Today, let’s consider the letter R – Remember past victories. Notice how King Jehoshaphat prayed: ‘Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?’ (2 Chronicles 20:7 NKJV). If God has ever performed a miracle for you or for anybody else, He can do it again. So, read His Word and strengthen your faith by remembering His great deeds. The letter E – Exalt God above the problem. ‘O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?’ (v. 6 NKJV). In his anguish, Jehoshaphat asked rhetorical questions that demonstrated how big his God was compared to the problem he faced. Sometimes it’s difficult to look past the problem when the reality of it is so close. If you close one eye and put a coin over your other eye, you can prevent yourself from seeing something as big as the sun. Remembering God’s greatness helps put things back into perspective. S – Solicit the prayers and support of others. ‘Jehoshaphat…proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah…they came to seek the Lord’ (vv. 3-4 NKJV). Jehoshaphat didn’t ask the people for their opinions but for their prayers, because that’s what moves the heart of God. And the final S – Stand on the promises of God. When you do, you can say like the psalmist, ‘As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands’ (Psalm 119:143 NLT). That’s God’s formula for dealing with stress – why not give it a try?
