“And Asa cried unto the Lord his God…” (2 Chronicles 14:11)
Asa is one of my favorite bible characters. He was the third King of Judah whose reign lasted 40-41 years. Asa means “Healer” or “Physician.” He was zealous in maintaining the true worship of God, and in rooting idolatry, with its accompanying immoralities, out of the land. As a result, the Lord gave him and his land rest and prosperity.
But rest and prosperity don’t always last. When the Ethiopian Army positioned themselves to attack, Asa was faced with a dilemma. His army of 580,000 men faced an Ethiopian army of over 1,000,000 men who also had 300 chariots and other sophisticated weapons of warfare.
Asa had to lead his people through a difficult time. Asa developed a plan that would lead to the defeat of his enemy. Let’s explore Asa’s winning strategy.
First and foremost, Asa prayed (2 Chronicles 14:11). Asa appealed to God as his God. Asa appealed to God as the God of his people. Zerah the Cushite’s army was twice the size of Asa’s. Rather than relying on military strategy, Asa relied on prayer.
Secondly, Asa planned (2 Chronicles 14:2-7). Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He called on the people to seek the Lord and destroyed the idols in the land. Asa built fortified cities and the land was at rest under him. These components were a key part of his planning and strategy.
Finally, Asa prevailed and prospered (2 Chronicles 14:12-13). Because Asa prayed and planned ahead, Asa prevailed, and God’s people prevailed. Asa and God’s people also prospered. The bible tells us that Asa not only defeated the Ethiopian Army, he came away with spoils (plunder or gain).
Asa’s Prayer reminds us that God is still in control. We need to be reminded and our city needs to be reminded. The continued escalation of violence, murder, homelessness, hopelessness, and helplessness stem from strategies that are not covered in prayer and fail to invoke the presence of God.
Programs can only accomplish so much. Politics and policy changes that do not address disparities at every level are at best pompous and without power. We need to convene and turn our faces toward the earth and our hearts toward God. Then, and only then, will we begin to see the type of change so desperately needed in our beloved city.
Let’s make this personal. Are you facing challenging and seemingly overwhelming obstacles? Is your path to victory unsure and difficult to comprehend? Pray, plan and trust God who gives us all the power to prevail and prosper.
Senior Pastor, Amazing Grace Christian Church (Indianapolis)
Twitter: @DrPrestonTAdams . For more news courtesy of the Indianapolis Recorder, click here. You can also check out the Indiana Minority Business Magazine by clicking here.
