In this sermon, Basilia Schlenk discusses the story of the Israelites in the wilderness and their encounter with the Amalekites. God allowed the Israelites to face this distressing situation to teach them how to believe and depend on Him. Moses, through prayer, was able to defeat the Amalekites, showing the power of prayer in hopeless situations. The Israelites learned that God wants to be asked and that prayer is the deciding factor in victory.

God lives and works today, but do our lives bear witness to this even when we are in trouble? For most of us, the opposite is probably true. We succumb to our problems and let them get the better of us. Listen to today's meditation by Basilia Schlink called, A Way Out of Trouble. In Deuteronomy chapter 25, we are told how the Israelites were severely tested on their journey through the wilderness. Weak and tired, some of the families had begun to lag behind. And that was when the Amalekites decided to pull a surprise attack. None of the Israelites were equipped for battle. Their destiny seemed to be already decided. Israel would be lost. Why did God lead them into such a distressing situation? God wanted His people to learn how to believe. His nation was to become a believing nation, one which would live in trust and total dependence upon the Almighty God. He wanted to let His care, His might, and wonders be manifest among His people. By this dependent way of life, this nation was to proclaim to all the other nations who God is, testifying to His omnipotence and love. And so it was to bring blessing to the whole world. For this purpose, God was training and disciplining the children of Israel. In the midst of their distress, God showed His people a way to deliverance. Moses climbed up on a hill from which he could survey the countryside. There he prayed until sundown. And although it was humanly impossible, through prayer the Amalekites were defeated. Here the power of prayer was made manifest. Before the eyes of all the Israelites, God gave Moses this special weapon of victory. It was the weapon of prayer, the prayer of faith. They experienced praying and crying to God transforms everything. Yes, prayer is the deciding factor in every hopeless situation. The inconceivable happened. For the first time, the former slave nation fought a battle against another nation and won. Israel experienced anew. God is our victor. The Lord is fighting for us. Surely joy and exaltation must have filled their hearts. Who is like God? He has shown us His love and demonstrated His power. However, God had also shown them something else. He had shown them that He wants to be asked. Prayer means to step into battle in the assurance that the greater the efforts of the enemy, the greater will be the victory for all those who call upon the name of the Lord. You have been listening to a program written by Basilia Schlink of the Little Land of Canaan. To learn more about how God lives and works today, visit us at our website www.canaan.org. That's K-A-N-A-A-N dot org. If you contact us, we would be happy to send you a free inspirational booklet. If you do not have access to the web, please contact this number. Please contact this radio station for our postal address. God bless you!