In my book titled Unlocking the Miraculous I have written in-depth on the topic of prayer and intercession. The following excerpt demonstrates a profound principle from the life of Asa, the king who dug his own grave:
It’s amazing how many people choose to involve God so little in their lives. When it comes to decisions about business, family, career and the weightier matters of life, they seek out qualified counsel, yet they never bend a knee before the King of the Universe who stands by longing to help them. He desires to be glorified through our lives, yet many times we deprive Him of that right.
It is more than just unfortunate when we fail to inquire of the Lord. When we rob our Creator, Sustainer and Provider of His rightful place in our lives, it is literally offensive to God.
2 Chronicles 16:9 AMPC says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him.” This is a verse that is often quoted in many different situations, but it may surprise you to learn the context of that verse and the fascinating circumstances surrounding it. It is both an insight and an admonition for our own lives.
Baasha, the King of Israel, came up against Judah in war and tried to starve the people out by besieging them at Ramah. So Asa, the king of the besieged Judah, “brought silver and gold out of the treasuries of the house of the Lord and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Syria . . . saying, Let there be a league between me and you . . . break your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me” (2 Chronicles 16:2–3 AMPC).
The Syrians, whose allegiance Asa had bought with gold from the Lord’s house, came down and rescued the southern kingdom from the hand of Baasha. It would seem like a happy ending, but the Lord was not pleased. God wanted to be Judah’s defender and deliverer, but instead Asa had given that opportunity to the Syrians. In the same way, Asa had taken the gold from the Lord’s house and given it to another; he had also taken the glory from the Lord and given it to another.
So God sent a prophet named Hanani to King Asa with this message, “ . . . Because you relied on the king of Aram [Syria] and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram [Syria] has escaped from your hand. Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war” (2 Chronicles 16:7–9 NIV).
Because of fear, Asa chose to call upon, and put his trust in, the king of Syria rather than on the Lord, and God was offended. As a result of this, the Lord gave Asa over to the very thing he feared most, “ . . . from now on you will be at war.” By not including the Lord, Asa had actually brought upon himself the very thing he was trying to avoid. “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes” (Psalm 118:8–9).