meditate on. Because before 27 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: we go any further, though, I want to tell you 28 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: about something I made for you, and it's completely free. 29 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: It's called the Prey Through It battle Plan. It's six 30 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: simple steps to take whatever you're facing, whatever you're carrying 31 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: right now, and actually pray through it instead of just 32 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: worrying about it or worrying through it. And I'll leave 33 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: the link in the show notes for you can find 34 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: it at battleprayers dot com. There's a reason that I 35 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 1: built that guide, and I'll tell you the whole story 36 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 1: before we're done today, but for now, hold on to 37 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: that every battle has a pattern and God already knows 38 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 1: the way through the battle. So here's today's question. And 39 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:41,519 Speaker 1: I get some version of this question quite often. How 40 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: do I pray when I don't even know what to pray? 41 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: And when that's something in front of me is too 42 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:49,639 Speaker 1: big and my mind is spinning and I can't find 43 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: the words, how do I pray? Second Chronicles twenty doesn't 44 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: try to talk you out of the feeling. Here's how 45 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:03,519 Speaker 1: that chapter unfold. Jehasaphat or Jehosephat is the king of Judah, 46 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: and he reaches that he hears word that this fast 47 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 1: army is coming towards him, three nations all at once. 48 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: He was afraid. The king himself was afraid. So if 49 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 1: your faith and your fear are showing up at the 50 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 1: same time, right now you are seeing exactly where a 51 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 1: king once stood. But watch what he does in regards 52 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: to that fear. He doesn't bury it, and he doesn't 53 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: let it take over. Verse three says he resolved to 54 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: inquire of the Lord. He turned toward God, and he 55 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: brings the fear with him. And then he prays out 56 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: loud in front of all the people, and he simply 57 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: lays the whole thing out. Who's coming against them? God 58 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: has promised that he will show up. And what I 59 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: didn't notice for a long time is that his prayer 60 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: doesn't just stay in the present. He goes back into 61 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: the history. He reminds God of Abraham and how God 62 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: drove out the nations before Israel, and the promises that 63 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: made generations before he was ever born. He's praying on 64 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:19,159 Speaker 1: the strength of what God did for his people who 65 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: came long before him. And so the God of his 66 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 1: ancestors is the same God that is standing with him 67 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 1: right in that moment. And when we get to verse twelve, 68 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: this is what I would say that you could just 69 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,279 Speaker 1: write down. We do not know what to do, but 70 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 1: our eyes are on you. For most of my life 71 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: I thought that not knowing what to do was the problem, 72 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: like if I could be stronger, if if I could 73 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: just have a plan. But Johasaphat didn't have a plan. 74 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: He had a direction to look. He turned towards God. 75 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: The not knowing is what left room for God to move. 76 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:09,840 Speaker 1: If Jehasifad had walked in with his own strategy, he 77 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 1: would have simply run his strategy. But because he didn't 78 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: have one, he didn't know what to do. He had 79 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: to wait on the only one who knew the way out. 80 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,039 Speaker 1: So when you tell God you don't know what to do, 81 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: you're not behind. That's the very thing that the answer 82 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: comes in for Thanks so much for listening to this 83 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 1: first segment of questions in heart Spaces. We're going to 84 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 1: come back to chronicles after a quick word from our sponsors. 85 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 1: Thank you for allowing that word from our sponsors. And 86 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 1: now I want to dive deeper into the segment that 87 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:51,040 Speaker 1: we call pray more and worry less. We are staying 88 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: right here in chronicles where Jahaspat's praying and God is 89 00:05:56,200 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: answering him. A man named jay Has stands up and 90 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:03,840 Speaker 1: the spirit of the Lord comes over him, and he 91 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:08,840 Speaker 1: says in verse fifteen, do not be afraid or discouraged 92 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,239 Speaker 1: because of this vast army, For the battle is not yours, 93 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: but God's. The battle is not yours, but God's. I 94 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:22,799 Speaker 1: think we hear that, and we make it smaller. We 95 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 1: turn it into this sweet little saying that we can 96 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 1: put on our walls. But it isn't just a saying. 97 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 1: It's God stepping in and reaching over your shoulders and 98 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 1: he is fighting for you. He's saying, this belongs to me. 99 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:44,720 Speaker 1: Hand it over. And then I just love where it 100 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: says that God says he's got it. What does Jehosipat 101 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,720 Speaker 1: do when he realizes he doesn't go home and put 102 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:56,920 Speaker 1: his speed up Early the next morning, he appoints people 103 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: to sing to worship. He sends out the singers in 104 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: front of the army and notice when they begin, they 105 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:09,039 Speaker 1: start praising God before a single thing has changed. The 106 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: battle isn't one yet, they can't see how any of 107 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 1: it ends, and they're already singing. Verse twenty two says 108 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: that the very moment they began to sing and praise, 109 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: the Lord set ambushes against that vast army, and the 110 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:33,239 Speaker 1: outcome was just incredible. The enemy turned on itself. Three 111 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: armies came to destroy Judah, and in the confusion, they 112 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:42,600 Speaker 1: actually destroyed each other instead. By the time Johasfat's people arrived, 113 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: there was no one to fight. They had marched out 114 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: fully expecting a war, and they never even had to 115 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: fire a single arrow. They never had to shoot their bow. 116 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 1: They just gathered up from what God had already won. 117 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 1: Assume it goes one way that God fixes the situation 118 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: and then I thank him. But Jehasipat had it in 119 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: the other order. We thank God in the dark before 120 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 1: we can even see anything, before we know what's going 121 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 1: to happen. We trust Him for who he is. And 122 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: that's really what the pray through battle plan is all about. 123 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:27,239 Speaker 1: There are six steps to walk through in that same pattern. 124 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 1: You name the battle, you find what scripture says about it. 125 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:35,559 Speaker 1: You call out the lie that the enemy keeps whispering 126 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: to you. Then you speak the truth back to that lie. 127 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:42,680 Speaker 1: Then you pray that truth. And the last step is 128 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 1: to write out your own battle cry six to ten 129 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:49,840 Speaker 1: words that say Jesus has already won this. It's not 130 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: even one of my own ideas. It's straight out of 131 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 1: this story. Really, this is what Jehasiphat did. He sent 132 00:08:56,920 --> 00:08:59,320 Speaker 1: a worship song ahead of the fight, and I'm just 133 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 1: asking you to write your battle plan down where you 134 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: can keep it. For our answer prayer story this week, 135 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 1: I want to take you back almost two hundred years 136 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 1: because some stories are too good to leave in a 137 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 1: history book, and George Mueller's is one of them. He 138 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 1: ran an orphige orphanage in Bristol, England in the eighteen hundreds. 139 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: He cared for thousands of children over the course of 140 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 1: his life, and early on he made a decision he 141 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:35,720 Speaker 1: would never ask a person for money. He would only 142 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 1: ask God. This was very brave of him. He wanted 143 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: to prove that with his own life that God still 144 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: answers prayers. And so one morning, the children are dressed 145 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,400 Speaker 1: and ready for the day, sitting at the breakfast table 146 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:54,440 Speaker 1: and the plates are empty. There's no food in the 147 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 1: house and no money to buy any a. Muller stands 148 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: at the head of that table full of empty plates 149 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 1: and he prays, Father, we thank you for what you 150 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: are going to give us to eat. He thanked God 151 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 1: for a breakfast that wasn't even there, the very same 152 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: thing those singers did out in front of the army. 153 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: And then there was a knock at the door. It's 154 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:23,680 Speaker 1: the local baker and he says, mister Mueller, I couldn't 155 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 1: sleep last night. I had this feeling you wouldn't have 156 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:29,880 Speaker 1: bread for breakfast for the children. So I got up 157 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: at two am and I baked some fresh and here 158 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 1: it is. So Mueller thanked him. And before the baker 159 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 1: had even gotten down the steps, there was a second knock, 160 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 1: and it was the milkman. His cart had broken down 161 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 1: right in front of the orphanage and the milk would 162 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 1: spoil before he could get the cart fixed. So he 163 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 1: asks if the children can use it. Empty plates were 164 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: covered with fresh bread and then cold milk. Muller had 165 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:04,680 Speaker 1: never asked a soul. He had thanked God for what 166 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: God was going to do. I'm convicted because feeding those 167 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: children that morning was never Muller's battle to fight. It 168 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:20,199 Speaker 1: belonged to God. His part was the same as jehasaphats, 169 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: just to show up, standstill and thank God before you 170 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: can even see how he's going to do it. And 171 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:31,000 Speaker 1: that's the whole reason I wrote the book that I'm 172 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:35,079 Speaker 1: telling you about today. It's called Praying Through Life's Battles 173 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:38,560 Speaker 1: ninety Days to Strengthen Your Faith. It releases August twenty 174 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:42,719 Speaker 1: fifth from Harvest House as a ninety day devotional, and 175 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 1: it came straight out of seasons of battles of my 176 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:52,319 Speaker 1: own life, things that I wouldn't have chosen. The free 177 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 1: battle plan that I mentioned walks you through a single battle, 178 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:58,560 Speaker 1: and this book walks you through ninety of them. So 179 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 1: grab the free guide ninety days back to the one 180 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 1: that you belong to. The reason I want you to 181 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:12,439 Speaker 1: consider preordering today is that it's open right now at 182 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:16,840 Speaker 1: battle Prayers dot Com. And pre orders matter so much 183 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: more than what people realize they're how a book like 184 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 1: this actually reaches the woman who needs it most, the 185 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 1: one who's standing in front of her own table of 186 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 1: empty plates, or who has no idea that the bread 187 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 1: is already on the way. So Here's what I'd love 188 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: for you to do. If you're in a battle right now, 189 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,959 Speaker 1: go download the free battle plan at battle prayers dot 190 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 1: com and pray through your one thing this week. And 191 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: if these are the kinds of battles you are walking 192 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:54,840 Speaker 1: through more than you'd like to, then pre order Praying 193 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 1: through Life's Battles while you're there, same place, battle prayer 194 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:04,560 Speaker 1: dot com. Thank you for joining me on the Untangling 195 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 1: Prayer Podcast. I pray that today reminded you that you 196 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:12,839 Speaker 1: don't have to know what to do, You just have 197 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: to know who to turn to. The battle is not yours, 198 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:22,199 Speaker 1: it's his. Until next time, remember God sees you, he 199 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 1: hears you, and He knows your needs. Thanks for joining 200 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 1: me on the Untangling Prayer Podcast. If this episode resonated 201 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: with you, share it with someone who could use a 202 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 1: little hope, and be sure to subscribe for more. Until 203 00:13:49,160 --> 00:14:02,160 Speaker 1: next time, keep seeking, keep trusting, and keep praying.