Worshipful War

Worshipful War

At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. 2 Chronicles 20:22

IT HAD TO GO AGAINST EVERY INSTINCT of the kingdom’s warriors. No one sends the worship choir into battle ahead of the soldiers. Such a bizarre tactic is an open admission of vulnerability, an invitation for the enemy to gain the upper hand. It could have been seen as an act of suicide. But instead it was an expression of priorities and a statement of faith. When Jehoshaphat sent singers into the battlefield, he was trusting what God had said. The people were willing to put that trust on the line.

Our anxieties, fears, and doubts are powerful. They take control of our lives and choke the attitudes of the Kingdom out of us. It’s hard to grow faith, hope, love, and joy in a stressed, discouraged heart. We let our mental soundtracks play the same worrisome suggestions over and over again, and gratitude for our blessings rarely comes to mind. Worshiping is the last thing we feel like doing in a season of adversity.

Yet these are the attitudes that transform us from within and change the atmosphere around us. When we send the “singers” out first in our lives, right into the midst of adversity, we are making a statement of faith: God is our priority, we worship him above all else, and our battles are no longer ours. We are choosing no longer to see our problems as big and our God as small; we are flipping the script in our hearts and staking our welfare on his ability to handle everything. We are believing he is greater than our fears.

One of the best ways to live an overcoming lifestyle in the journey of faith is to worship God in the area of your fears, doubts, anxieties, and needs. If you are in a financial crisis, worship God for his ability to provide. When you are in pain, worship him for his healing touch. If it’s truly worship, it’s not manipulation. It’s a declaration of faith that changes our lives on two fronts: the condition of our hearts and the situations we face. God enters into the worship, and our transformation begins.

A life in thankfulness releases the glory of God.