Remember the last time when you seriously struggled with something? Purity, beef with a brother or sister (or pastor), job searching on month #4 or more, health issues or even a troubled marriage. You're beat & tired... you're overwhelmed... you feel like you are under attack. You don't have an idea or a plan, much less the energy... Something has to give but the one thing that you do know is that your battle must be won.

In the Old Testament, the Jews were God's chosen people, and yet He allowed significant struggles to touch them. And in 2 Chronicles, King Jehoshaphat over Judah, had a day like no other. The Moabites and surrounding nations had amassed and Judah was scared & coming close to holding onto just their last thread. They were on the verge of extermination, so look at King Jehoshaphat's plea to God:

The Lord spoke through the prophet Jahaziel, instructing them to march into battle without fear and that they will see the Lord fight this battle. The King & his people responded by worshiping God. And as if their faith wasn't tested enough, as the king was assembling his army in the next morning, God told them to not let the army be led by the bravest soldiers, but by the temple's choir!

Of course, they were victorious - As they met the enemy, singing praises to God, the enemy was confused & began arguing amongst themselves. By the time that the king's army reached the battlefield, not even one of the enemy was found alive. Think about it - When the soldiers reached the enemy, all they saw were their bodies, their enemy defeated, their threat eliminated - Victory was won. All that was left to collect their plunder and return home.

Although our struggles are nowhere near as extreme, our day-to-day battle isn't resolved within a day. But the one common factor is: Worship is an act of war. Think about it, when we are under attack, praise isn't the first thing that we think of - fear or clenched fists are. But what if we took a step back at times like these, and worshiped instead?

We know about God and His power. We know all that He's done in our lives. We know that He's never let us down. And yet, when the bullets start zinging past our heads, we start to freak and worry. But when we stop & praise Him, we are not going into battle alone - The Master over the impossible is fighting on our behalf! Even when it looks like He's been defeated, His victory over all becomes evident!

What is your current battle? What has been overwhelming you recently? What is causing you to fear? Take a step back for a second, and do what Jehoshaphat did, and tell God in prayer, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."

Worship... and then watch God work.

Your battle will not be won by your power but by God. Nothing can defeat Him and He lives in you…that means nothing can defeat you either. Now that’s a reason for praise today.