In my studies, man, God begin to drop some stuff in my heart as I went back. We going back to 2 Chronicles here. Looking at Asa 2 Chronicles chapter 14 in just a moment. We started a series in the eyes of the Lord. The Lord was reminding me, son, what it would be like, how would they respond if they knew that my eyes was on them? But today, as I was preparing in the text and I saw something and I saw a response that Asa did and God began to press on my heart about deliverance, about deliverance.
[01:13:04]
So let that soak because some of you have been believing God and praying about some stuff and wanted your folks to come back, children to get delivered, husbands to come around, wives to come around. Things have been happening. But God told me to tell you that deliverance is coming to your house today. See, I'm stirring up your faith because everything that we receive from God, it's by faith.
[01:14:23]
But verses 1 and two says, "So Abi rested, that's that's that's Asa's dad. Rested with his father." His dad Aba Abba's dad was Rihob Boham and Rihob Boham's dad was Solomon. You understand where I'm going with this? And so the text says Abah rested with his fathers and they buried him in the city of David. Then Asa who his son reigned in his place in the days the land was quiet for 10 years. Asa did what was here we go good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.
[01:16:31]
Here comes a challenge. Lord, after I've lived for you, I've done what's right in your in your sight. How is it that something comes upon my life and just happens out of the no out of nowhere? And so after silence, I see in verse 8 through verse 15, but I want to tell you that God strengthened and reinforced Aba uh Asa. Here's what it said in verse 8. Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah who carried shields and spears from Benjamin. 280. Long story short, he had 580 men standing strong. But verse 9 says this. Then Zarah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men. Somebody say a million men. A million. And 300 chariots. These guys was loaded.
[01:17:14]
I just want you to get this visual because it appears that when the enemy comes for us it it looks like it's so overwhelming. It it looks like I can't even I can't stand against this God. I I don't know how I'm going to make it. And so he came to Mashar and so Asa went out against him and they set the troops in the battle of Ray in the valley of Zephathar at Masher. Okay. And Asa cried out to the Lord and he and God and said, "Lord, it is nothing for you to help.
[01:17:56]
God, you got this." Uh, some of you know what I'm talking about. When you've had an experience and God has already came through one time and two times and three times and you run across another situation and your response is, "Lord, you got this. You got this." And whether with many, he says, or those who have no power, help us, oh Lord, our God, for we rest on you in your name we go against this multitude, oh Lord. You are our God. Don't let man prevail against you.
[01:18:28]
Prayer, y'all, is a powerful weapon. God God has instituted a way that that his creation can can commun communicate with him. I'm talking about prayer. Why does it seem like when I think about it that prayer is often the last resort for us believers? It seemed like it's the last resort for all of us. Maybe it's because you've already tried everything else up until a point. I I told someone not too long ago that when you've come to the end of your rope, that's where God is.
[01:21:05]
When you've done everything you know to do and how to do, when you prayed about some things and you hadn't seen things move as quickly as you want them to move, that's when God steps in. And it's it's about meet him at the end of your rope. And maybe folks have prayed and done everything they can up until this point to to resolve every problem. A sense of helplessness start kicking in. You start kick you start getting confused that your prayer maybe it's a it's a last option and and praying shouldn't be your last option. It shouldn't be your last option.
[01:21:39]
It should be the first response in time of crisis or a difficult situation. You know, in the civilian world, in the regular world out here, the term first responders are designated as firemen, police, emergency medical technicians. We call them EMTs. We're we're talking about first responders who responds in times of crisis at emergencies. These are the people you call or you speak to when you are having an emergency. They are normally called first to the most serious situation. They normally arrive first to help. And when I thought about this, as a believer facing a crisis or a serious situation, our first response ought to be in faith through prayer.
[01:22:25]
You want some deliverance. You want to see God move and break some things. It's something about praying. some simple prayer but praying fervently. Yeah. Praying fervently. And so the reality is why are we not starting off with that? Because most of us believe that if we call on him, most of us he will answer. He will. The text says for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those who heart is loyal toward him.
[01:23:29]
But I'm here to tell you that regardless of how large your enemy is, how how dominant the enemy might have been in your life and the lives of your family, this and that and the other, God can break you through this. He can break you out of that. The Bible says, how did Asa respond in verse 10? The text says Asa went out against him that and he set the troops in a battle rate. He started putting them in battle positions. We going to fight regardless how it looked like. So you got to get that mindset.
[01:24:34]
You got to start thinking that way where I get that from. The Bible says that he would he went out. Asa went out against him and he set up the troops in the battle. I like the fact that regardless of what it looked like, Asa still went out. Did you catch that? Regardless of what it looked like, you still got to go out. Regardless of what the enemy say, you still got to show up. So, you got to position yourself as if I've already got the victory in. I'm talking about learning how you that you stand see you stand from a position of victory the way God sees that you've already won you've already been delivered you've already healed you've already got your breakthrough only if you just stand from a position of victory hallelujah hallelujah
[01:26:10]
Whenever you face the enemy, you got to declare some things. Hallelujah. Because defeat has a look, but victory has a sound. You got to say something out of your mouth. The Bible says Asa cried out to the Lord. He cried out to him. So, you faced with something right now. See, we hadn't been crying out to God like we supposed to. I'm I'm talking about crying out to God. Laying prostrate, crying out to God. You got a situation going on. You crying out to God. Hallelujah. Got folks in your house that got bad addictions, you ought to cry out to God on their behalf. Folks dealing with struggling with their identity, you ought to cry out to God on their behalf.
[01:28:14]
He said, "Oh Lord, oh God, for rest, rest on you for we rest on you." Lord, we lead, but Lord, we tr we've been singing. We tr This is what Asa said, "Lord, we trust you." He says, "In your name, we go against the multitude." Whatever you facing in his name, you can go against it in his name. Father, I thank you that I'm able to stand regardless of what it look like. And in the name of Jesus, I take authority right now over my house, over my life. I take authority over this atmosphere that the power of God will flow in here. Hallelujah.
[01:30:04]
Sometime feeling powerless. Man, Asa's prayer. That brother was praying desperate. Anybody ever prayed desperately? God, I'mma lose everything if you don't come through. This ain't going to work. I'mma lose my son. I'mma lose my daughter if you don't come through. Man, this brother was desperate. Them folks was got them million folks was going to take them out. Sometime it feels like what you dealing with is going to take you out. It's going to take you out. It's going to take your kid out. Grandkid is going to take them out. Whatever it is, whatever bondage it is, whatever addiction we been facing, addiction, I'm talking about all kind of addictions.
[01:30:54]
Deliverance comes through prayer. No matter what the enemy you face, a person you might be facing, a trial that you might be in, a temptation that's pulling on you, pulling, pulling. Yeah, he handsome. You see him at your job because you feel like you're not getting any attention at home and you tempted to go there. I just want I just want to feel I just want to go there with him or her. You feeling that way? No matter how the trial or the temptation, the hope for deliverance come through prayer. If you want to get delivered, you ought to start praying. Start believing. Start crying out to God. Crying out to him.
[01:32:22]
If you turn to the Lord and commit your life to him, seek his face, the Lord promised to hear your prayers. He promised to deliver you from from whatever enemy is attacking you. It's attacking you, man. Man, you can't even you don't even have joy right now. Enemy has robbed you of the very thing that God has offered you. Why you so sad? What's the root of you being so sad? He been in you've been sad for a long time. Why you so sad in desperation? As Asa, he really acknowledged that the Lord alone could help him cuz it was powerless against that enemy, man.
[01:33:11]
He said, "Lord, don't let them prevail against you. God, don't let the people of the church fail. Yeah, terribly in face of the world. Anywhere I said, no more church folks over there. I thought I I thought y'all supposed to be, you know, have an advantage. Y'all looking just like us. Wow. That's an insult. That's an insult. Somebody from the world, from the street to tell you the same thing is happening with them and they respond just like you respond. The devil is a liar. Yeah. We we we ought to come off like we have in a position of victory. So we praying. Deliverance comes through this.
[01:34:37]
The word smoke is naggaf in the Hebrew. He means to injure or strike and to wound defeat. I want you to visualize the Lord just just kind of slapped him a little bit. He He did some He He injured the troops. He He He stepped in on behalf of Asa and said, "Listen, I'm going to make sure the fight is not equal." Listen, when you praying, God said, "Listen, I'm going to make sure the fight won't turn won't be equal. I I'm going to give you the upper ground. I'm I'm going to give you the advantage. The hand of the Lord, I'm going to give you the advantage."
[01:36:07]
Yes. Because God steps in. He He might not destroy him like like you were thinking he was doing, but maybe it was because he wants to build your confidence in the process that he wants you to be a part of the process. I see it in the text because the Lord, he could have took him out because see if the Lord always show up and take out everything for us, will we trust him? Sometime we get privileged like the Lord's supposed to do this. No, no. I I want y'all to stay in faith as you're fighting. Oh my God. He said, "I need you to stay in faith while you're fighting."
[01:36:54]
See, you can be in such a fight that God will strengthen your faith and that you can come out better than you was when it started. It seemed like whatever the enemy thought he was doing, it did not work. It did not work. Deliverance comes through prayer. Deliverance Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Here's a thought I want to tell you that God has the power to reverse it. God has the power to reverse it through prayer. It was going one way, but God reversed it and turned that thing around. I'm talking about deliverance in your house. He's turning He's reversing it, man.
[01:40:41]
The text says, "For the fear of the Lord came upon them, and they plundered all the cities, for there was exceedingly much spoil." There's that much spoil again. Yeah, you're not coming out broke. If you've lost all this stuff in a faith fight, your reward, God is going to reward you openly. He's going to do some things for you. And the folks going to wonder how in the world did you prosper in the midst of that I cried out to God in prayer and I reminded God of his faithfulness.
[01:43:00]
There are so many wonderful promises of God. A few things I want to tell you through prayer. We have access. Here was a thought. We have access in his presence. The Bible says, "So if you ask, it will be given to you. Seek and you'll and if you if you'll find. Knock and it'll be open to you." I have access [Music] to his presence. Not everybody have access. Not everybody have access. God says, "I'm giving you access." You have access. Not only do you have access, he says, "Listen, you you can face any hardships, any misfortune, any trial or temptation in this life." Yes, sir. Through prayer, you can do it.
[01:43:52]
