Have you ever felt like you need to be delivered from, out of, or through something? Boy, I have! Do you feel like you are in a battle? Today I was thinking about the power of a song in our battles, songs of deliverance. One individual’s song or a collection of people singing together has a profound effect of deliverance. I want to share a story from the Bible and include some links to songs. (These few songs have been instrumental in my life so I want to pass them on to you.)

Whether it’s singing around the table, a campfire or church worshipers lifting their songs to the King of kings, songs play an incredible role in deliverance. They can also play a role in fighting battles. One of my favorite accounts from scripture is found in 2 Chronicles 20: 1-30. (I used the ESV version) It’s a story about Jehoshaphat the King of Judah and his need for deliverance.

Let me briefly hit the high points of the story for you and include the verses that talk about the importance of a prayer and a song.

King Jehoshaphat is told, from a messenger, that a great multitude is coming against him for battle. HE WAS SURROUNDED:

• He was afraid, proclaimed a fast and assembled all the people.
• He prayed to God, declared His rule over all the kingdoms, recognized His power and might and recounted God’s history with His people.
• Asked God to execute judgment on those coming against Judah.
• He admitted “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

Meanwhile:

• All Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
• The Spirit of the LORD came upon this one man name Jahaziel, and he said, “Listen, all Judah and the habitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat. The Lord says to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.'”

Jahaziel then runs through the battle steps that the Spirit of God had given him:

• “‘Tomorrow go down against them. They’ll come out against you, you’ll find them at the valley.
• You do not need to fight this battle.
• Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, oh Judah and Jerusalem.’
• Don’t be afraid and do not be dismayed, tomorrow go out against them and the Lord will be with you.”

Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. Then the Levites stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

Then they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said:

• “Hear me, Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem!
• Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets and you will succeed.”
• and when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to SING to the LORD and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army,  saying,
• “Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

HERE’S the amazing part to me…

• When they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men who had come against Judah so that they were routed.
• The men who came out against King Jehoshaphat and Judah, then turned on one another and destroyed one another.
• When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped.
• When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more.
• They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much.
• On the fourth day they assembled in the valley, for there they blessed the LORD.
• They returned to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord has made them rejoice over their enemies..
• They came to Jerusalem with harps and liars and trumpets, to the house of LORD.
• And the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.
• So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.

Now that’s some deliverance, right? AND they didn’t even fight…

INSTEAD: they prayed, fasted, gathered, and sang! WOW! And then…they went and gathered all the stuff – goods, clothing and precious things, which they took for themselves, from the ones who had come out against them.

Maybe you are in a situation or battle where you don’t know what to do. That’s okay, just admit it like King Jehoshaphat who said,“We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

Like King Jehoshaphat, do you feel surrounded?

What’s your current battle?

• difficult diagnosis
• marital problems
• loss of a job
• financial troubles
• family strife

God can fight your battle however He chooses to do it and however He leads. We have a solid example of one method of deliverance. Let God fight our battles as we pray, worship, give thanks and SING…Songs of Deliverance.

 

 

https://youtu.be/R4CwKroZtCI

 Fight my battles

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1WGbmFmTGlM

No longer slaves

https://youtu.be/-jjzBb0wqTg

The goodness of God

https://youtu.be/awkO61T6i0k

Raise a Hallelujah

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1WGbmFmTGlM

You are my Hiding Place

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.