Come Together
When have you witnessed an entire community together?
One of my earliest memories happened when I was in second grade. My teacher’s dad died of a heart attack. He was young, well known in our community, and lived just one house from us. I remember people lining the street and bringing food for days. My mom took something to eat over to them. School was canceled for his funeral, and to my second grade eyes it seemed like the whole town attended. I didn’t understand everything happening, but I understood that a family was hurting and the community showed up.
Years later, I saw another example of coming together as a community after September 11.
I was living in a smaller Indiana community. I remember long lines at gas stations, people frightened about what might happen next, and American flags flying from cars and truck beds. Some people even painted “God Bless America” on their vehicles. Alongside the fear and grief, I remember people talking openly about God and prayer. We seemed to recognize together how much we needed Him.
These memories make me wonder:
What would it look like for a whole community to seek God together?
Why do we so often wait for a crisis?
Revelation 7:9–12 gives us a picture of people from every nation gathered before God’s throne with angels joining in worship. I look forward to that - God’s people united in His presence.
There’s a gathering in 2 Chronicles 20 I wish I could have witnessed too.
WHOLE FAMILIES CAME BEFORE GOD!
A vast enemy army was approaching Judah. King Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he resolved to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout Judah. People came from every town to ask God for help (verses 1–4).
Verse 13 specifically includes their wives, children, and little ones.
Picture that gathering. Parents standing with children beside them. Little ones too young to understand the danger. Families are bringing their future before God because they could not secure it themselves.
And their king prayed:
“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”— 2 Chronicles 20:12, NIV
What an honest prayer. No pretending to have all the answers. No hiding their fear. Together, they acknowledged their need and looked toward God. God answered through Jahaziel. He told them the battle belonged to Him. They were to go out, take their positions, and witness His deliverance (verses 14–17).
The people bowed in worship. The next morning, Jehoshaphat appointed singers to go ahead of the army, praising God for His enduring love (verses 18–21).
They began worshiping before they saw the outcome. As they sang, the Lord brought defeat upon their enemies, who turned against one another. When Judah reached the place overlooking the wilderness, the enemy army was already dead. They never had to fight that battle (verses 22–24).
WE CAN SEEK HIM TOGETHER TODAY
There are moments when we reach the limits of what we can fix. Scripture shows us that those limits do not limit God. We cannot predict exactly how He will answer our circumstances. But we can bring Him our fears, listen to His Word, and take the next faithful step together. And we don’t have to wait for a tragedy to become a praying church.
In what situation have you said, “I don’t know what to do”?
Bring it before God this week. Ask someone to pray with you. Pray with your children so they can hear what it sounds like to depend on Him. Keep participating in our 25 Minutes of Prayer Challenge! For every 25 minutes you spend in prayer throughout the week, you’ll receive a Duplo block to add to our wall on stage. Those minutes don’t have to happen all at once.
Let’s keep building our wall, and let each block remind us that we are learning to seek God as one church family.
God, we don’t always know what to do, but our eyes are on You. Give us wisdom, strengthen our faith, and teach us to seek You together. Let us truly be examples to others in the way we trust You. Help us continue to make prayer a part of our everyday lives. Amen.
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