There may be a portion of scripture that has
a special meaning for you because of some experience
in your life. But for years, maybe it's because
I have had so many battles to fight. You know,
I'm very conscious of not only the power of God,
presence of God. Oh, I know those promises are
real. I know how real is the power of God. It's
wonderful when you can take your problems and
put those problems alongside of God's bigness,
His greatness, His power. Those problems that
seem so big to you just fade into insignificance.
If I could just get you to see how great is the
power of your Heavenly Father, you'd stop worrying.
It would cast out all fear, all anxiety. But
my friend, there is something that I pray with
all of my heart that you shall realize today
as never before, and that is the reality of His
presence. That has meant more in my own personal
life than perhaps any other thing in regards
to my relationship as a child of the Heavenly
Father. And... I read it over and over again.
The sixth chapter of Second Kings. I do not believe
that I have ever owned a Bible. But that was
the first part that I have marked in red. It
has meant that much to me. It was an experience
that Elisha had. And I'll read only a portion
of it. You read the entire incident yourself.
Mark it in your own Bible. You may not need it
today or tomorrow. You'll need it even as I have
needed it. And it calls our attention to one
of the most interesting events in the Old Testament.
Elisha and his servant. you'll find one calm
and steadfast, the other scared stiff. And he
said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send
and fetch him. And bestowed him, saying, Behold,
he's in Piltham. Therefore sent he thither horses
and carriots and a great host. And they came
by night. and compassed the city about. And when
the servant of the man of God was risen early,
gone forth, behold, and host compassed the city
both with horses and chariots. And his servant
said unto him, that's unto Elisha, Alas, my master,
how shall we do? What in the world can we do?
Two. There are only two of us. And those that
are against us are enemies. The mountains are
filled with horses and chariots. We're licked
before we even begin. Let's just put up the white
flag. Let's put up our hands right now in surrender.
We're licked. How often you've said that. How
many times in your life have you said those very
words? Mm -hmm. And he answered. It's Elisha
answered and said, Fear not. Don't be frightened.
Don't be afraid. For they that be with us are
more than they that be with them. my goodness
o life the servant might have said what do you
mean elisha you've flipped your lid i see you
you see me look at circumstances there you are
you're just one human being here i am there's
only one of me i'm scared i'm shaking so Don't
depend on me. I'm so afraid. I, I, I, I. Oh,
don't depend on me for any assistance. I'm so
scared now I can't do anything. Let's face it.
There are only two of us. And I'm not any help
to you. And look. Look at the great army that's
against us. A whole army. And yet you tell me
not to be afraid. For they that be with us are
more than they that be with them. And Elijah
prayed. Oh, I like that. Elijah prayed. Instead
of being afraid, instead of putting up the white
flag, instead of putting up his hands in surrender,
instead of being frustrated, Elijah prayed. prayed
and said, Lord, and here he comes, the one who
has all power in heaven and earth, I pray thee,
open his eyes that he may see. Now, wouldn't
one have thought that if Elijah was going to
do any praying at all, he would have looked up
and said, Dear God, help us. Oh! Help us. I want
to pause right now and say something that's vitally
important. And that is the fact that when you
are desperate, and how often I have had folk
who have come for healing, and they've stood
right before me, and in desperation have said,
God, heal me. Oh, please. And it isn't long before
they get so loud in their praying. Help me. My
friend, I just stop and wait until they get it
all out of their system. I just wait. Then when
they're all through, I look them directly in
the face and say, Remember something. He's more
willing to give you the desire of your heart
than you are to receive. You don't have to tease
and beg and plead and carry on. Just be still.
Just realize his greatness. And then just simply...
reach up and take from his giving hand. Knowing
Elisha's circumstances, knowing that in the natural
the two men were defeated, so far as the natural
was concerned, one would have thought that when
Elijah prayed under those circumstances, He would
have done the thing that you have been doing
all this time, that I have been doing for a long
time until I learned the secret. Would have cried
out, Oh, God, help us. Help us, dear God. But
he didn't. When Elisha prayed, he took his eyes
off of circumstances, knowing that the victory
was... already theirs. That confidence. That
complete trust. That's it. And only the Lord
can make you see it. Only the Holy Spirit can
get you to see it. We talk so much about faith.
In the final analysis, I don't think any of us
really had the answer to faith. That's the reason
I don't preach on it very much. The older I get
in The more that I know about the things of God,
the less I understand about faith. But I can
talk to you about confidence. I can talk to you
about trust. I know what that is. Here is one
of the greatest examples of it that I know anything
about. This is absolutely one of the greatest
examples of confidence that I have ever seen.
Elijah prayed and said, Lord, I pray thee, open
his eyes that he may see. Lord, I know. I know
you're there. I've got confidence that you're
going to give us deliverance. I know how great
you are. But here's my... Poor servant. He's
so human. His eyes are on circumstances. His
eyes are on the enemy. He's not able to see beyond
his own fears. Open his eyes that he may see.
And the Lord was right there. Elijah didn't have
to scream and yell. I believe that... When he
prayed those words, it was just a normal conversation.
And the Lord was so close, he heard immediately.
And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man,
and he saw. Do you want to know what he saw when
God opened his eyes? And behold, the mountain
was full of horses and chariots of fire round
about Elisha. That's the reason. Elisha could
say, they that be with us are far greater than
those of our enemy who are trying to destroy
us. Do you understand? Why this portion of the
Word of God means so much to me personally? How
often in a moment when I might have gone down
in defeat, I have just stood still and I've said,
Catherine Kuhlman, if only for one minute the
Lord could open your eyes. And you could see
his protection. And you could see the host of
angels encamped around about you. If you could
only know with your own little puny limited intelligence
that all of heaven is at your command, that he'll
never let you down, he'll never let you down.
He'll... never let you down. As long as you're
faithful to him. Elisha knew he was the center
of God's will. Elisha knew that he was being
obedient to the Lord. If you can know the purpose,
the motive in your own heart is right. If you
can know that you're being obedient unto Him,
if you know that you're living in the center
of His will, you can also be assured of the fact
that God will never, never, never let you down.
Never! That is as sure as the person of Almighty
God. I wish right now somehow, I wish I had it
in my power to pray the prayer that Elisha prayed.
I'd pray for each one of you. That little widow
lady, that little hostess in that tea room, that
little waitress in that cafeteria, that man who
feels so defeated in his business affairs, that
little mother right now who feels as though...
The bottoms dropped out. That's somebody who's
facing such a big problem in your life. That's
somebody so worried. If only right now I could
pray for you the same prayer that Elisha prayed
for his servant. Dear God, I pray thee, open
her eyes. Open his eyes. that he may see, that
she may see. And in this moment, if the Lord
would open your eyes and you could see how God
is with you, for you, caring for you, having
made provision for you, you would never shed
a tear. You'd never. Spend a sleepless night.
You would never go down in defeat. Never. For
God's presence with his people is not merely
a theory. It's a fact. He will not leave you
in the eleventh hour. He will not fail to keep
his word with you. He's not asleep. He... continues
to work even while you sleep. I mean that. Kier
was a king of Syria who would send a whole army
after one of God's men. A whole army against
one man. God's man. That was the greatest compliment
that could have been paid. They say that Queen
Mary of Scotland feared the prayers of John Knox
more than she feared an entire army. Little mother,
they may not admit it, but your unsaved children
fear your prayers more than you ever did. Dream.
They fear those prayers. They know that you know
God. They know that God will answer prayer. Your
own family trembles when they know you are praying.
There's power in prayer. And there's just as
much power in trust. And in confidence. Mm -hmm.
Elisha didn't see circumstances. You take your
eyes off of circumstances. That's the reason
you're going down in defeat. Your eyes are on
circumstances. This very moment. Get your eyes
off of circumstances. Get your eyes off of that
problem. Get your eyes off of yourself. Look
up. Get your eyes on Jesus. Now. And behold,
your mountain, too, will be full of horses and
chariots of fire round about you. He is. Power
and presence. God bless you.