Customer Reviews

The Prayer of Jehoshaphat For America: The Power of Repentance in a Time of Crisis

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've read alot of "The Prayer of..." books. The Prayer of Jehoshaphat is the best hands down. I picked it up intending to read a chapter or two before I went to bed, but I could not put it down. The book's content and the author's prose are compelling. It really grabs hold of you and won't let go.

Mike Jeffress sets the prayer of Jehoshaphat in its historical context, draws some parallels between that historical context and America today, then breaks the prayer down and shows how it applies to us today both individually and as a nation. On the one hand it is a wakeup call to America to reclaim her godly heritage during this time of national crisis with the war on terrorism. On the other hand it is a book that really ministers on an individual basis and shows how the principles of Jehoshaphat's prayer can help us in our times of personal crises.

This book really blessed me and I highly recommend it.

Don't let the size of this volume deceive you - despite its small handprint (the book itself is barely larger than the palm of my hand) and the short number of pages, it still contains some valuable insights.

Like many biblical prayers, Jehoshaphat's prayer is short - it is found in the book of Chronciles (2 Chronicles 20:12) and contains but a few dozen words at most. As author Mike Jeffress says, despite this brevity, 'it is not an easy prayer to pray. It calls for humility. It calls for repentence. it calls for complete trust in the Lord.'

These are concepts often bandied about by preachers and ministers, lay persons and theologians alike, but rarely do we grasp the full import of these ideas and requirements -- it reminds me somewhat of the statement in Micah - what does the Lord require? It may seem simple, but living up to simple truths and simple instructions is rarely a simple task.

There is an introduction by Jennifer Sands, a woman whose husband was in the World Trade Centre towers on the morning of 9-11. She speaks of the necessity of faith and endurance to get through major struggles -- while the country is still in the midst of dealing with the fallout, foreign and domestic, of the terrorist attacks, these are not the only struggles confronting people, so it is sometimes easy to get distracted. If it is possible to be distracted from the purposes of our own lives, how much more easily can we be distracted from the purposes of God?

Jehoshaphat is held up as an example in this book - he was a righteous king, son of a righteous king (he was the fourth king of Judah after the split in Israel between north and south). However, Jehoshaphat was not a perfect king, but does make mistakes, and is shaken in battle, but then returns to God through the call of a prophet. The example of Jehoshaphat is used as an extended metaphor which Jeffress uses to illustrate the condition of the United States. Jeffress draws upon examples of stories from the Founding Fathers, ministerial stories and anecdotes, and personal experiences.

Jeffress asks the important question, what about vengeance and wrath? It is entirely biblical to ask for God's judgement, as Jeffress states, but it is also important to know that God takes no delight in the death of the wicked (as the prophet Ezekiel states), and that it is not up to us as individuals to execute our own vengeance. That belongs to God.

Jeffress calls upon us to return to seeking what God wants from us, to look for justice, and to release that, for all our powerful military establishments and economic prowess, all power really belongs to God.

The Prayer of Jehoshaphat drives straight to the heart of what America needs now--a return to the godly principles of our founders. The product description does not point out that it also has a foreword by 9/11 widow and author, Jennifer Sands. What she says sums up my opinion well, 'Mike Jeffress so clearly presents the insdisputable evidence of history repeating itself, and of God's instruction for our survival, both individually and as a nation: We must wave the white flag of surrender to the One who is in complete control of this world--the only One who can fix what is broken in our lives' (From the book's foreword).

This beautiful little book is heavy with content, with insight and biblical scholarship into the current state of our country, and shows how our present time and recent history parallels the era of King Jehoshaphat in Judah, who ruled approximately between 873-848 B.C.
Praying for our nation is so important, and "The Prayer of Jehoshaphat for America" is a powerful guide, helping infuse one's prayer life with strength and direction; the prayer itself, (2 Chronicles 20:12), addresses the need for justice, and asks for protection from the enemy,

Mike Jeffress writes with simplicity and clarity, inspiring us to pray for our nation and as he so eloquently states, God can "hear the faintest pin drop of a prayer from the earth's deepest pit" (pg. 54) and quotes a portion of George Washington's First Inaugural Address, which pays "homage to the Great Author", in a speech that is as much a prayer as it is an official declaration; Chapter 2 shows how our Founding Fathers included God in their political lives, making faith a part of our heritage.
We have many enemies, within and without; some are unknown to us, training in terrorist camps, and some are visible and in high positions, passing laws that try to remove God from our everyday lives; Jehoshaphat's Prayer recognizes that alone we can do nothing to fight against these enemies, but with God, all things are possible.

I found special interest in the comparison between the Lord's betrayal by both Peter and Judas on the same night, and how they dealt with their guilt, in Chapter 7. It is a brilliant section of the book, and very thought provoking.
This small volume is sturdy and has a solid, weighty feel. The layout is lovely and each chapter is prefaced with a Bible verse and a flag, and the font size is very easy to read; because it is attractive as well as illuminating, this book would make a wonderful gift, a gift that will be treasured, and will connect the reader with this great prayer.
Mike Jeffress has given America a gift from his heart, his knowledge, and his love for country and God, and it is much appreciated.

It is a wonder that people who espouse this kind of mythology can survive in a modern world. Why do they deliberately steep themselves in this ignorance. Xmas's origin as a pagan holiday adapted for religious purposes by the Romans and continuing into modern times strongly indicates a weakness in the human psyche and an inability to acknowledge that "From the beginning, humans have created God in their own image."