I inhabit your praises! I am the One who enables you to say, “Jesus is LORD.” I prompt you to raise your voice in praise and gratitude. I give you the words to spirit songs.

Your praise will breakthrough iron bars and gates of steel! It lifts up your soul and your countenance is changed. The gloom and despair disappears in my Presence, for you cannot magnify Me and remain introspective.


Praise is a selfless act of looking to someone bigger than you and your circumstance. A spirit of praise and thanksgiving should be the fruit of a life completely abandoned to me. It is my nature to exhibit praise and gratitude and it will be yours also because you are made in my image!


The LORD was with Jehoshaphat king of Judah, because in his early years he walked in the ways of his father David. He sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. The LORD established the kingdom under his control. His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD, and he prospered greatly! I love the story that is recorded in chapter 20 of 2 Chronicles. Lets look at how King Jehoshaphat walked out a very perilous situation by seeking the LORD, obeying and praising through to victory!


2 Chronicles 20:2-3
Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea. It is already in Hazazon Tamar (that is the En Gedi).”Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.

King Jehoshaphat inquired of the LORD! There is wisdom we can gather from this righteous man of God. He was king but did not assume he had the wisdom on his own to stand against these armies. How many times have I stepped out in my own wisdom just to fail miserably? Let me answer that, too many times. If we are in Christ, we are not our own.

I Corinthians 6:20
You are not your own; you were bought at a price.

The price is the shed blood of Jesus! I am not my own person. I am connected to Jesus my Savior. He is very interested in my life and has the wisdom I need. He also foresees my future, and totally has my best interest at heart. I can trust Him implicitly!

2 Chronicles 20:5-9
Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard and said: “O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us."


Jehoshaphat begins his heartfelt prayer by declaring who God is:
You are the God of the Heavens.
You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations.
Power and might are in your hand and no one can withstand you.

This reminds me of the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus taught all of his disciples, which begins with recognizing our Father is the God of Heaven.

A great model prayer, as we should pray likewise. Father in Heaven we declare your power and might! This is making a declaration of His strength and power not only to Him but to the powers of darkness as well. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. When we pray out loud we also are hearing our declaration of who God is! This will increase our faith!

Jehoshaphat then recounts how God was faithful to Abraham and his descendents. It is good to remember and speak of how God has been faithful to our families and to us. Retell your “God” stories. We all have them if we have been in Christ for any length of time. If you have children they need to hear these stories.

Deuteronomy 11:19
Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

These remembrances are packed full of faith. When they are retold faith is again released, which equips us for future battles. Tell your stories!

Jehoshaphat then declares that even if calamity comes against them, whether by sword or judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before the temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.

This statement made God smile! To hear that assurance and confidence coming from one of his children, he would surely want to come to their aide. This reminds me of the three Hebrew children just before being thrown into the fiery furnace made a similar statement.

Daniel 3:17-18
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

2 Chronicles 20:12
“O our God, will you not judge them? (Speaking of the nations coming against them) For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”

This statement by King Jehoshaphat is both filled with humility and a declaration of dependence on God. He is in a great position even though it appears in the natural to be a disastrous situation. His position is one of faith, not self-reliance! I love Jehoshaphat’s heart in this troubling circumstance. We can learn so much from him. I am confident that we have all seen troubling situations come our way. I am equally confident in the God I love and serve! He is able to deliver. He responds to his children and to their heartfelt cries of, “LORD, I need you!”


God responds quickly to Jehoshaphat’s plea for help. He speaks through the prophet Jahaziel to Jehoshaphat and all the men of Judah, their wives and children.

2 Chronicles 20:15-17
This is what the LORD says to you: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them, they will be climbing up by the pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle, Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow and the LORD will be with you.”

This is such an awesome word from God and builds the confidence of its hearers. The Prophet gives them information on the geographic location of the enemy and declares that they will not have to fight this battle. This one battle was God’s to fight. We need the Wisdom of God, as they did many thousands of years ago. Think about what could have been their response to armies coming against them. It would have been to gather their own armies and fight them. Wow! We have to learn to seek the LORD firstly and not to respond on impulse.

2 Chronicles 20:18-19
Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

Praise, worship and thanksgiving are always an appropriate response to the LORD!

2 Chronicles 20:20-22
Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful. After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, For his love endures forever.”

As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

The LORD caused confusion to come on these armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir and they slaughtered themselves. These armies were defeated by singing praises to the LORD! This was a specific charge given to the men of Israel by the Prophet of God. They responded in faith and obedience and God defeated their enemies.

What can we glean from this story? We will always benefit from inquiring of the LORD. His wisdom cannot compare to our ways of thinking. Listen and obey what He tells us to do. This could be as in this story through the Prophet of the LORD. It more than likely will be through the scriptures and through listening to his still small voice. We are to be a praise filled, worshipping people, over flowing with thanksgiving! One word of caution, I have never liked using formulas in praying for people or seeking the LORD. Even though this was the word for Jehoshaphat and the people of Israel it is not necessarily the word of the LORD for us in every battle. The key here is to always seek the LORD for the word in season for your situation.

One last scripture and thought:

2 Chronicles 20:29-30
The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel, and the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

The people of God who walk in faith are also given rest! There is a knowing inside your head and your heart when you are walking out obedience in a difficult situation. The knowing is that God is in complete control and will work it out for our good!

Yes, and God gives you peace and rest in the midst of it.

Proverbs 21:1
The King's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

Open my ears so that I can hear your word today. Father give me ears to hear you today.

Have you ever felt like you are not presently doing what you were created to do? That's where I am at right now! I know there is greatness in me that has not reached its mark! I am presently working a job that can be trying and humiliating, and yet the LORD is saying, “ You can do this.” I am able to hold on because the Father spoke to me. He said, " Status quo Jan, Don’t change anything for now. Just work like you have been doing. I will open doors and give new direction."

My heart took on new courage from those simple phrases! Why? Because they come from the one I trust and love. I know that I could stay in that job till the end of time if He says to. My response this day is, "Father, thank you so much for speaking to me. I can hold on. I know your purposes for me are greater than what I am doing at the present. I trust you during this time even when I don't see your greatness fully in me."

I began thinking about people in the Bible who had similar struggles. I love that we have these amazing examples of the very things we are going through. Holy Spirit is so faithful to direct, because He knows exactly what we need to read!

Joseph was a character that sought after the LORD and began hearing and seeing his future. God was imparting greatness to him. I believe you know his story. After sharing some of his visions with his own brothers they have him tossed into a pit. They debate killing him and instead decide to sell him into slavery. Traveling Midianites take him into Egypt. Wow! Those were some crazy brothers! They could not recognize the greatness of God expressing itself through their little brother. Joseph's story continues in the house of one of Pharaoh’s officials named Potiphar. The Word says that the LORD was with Joseph and he prospered the house of Potiphar. The Word continues to say the official recognized the favor of the LORD on Joseph because everyone prospered under his influence. He became his personal attendant caring for his household. There was a fly in the ointment. Potiphar's wife found Joseph appealing and made a play for him. Because Joseph walked in the fear of the LORD he rejected her advances. You know what they say about a woman being scorned? She yelled for Potiphar and blamed Joseph for attacking her. He was taken to prison where the king's prisoners were held. Again, the word says the LORD was with him. Joseph found favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So, as the story continues Pharaoh has some disturbing dreams. The wise men and sorcerers cannot help him. In a twist of fate an ex-con suggests they contact Joseph. The lost son of Jacob consults the Lord of heaven who shows him how to interpret the dream. He finds great favor again this time in Pharaoh’s own household. He was given a huge promotion. Pharaoh’s words to Joseph went like this: "Since God has made all this known to you, You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you. I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." Wow! What a story! The beautiful ending to Joseph's story is that during the famine where food was so scarce, he was able to help many people with the wisdom and foreknowledge that God had given him. Yes, also his brothers and father!

Genuine relationship formed between Joseph and God, and He made it possible for him to walk in great wisdom. God had an amazing plan for Joseph to be a type of redeemer for many people. God is sovereign, which means His plans will come to pass! There was greatness in Joseph at an early age though his family grossly misunderstood him. He trusted that the words and visions given to him would actually come to pass even though they were delayed and he suffered much. Joseph's story in completion is found in Genesis chapters 37 through 50. Joseph is a type and shadow of our savior Jesus Christ.

Now let’s look at Jesus and we will see that Joseph was a type and shadow of our Redeemer.

The Father spoke to Jesus and gave him a mission to do. He left his kingship and became a man. Emanuel is God with us! He was human in all aspects and fully God.

Jesus had one mission and that was to redeem mankind. He also was misunderstood by many. The Pharisees wanted him dead. Why? They felt threatened by him, because they saw that he spoke with authority, walked in great wisdom and was compassionate. Jesus was a friend of the sinner, the publicans, and the tax collectors. He was not religious. The Pharisees missed their time of visitation. Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it!

Many of the Israelites were looking for the Messiah, but expected him to come and take the Kingdom back from the Romans. They wanted a great politician, a king not a savior. They were tired of being under the rule and authority of the Romans. Jesus did come to save them from the tyranny of government, but it was not going to be through that type of dominion. He was after their hearts, to change them. You can be imprisoned under foreign occupation and still be free in your soul. That can never be taken from you! The Israelites missed their time of visitation.

Many of his disciples turned away from following him because some of his teachings were too hard. Jesus says, “ Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” His own family did not understand what he was doing and struggled to believe in him (as stated in John 7:1-5).

Jesus did not let this thwart the mission the Father had sent him to accomplish. He pressed on and we should also. Jesus is our example and we should follow his lead. Jesus and Joseph were misunderstood and suffered much. They both trusted God and were faithful to the word He spoke to them. It took years of walking in the revelation of God and trusting it to come to pass. God’s plan did come to pass and generations are reaping the benefits of intimacy with the Father and eternal life!

We are no different than Joseph and Jesus in that we are following the voice of our Father. We are led by His Spirit to do great things in the Kingdom. We have relationship with the Father, and He begins to share his heart for humanity with us. Greatness is birthed in us. We have incredible vision of what we are to do. This is all a process of walking with the Father in the Kingdom. We do great things for God. We work. We do the mundane things of life. We wait on God and listen to his voice. We hear him speak his heart, and again we are filled with greatness and vision.
It continues....

I am in one of those mundane places in my life. It is necessary to do what I do. I go to work and care for the elderly. I come home and cook dinner and clean my house. I am not unhappy with where I am at, but I know what God has spoken to me. I have vision that my Father has imparted to me. I know there is greatness in me, and I am compelled to do great things in the Kingdom. So, I wait and trust that what He has spoken will come to pass.

I hope this brings some encouragement to you my friends. I know that I am amongst many in the Body of Christ that he is compelling to keep doing the stuff of the Kingdom. He is also speaking in our ears, You are created for greatness! Why? Because we are created in His image.

Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.