“And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” – II Chronicles 6:16-17
“Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” – Psalm 139:5-6
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” – Ephesians 6:12-13
Scripture Reading: II Kings 6:1-22
Lately, I’ve been feeling like the rope in a tug of war. One end is being pulled by the Urgent – the frenzy of life that is constantly screaming for my attention, telling me to move faster, get this done, and get everything (and I mean, everything) under my control. At the other end is the Important – the moment-by-moment devotion of the heart that God desires from me, so that He can equip me to face the urgent in a way that glorifies Him.
Because, here’s the thing – while everything on the urgent end seems to desperately need me (in my mind, anyway), I truly and desperately need the Important. And more than once, I have fallen flat on my face in the mud, while trying to tackle the urgent, without the prayer-fueled power of the Important.
II Kings 6 starts with a story of the urgent, followed by a miraculous unveiling of the Important. In the first seven verses, Elisha is urged by the “sons of the prophets” (his apprentices) to help build a larger meeting place for them. In their minds, it’s an urgent matter. They proceed to the Jordan River to gather building materials, and in the process, an axe head literally flies off the handle and into the water. To complicate matters, this critical piece of equipment (no doubt the multi-tool of its day) was borrowed.
But don’t miss this: God cares. We often ignore God in the urgent, because we assume that these problems are just the right size for us to handle – and too small for Him. That is never the case. Elisha steps up, and God does the impossible, causing the iron axe head to float to the surface for retrieval.
Next, the urgency is taken up several notches, as the king of Syria declares war on Elisha (Verses 8-14). The Syrian army had set a trap for the king of Israel, pitching their tents in a strategic location with the intent of ambushing the king. But being a prophet with a direct line to God, Elisha reveals the position of the Syrian army to the king of Israel, and their plan is thwarted.
Realizing that the prophet is the problem, the Syrians surround the city of Dothan and Elisha’s home (Verses 15-22). This situation is definitely urgent. Elisha’s servant goes into a panic, but the prophet prays. The incredible thing is – Elisha doesn’t ask God for help. Instead, He asks God to open the servant’s eyes to see the Help that is already there. And then we get a glimpse of the battle-ready Divine, as the servant clearly sees an angelic army (complete with chariots of fire) poised to fight on their behalf. The Syrian army is struck blind, and Elisha leads them right into the hands of the army of Israel.
Our enemy is constantly trying to turn our attention away from God, constantly distracting us with the urgent, panicking us into charging ahead without God. But make no mistake about it – God IS the Important – His Word, His presence, His power, and the things that have eternal value in His economy.
And here’s what prayer is – prayer is your battle cry against all things urgent, big or small. Prayer tells the forces of heaven to charge on your behalf (I Samuel 17:47, II Chronicles 20:15, Psalm 91:10-12, Daniel 10:18-19). But too often, we tell heaven to stand down. We charge headlong into battles that are not ours to fight, and we leave the source of our power – the power of prayer – behind (Luke 10:19, I Corinthians 15:57, II Corinthians 10:3-4, James 4:2).
What’s in front of you may seem urgent and insurmountable, but behind you is the Host of Heaven. You are surrounded by grace, reinforced by the power of the Almighty, and poised for victory – you just need the eyes of Elisha to see the army that is waiting to fight for you (Exodus 14:13-14, II Samuel 22:3-4, Isaiah 54:17, I John 5:14, Matthew 17:20, I John 4:4).
Before you go to battle today, turn your attention to the Important. Prepare your heart, prioritize your thoughts, and pray for eyes to see the real conflict. Your All-Important, All-Sovereign, and Almighty Father will lead the charge on your behalf – because you are important to Him.
YOUR PRESCRIPTION
Ask God to help you separate the urgent from the important, and ask Him to help you to bring every battle to Him. Get on your knees, and sound your battle cry, knowing God will fight for you.
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