The Prayer of Asa

Today we read 1 Kings 15, 2 Chronicles 13-14, and Philippians 4.

We read today in 1 Kings and in 2 Chronicles about Asa, king of Judah.  Asa did some things right.  He did not do enough right.  He was conflicted too often and there is a reason. 1 Kings tells us that he did not destroy the high places.  The high places were the alternative spots for cultic, idol worship.  If you try to clean up your life, but leave yourself spots to go off and sin in, you are probably going to....go off and sin.  We all need a clean sweep of repentance when we turn from previous action. Because he didn't, he did a lot of things right, but he also messed up a lot.

One thing that he did right is recorded in 2 Chronicles 14.11-And Asa cried to the Lord his God, “O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.”  That prayer was followed by victory.  

Several years ago the prayer of Jabez got a lot of attention in a little pocket-size book.  It was a good book and read with a lot of enthusiasm.  Many came away from it believing that if you prayed Jabez's prayer that God would 'enlarge your borders.'  Remember Jesus told us to pray his prayer, not Jabez's.  The prayer of Jabez was answered because of Jabez the man and his life and the God that he prayed to and served...not because of his wording in his prayer.  I like the prayer of Asa though.   If we are going to study others' prayers in Scripture (and that is not a bad thing), let's study Asa's prayer and even pray something like it today.  God rewards such as that. 

Whatever you pray today...pray...seek His Face...and Rely on Him....and have a great one!