Even When It Is Obvious, Pray

Victory comes through our complete and total dependence and obedience to God. These things are requisite to faith. There is no caveat or proviso to that statement. We must listen and obey God, even when we don’t understand, or even worse, even when we think we do understand. There can be

nothing worse than to think we either know something or that something is just too obvious and as a result, don’t go to God in prayer over it.

David is a perfect example to demonstrate that we gain victory through our complete and total dependence and obedience to God in a particular event as written in both 2 Samuel 5 and 1 Chronicles 14. Here is a summary of events.

David becomes king. The Philistines plan an attack. David prays to God for guidance. God says, “Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.” (2 Samuel 5:19).

David attacks and wins easily at Baalperazim and gives credit to God, “The LORD hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters.” (2 Samuel 5:20)

Notice how David does more than just thank God. David tells how God led the way thus showing that it was God who caused the victory.

Now here’s salient point #1. The Philistines regroup and plan to attack David again. What does David do? Does he attack whom he just vanquished and greatly diminished? No. He prays to God. And God tells him to wait. He tells David to go behind the Philistines and “over against the mulberry trees” and wait. This is counter intuitive. David, a warrior and military man, has just defeated them. The Philistines suffered loss, a great enough loss to lose the battle. Now the Philistines are easy pickings for David. The natural reaction would be to attack immediately and throw the final and fatal death blow. But David ignores his fleshy impulse and the reasoning of his mind. David stops and goes to God for guidance as to what he should do next.

Just because something is obvious, simple, or easy does not mean that that is what God wants you to do. Neither does your experience, talent, or ability determine God’s wishes.

“Sure that’s what God wants. Can’t you see? It’s right there, it’s so obvious!”

Really, now. Since when did any of us know what God was thinking? Or knew exactly what He wanted? Or when did God not get involved in something based off of your prior experience and know how?

Here’s salient point #2. God tells David to wait for a sign from Him. “And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.” (2 Samuel 5:24)

Wait for the sound of the Spirit of God leading the way, or literally “marching” on the mulberry tops. When David hears this, he is to, “bestir thyself” or literally, “move decisively”. David does just that and not only wins the second battle but drives the Philistines further back “from Geba until thou come to Gazer.”

Pray. Always pray, even when the situation seems obvious. Even when there is no problem, still pray to God over the situation or circumstance.

God is nothing but a forward motion. But He invariably works in tandem with us, not solo. Remember that. God wants us involved with Him in the process. We demonstrate our faith in God and His abilities when we participate. We learn and grow from the experience. This is a primary reason for the joint involvement, our growth. It helps build faith, belief, reliance, and confidence in others. But you know what? It’s also more fun and productive when you do things with someone else, especially when it’s a parent and child relationship, as in God the Father and any of His children. These are cherished moments.   

God could have taken care of the Philistines all by Himself. David could have attacked the Philistines without going to God first. But once David prayed to God and followed the will of God, that’s when the victory was had. The Spirit of God moved and then David moved in response. If only we maintained this order in our everyday lives. We to would experience victory upon victory.

David followed these steps as outlined by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5: Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks to God. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesying. Finally, rest assured as David did that, “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it”. (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

Bill Hitchcock