Just a little talk with Jesus makes it right. We'll be in Philippians chapter four in just a moment. But before that, I am going to read from second Chronicles second Chronicles chapter 20. I was looking for an introduction for the message this morning, and what better introduction than the word of God itself and a story that demonstrates the power of God, his care for his people, and ance his answer to their what? To their prayers.

So second Chronicles chapter 20, we'll begin reading in verse one. It came to pass after this also that the children of Moab and the children of Ammon And with them other beside the Ammonites came against Jehoshaphat to the battle. Now little background here. Jehoshaphat is the king of Judah, k, the southern part of Israel. He was a king who worshiped the Lord God of Israel, our Lord.

Moab and Ammon were enemies from across the Jordan River who had been a thorn in Israel's side for a long time now, and they were forming an alliance and gathering together, them along with Edomites to attack Israel, to attack Judah, their armies would have outnumbered the armies of Judah. It was a scary situation for them. Okay? Verse two. Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat saying, there cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea.

On this side, Syria, and behold, there be an Hazan Tamar, which is in in Gedi. Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. What was his initial response? Well, he was afraid. Well, he had good reason to be afraid.

These were a bunch of armies that were gathering. But what did he do about it? What did he do about it? Help me out. He set himself to seek the Lord.

What did he do? He went to the Lord in prayer. That's what he did. He went to the Lord in prayer. That was his immediate response to the situation.

Verse four. And Judah gathered themselves together to ask help of the Lord. Even out of all the cities of Judah, they came to seek the Lord. Yeah. You see the emphasis there?

Jehoshaphat sought the Lord. They came to seek the Lord. Came out of every city to seek the Lord. They're all seeking the Lord because they know that he is the answer. Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court and said, oh, Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven?

Rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? In thy hand, is there not power and might so that none is able to withstand thee? Art not thou our God who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel and gavest it to the seed of Abraham, thy friend forever? And they dwelt therein and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, if when evil cometh upon us as the sword of judgment or pestilence or famine, we stand before this house and in thy presence. For thy name is in this house and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

And now behold the children of Ammon and Moab and and Mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and destroyed them not. Behold, I say, how they reward us to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou has given us to inherit. O our God, wilt thou not judge them? For we have no might against the great company that cometh against us, neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee. And all Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

Then upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jael, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation. And he said, hearken ye all Judah, you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, thus saith the Lord unto you, be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude for the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow, go ye down against them. Behold, they come up by the Cliff Of Ziz, and ye shall find them at the end of the brook before the wilderness of Jeruel. You shall not need to fight in this battle.

Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you. O Judah and Jerusalem, Fear not nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them for the Lord will be with you. And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. And the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korhites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

And they arose early in the morning and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, hear me, O Judah and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established before his prophets, so shall ye prosper. Believe his prospects, so shall ye prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord that they should praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army and to say, praise the Lord for his mercy endureth forever.

When they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, which were come against Judah and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood against the inhabitants of Mount Seir utterly to slay and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another. And when Judah came toward the watchtower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth and none escaped. Let's pray.

Dear Lord, thank you for your testimony in behalf of Israel, in behalf of your people today, you are a mighty God, one who fights for us, one who hears and answers our prayers. Lord, I pray that we might stand back in our lives in faith praising and worshiping you and watching the giants fall before us as we learn to trust you and seek you in prayer that you might be magnified and glorified in our lives today. Lord, bless your word today. May it impact our lives in a manner that changes them forever. In Jesus' name, do pray.

Amen. So what did Israel do? They went to the Lord in what? In prayer. Did God answer?

Yeah. Here was his answer. Put your arms down. Go out to the place that over that the overview of the the battlefield where all the other armies are. Sing praises and watch while God fights the battle for you.

And without them having to raise a sword, the enemy was destroyed before them. As God, the almighty God, answered their prayers, as their praises rung true, and they worshiped him there. The same God that delivered Israel and delivered the enemy into their hands is the same God that we serve today. Our enemies are not flesh and blood, but principalities and powers we're told. Spiritual enemies.

Then we have the Holy Spirit who lives inside of of us if you are a child of God. And you have the same God that that invites your prayers and can fight your battles and give you victory today. So let's take our Bibles and turn over to Philippians chapter four. Philippians chapter four. Being thankful for prayer and learning to trust in the God to whom we pray.

Prayer accomplishes little if we do not believe the God to whom we pray. We'll hear and answer those prayers. If we do not believe that the God to whom we pray is able, if we do not trust in the God to whom we pray, will answer those prayers in a way that is best for each and every one of us and for those whom we love. Prayer is an act of trust in the Lord. And without trust in the Lord, then there is no peace.

But God wants us to have peace. Do you think Israel had peace that morning as they stood there and sing praises to the Lord and watched the armies fall before them? God wants us to have peace as well. Peace is not the absence of enemies. Peace is victory in Jesus Christ.

Peace is trusting in the Lord and seeing him fight the battles for us. Peace is knowing that we are not alone and that he will never leave us nor forsake us. That is peace. The enemies will be there. The struggles will come, but you are not alone.

And the God whom you serve is mighty, and the God whom you serve cares, And the God whom you serve has invited your prayers, and he's waiting to hear. And he's waiting to hear from someone who trusts. Philippians chapter four verses six and seven. Be careful for nothing or be anxious for nothing. But in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God.

And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Is your heart troubled today? Is your mind full of many things that is weighing you down? God says, I can I can take care of that and I can give you peace? But you have to learn to pray and trust in the one to whom you pray with thanksgiving.

And if so, he will not only answer those prayers, but he will give you peace that, what, passes all understanding. So let's start for just a moment this morning with some thoughts concerning worry and fretting and anxiety. What does this verse tell us? It says, don't fret. Don't worry.

Don't be anxious. Don't be overcome with anxiety over things which are yet to happen or things particularly that are out of your control. Are they out of his control? No. They're not.

As a child of God, we should not be overcome with anxiety and fear and worry. Stress and anxiety are killers. A major source of physical maladies in addition to emotional and spiritual ones. A lot of heart problems, and I mean, you know, physical heart problems that people suffer from today, are caused by anxiety and stress. How many of us are on high blood pressure medication?

The stress of life, along with other things, can cause your heart to beat a little bit faster and your blood pressure to go up a little bit. Insomnia is often the result of anxiety and stress and can be the cause of a myriad of other physical ailments and psychological problems if you're not sleeping. People need sleep. Anxiety can rob us of that. When we're anxious, we tend to make bad decisions and choices because we allow fear to work its way into the formula of our decision and and it messes up our thought process causing us often to make poor decisions.

We spiritually become stagnant often. When we become fearful and anxious, we it paralyzes us. Rather than running to the Lord, we do what? We we run away. We we just wanna hide from the troubles of life.

And we all know that they don't go away just because you try to hide from them, do they? No, they don't. Anxiety is a killer. What is anxiety? Anxiety is fear.

That's what it is. It's fear. Anxiety sounds a little more clinical. You know? I have an anxiety problem.

No. You have a fear problem. We're afraid. God says right here, don't be afraid. He told the children of Israel and Jehoshaphat, don't be afraid.

He told Joshua, don't be afraid for the Lord thy God is, what, with thee, whithersoever thou thou goest. What is anxiety? It's fear. It's fear of man, what others might do or say to you or about you. It's fear of failure, what might or might not happen as a result of of your actions.

It's fear of the unknown, fear of the future, as though you could predetermine what will happen by worrying about it. It's fear of illness, which has not yet occurred or might occur. Fear. Not the healthy fear of the Lord, not a reverence for God Almighty who's in control. A loving Father who cares for us, fear of things we can't control that we think are going to get out of control and we're going to get run over.

What does the Bible tell us? Be anxious for nothing. We are told in scripture not to fear, not to allow fear to have its way with us. We've been called to get control of our fears. Second Timothy one seven, for God has not given us the spirit of what?

Fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. God has called us to overcome fear in Christ Jesus, and we ought to because we have Jesus and because we know the one who controls tomorrow, one who has all power, who is all love, and has given us a sound mind to know him, to know his word. And by his guidance and direction of his spirit to make good choices and to trust him. Anxiety and worry are the result of fear. Christian, you need not fear.

You need not fear failure. You'll fail here and there. It'll happen. But Jesus will never fail you, and he'll never forsake you if you know him. Fear of man, don't you think God is greater than the words of other people?

Do you really fear them that much? Fear of the unknown? God who holds tomorrow in his what? In his hand. The great physician heals the sick.

We need not fear. So many Christians today are paralyzed by their fears. Don't be. Trust in God. Make full use of your incredible privilege, the privilege of prayer, of bringing those needs before him, who controls tomorrow, who is almighty, who can lift us up when we fall, who will be there for us, who has promised, not only will he not leave us or forsake us, but but if we'll seek first the kingdom of God, all these things will be what?

All these things we need will be added unto us. He he will take care of our physical needs, of our emotional needs, of our spiritual needs in Jesus Christ, our savior. Be anxious for nothing. Instead, what are we to do? To bring all our worries and concerns and fears to God in prayer.

That's what he says. He doesn't just say be anxious for nothing, but he says be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your request be made known unto God. It's not just a matter of, ah, don't worry about it. It'll all work out. That's what the world says.

No. It's not, don't worry about it. It'll all work out. It's you don't need to worry about it because you can take it to whom? You can take it to God and he will work it out.

Okay? It isn't that nature and the universe is just gonna, oh, it's gonna all work out as a lot of people think in this world today. But there's a God who has invited us to come before his throne who controls it all and loves us. And he, indeed, will work it out. All things together for our what?

Good. Even when it seems to not be the case, he is there and he has promised his children, especially when we will trust him that all things will work together for our our good, for our benefit. So bring it to the Lord. Bring it to the Lord for him to take care of it. Hebrews four sixteen, let us therefore come, what, boldly before the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

What does God say? He says, come. Come. Come bold come boldly before the throne. That in the Old Testament we're we're staying the tabernacle in Sunday school.

In the Old Testament, there was a veil in the temple and a veil and a tabernacle, a thick curtain that separated the even the priests from the Shekinah glory, the presence of almighty God that dwelt in the most holy place in the temple. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, we are told that veil, that curtain was rent from the top to the bottom, and we are invited to come boldly into the presence of God in prayer today. We don't have to stand outside the tent. We're welcome inside the tent in Jesus Christ who rent the veil to him. And we are to come how?

Boldly before the throne of grace. Boldly in faith, in confidence that the God who sent his son to die on the cross for our sins, the God who has given us his word, the God who delivered Israel time and time again and protected them, the God who delivered Paul and the apostles time and time again, the God who rose again from the dead, savior who is seated at the right hand of the father today interceding there for us, we can be confident that he cares. We can be confident that he hears. We can be confident that he is able to take care of us and for those for whom we pray. We are to come boldly before the throne of grace today To him who can see the future, to him who can forgive the mistakes of the past, to him who can change hearts and minds and the course of events, to him who can lead us in paths of righteousness, to him who will never forsake you, who cares for you, is merciful and full of grace, who fed the 5,000, who healed all their diseases.

Even when he knew that many of them would turn their back on him, he cared for them anyway, and he gave them another chance as he has given to us. To him, bring your request. He is waiting. He wants to help. He will answer.

He cares for you. Matthew seven seven to 11. Jesus said, ask and it shall be given you. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you.

For everyone that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth. To him that knocketh, it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you whom if his son asks bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Who do you think he is? You think he's this mean guy up there just waiting for you to mess up so he can squat you? I don't think so because that God wouldn't have sent his son to die on the cross for our sins, now would he? Only a God of love and mercy. Do you think he's too busy to hear your prayers?

I don't think so. Else, why would he invite them? He is a God who truly cares for you. And even though sometimes when it seems everything is spiraling out of control, you need not fear. You need to trust.

Trust in the one who is gonna make it all right, who went home to prepare a place for us that beats the socks off of this place. When anxiety comes, when troubles come, go to the one who can help and trust him. You know, I I'm I'm not real big on going to the doctor, but, you know, there are some things that you just might need a doctor for. And instead, some of us, we sit at home and we have a pain here and we have an ache there and we have a problem here and we sit there and we go, oh, oh, no. My God, it's it's but we don't go to the what?

Don't go to the doctor. They just sit there and worry. We do the same thing with life and with God. Go to the doctor. Go to the Lord.

Go to the one who can fix whatever's wrong, especially the things you can't. And then what? And then trust him. What good does it do to go to the doctor? And the doctor says, here's the problem.

Here's the fix. And you go home and you sit there and worry and you don't do what the doctor says because you don't what? You don't trust him. Now, hey, doctors aren't perfect, are they? But they might know a little more than you do.

But you know something? I know a God in heaven who is perfect, and he never makes mistakes. And I don't need to fear the things I can't control. I don't need to fear tomorrow. I don't even need to fear my own failures because he is faithful even to failures like me and you.

So go to him. Trust him. Go to him with thanksgiving, with gratitude in your heart. That's what we're told here. But in everything by prayer and supplication with what?

Thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. With trust, but also with gratitude for the opportunity of prayer. You know, God doesn't have to invite us. He doesn't have to invite our prayers, but he's bound himself by his love and by his word to do so. Because being a God of love and a God who cares for his creation and for the ones for whom he died, His word is his bond, and he has promised.

He will hear and answer our prayers. Not always as we desire, but his way is best. Do you trust him? Do you trust him with that troublesome relationship? Do you trust him with that job?

Do you trust him with that friend? Do you trust him with that loved one who's going through a lot? Will you trust him with the one for whom you care that seems like they just keep shooting themselves in the foot all the time? Will you trust him? Will you go to prayer and and lay them in his hands and yourself also?

He won't fail you. Are you thankful for the opportunity that you have to know him and to come before him in prayer? Thankful for the opportunity, thankful for what God has done, not forgetting what he has done for you in the past. We are to count our what? Blessings.

Too often, we forget what he has done in the past. We human beings have a great capacity for getting the a great capacity for forgetting the good and remembering the what? Bad. How many times have you been in a relationship with and you've done all this for them and you've gone out of your way for them, and one time you said something stupid or you forgot something that you said you were gonna do, and all of a sudden, you are in the doghouse. Or maybe the shoe was on the other foot.

And somebody who had done so much for us, just one one mess up and we forget what? We forget all the good stuff and all we can focus on is how dare they and why did they forget? And, you know, and it in the ministry, I I've seen that quite often. Don't forget to be thankful for what God has done. He has done much in sending his son, and he's not done yet.

He's answered your prayers. In many cases, he's shown himself mighty. He's shown himself faithful and trustworthy. Despite ourselves, he is a merciful God. Don't forget.

Go to him with thanksgiving for what he's done. Go to him in thanksgiving for what he will what? For what he will do in advance. Thank him for hearing and answering your prayers. Believe that what he has done in the past, he will do again.

What he has done for others, he will do for who? For you. I like Psalm three. It's one of my favorite Psalms. David goes to the Lord in prayer.

His son has has gathered an army and ran him out of the palace. David's on the run. He is in a cave running from his son in a large army that is sizably bigger than his own at that moment in time. And others, he said, many there be which say of me there is no help for him in God. There's it's over.

David's had it. David said, I cried unto the Lord and I laid down and I what? And I slept for the Lord heard me out of his holy hill. And the Lord is the lifter up of my head, and he will defeat the enemies. What what did laying down and sleeping represent?

What was that saying? What that's saying is David trusted in who? In the Lord. And a lot of what he was suffering, he knew came upon him because of things he had done. And yet God had forgiven him, and God hadn't abandoned him, and God would once again hear his prayers and deliver him.

He was sure of it. And guess what not God did. He did deliver him out of the hand of the enemy. And he will do the same for us, but you you need to remember to go to the one who can fix the problem and you need to what? And you need to trust him to do it.

So many times we go to the Lord with our prayers and then we take them right back on our shoulders and we walk away with them. And then we think, well, prayer didn't do any good. No. It didn't because you didn't trust in the Lord to take care of it. You prayed to him, but there was just one.

It was just words. Take it to the Lord and leave it there. There's someone in her hymn book. Leave it there. Leave it there.

Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. If you trust and never doubt, he will surely lead you out. Take your burden to the Lord and what? Leave it there. Learn to trust him with thanksgiving.

And what will it result in? It will result in peace that passes understanding and an assurance that he will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. We will experience the peace of God not because the army isn't out there, not because the enemy doesn't exist, but because we can trust that God is gonna take care of what he said he'd do. We'll be able to sing praises to his name and watch as Goliath falls before us. God will give contentment and rest, a God who keeps his promises, a God who is almighty, a God who is a God of goodwill, particularly to those who love him.

But only if you what? Only if you believe in Jesus. Only if you've come to him in faith to be your Lord and savior is this promise for you. And only will he give peace to the heart of his children if they will learn to what? To trust him.

To trust him. You can trust him. You can leave your request, your burdens with him in prayer. You can't have peace. Even though the army's out there, you don't have to fret and be afraid.

Instead, you can have a song in your heart in the night. Another song comes to mind. I just keep these songs just keep popping in my head. Can have a song in your heart in the night. Here are the words of Paul to Timothy from prison, not long before his execution.

And you tell me, is this a man who was full of fear and anxiety or is this a man full of peace and trust in the Lord? For I am now ready to be offered in the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith.

Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day and not to me only, but to all them also that love is appearing. I find words of peace from the heart of Paul when facing down the lions or whatever it was that laid out before him in Rome. He said, I'm don't worry. God's got me. He's had me all this time.

He's not done. It only gets better from here. It only gets better from here. How could Paul say that? How can Paul have peace?

He trusted in the Lord. And when things got difficult and when things were uncertain, guess what he did? He talked to God about it, and he trusted him. We're told in Isaiah twenty six three and four. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee.

Trust ye in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Pray and trust. Call unto the Lord and he will show you great and mighty things, but call to him in faith. Learn to take your burden to the Lord and leave it there, And you won't be overcome with anxiety and fear. Instead, God will give you what?

Peace that passes all understanding. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you, Lord, that your way is best, that you love us with an everlasting love, that you have shown yourself faithful and will so again, that you'll never leave us nor forsake us, and that we need not fear because the Lord our God is with us whithersoever we go. And, Lord, I pray for your people here today. Lord, there are many things in this world, many reasons for which to be anxious.

But, Lord, I pray that we would realize today that we need not be anxious, that we need not be overcome with fear because you love us, you care for us, and we can trust you. And I pray that we'll learn to do so and that when the trials of life come and when the anxiety hits us, Lord, that we'll drop to our knees and we'll call out to a God in prayer who hears us, who's invited us to come boldly, and for whom all things are possible. Lord, forgive us for our doubts and forgive us for our lack of trust in you, Lord. Help us to trust you more. Help us to remember to call out to you when things weigh us down.

And, Lord, if there be one here today that is yet to come to you in faith to be their Lord and Savior who died for them on the cross and rose again. I pray they'd come this morning. We might share with them how they might come to know Christ as savior and become your child today and know the forgiveness and love that you offer as we sing this hymn of invitation. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.