I Chronicles 5:20 – “They were helped in fighting them, and God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to Him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in Him.”
The battles of life can be overwhelming. Often it appears as though the odds are stacked against us; the power is on the other side; success appears impossible.
At times when I feel weak, Psalm 18 tells me these things:
· The Lord is my support
· My God turns my darkness into light
· With His help I can advance against a troop or scale a wall
· It is God who arms me with strength
· He trains my hand for battle
· His right hand sustains me
· He stoops down to make me great
The account of God’s deliverance in I Chronicles shows the path from weakness and sure defeat to strength and certain victory … we cry out to the Lord during the battle.
He answers us not because the prayer is spoken but because the heart is engaged in trusting.
So many times we worry or struggle over the words of our prayers but God hears the heart. The perfectly worded prayer that is merely spoken is as though heavy stones landed on dry dust. But the cry of the heart that trusts in God is a miracle of flight directly to our Lord’s listening ear.
In my 40+ years of following Jesus, I have cried out at many times. I have not always received what I wanted however I have always been given:
· The support of God
· Light for my path
· The ability to move forward
· Strength for the moment
· Training in battle
· God’s right hand in mine
· The sense that God bent down and kissed my forehead
Part of prayer life is crying out when the battle rages. Never mind the words you use. Its your heart He listens to … the sound of battle will recede as your arm grows strong … as light shines … and God stoops down.
Pray without ceasing in the battle.