1 Chronicles 5:18-20
"The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had valiant men who carried shield and sword, and drew the bow, expert in war, 44,760, able to go to war. They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. And when they prevailed over them, the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they cried out to God in the battle, and he granted their urgent plea because they trusted in him." (emphasis added)
The more I read the book of Chronicles (1 & 2), the more I see it as a book of prayer. It is filled with communion and communication with God. Notice the passage above with its call for trust in God as a basis for prayer, rather than reliance on one's own resources. Surely this exemplifies the 'prayer of faith' referenced in James. It directs us in the spiritual battles with face, knowing our enemy is not flesh and blood.
Situated among the pages of Chronicles are the prayer of Jabez (1 Chron. 4), the prayer of Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20), the prayer of Hezekiah (2 Chron. 32) and other portraits of prayer in relationship with and dependence upon the God with whom we have to do. These prayers and the examples they afford us are not merely for our interest; they are for our instruction. God shows us the natural voice of prayer in the story of His people, a voice that is to continue in the stories of our lives.
