Our God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. He is the creator of heaven, earth and everything therein, hence, He watches over the affairs of His people to ensure none of them suffers undue hardship in the hands of the Devil and his agents. His will always come into the affairs of those who call upon His name in righteousness, whenever they are in danger or lack that is likely to have a negative effect on them.

When the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt, they were subjected to serving the Egyptians under harsh and difficult condition; they cried unto God and His intervention came, and they were delivered. God manifested in several ways to fight for them. He turned their water to blood and killed every firstborn male; both young and old. He forced the Egyptians to release the Israelites.

In other occasions, God fought for His people and that was why King David in Psalm 68:1-2, said, “Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. 2: As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.”

The Israelites were, indeed, helpless in Egypt because they were subjected to forced labour, while their female children were taken into forced marriage. In amid this helpless situation, they remembered their God; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And as they cried unto Him, He answered them by sending a great prophet, leader and deliverer to them in the person of Moses, who led them out of the land of bondage.

In their journey to the Promised Land, God arose in their favour and delivered them from every insurmountable situation. The Egyptians pursued them with their ammunition with the intention to wipe them out before they get to the wilderness or force them to go back into slavery.

They were entangled amid the Red Sea in front, the Egyptian army behind and impregnable mountains on the sides. They were afraid, but in the lead scripture God arose and Moses under divine instruction directed them forward, declaring that God will fight for them. The adamant Egyptian soldiers led by their King, Pharaoh, were hell bent on attacking them, but God arose and parted the waters and the Israelites were able to pass on dry ground. When the Egyptians followed suit, God showed up again, closed the waters upon them and they were drowned.

In the course of their journey to the Promised Land, opposition came in many ways to the extent that fighting wars became part of their lives and God’s intervention on each occasion gave them victory. At the point of taking over Jericho, the Promised Land, Joshua physically encountered an angel and that was a proof that God has arisen on their behalf. Joshua 5:13-15 says: “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, ‘art thou for us, or for our adversaries?’ 14: And he said, ‘nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, what saith my lord unto his servant? 15: And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.” As both spiritual and military leader, Joshua fought many battles and lost none. This is an indication that God was always with him. At a time, while fighting in the warfront he commanded the Sun to stand still and never to set until the Israelites defeat their enemies. God arose at his command and the Sun did not go down for a whole day. God has always defended the people that call upon Him for help.

In what apparently looked like a supremacy contest between the prophets of Baal and those of the Living God, Prophet Elijah, who stood for the Almighty God emphatically made a declaration that any God that answered prayer by bringing down fire should be the God everyone must serve. They set up burnt offerings for God to consume by fire when they answer. The prophets of Baal started first and called their god from morning till evening, but there was no answer. At the time Elijah took his turn, he ordered water to be poured on the wood upon which the burnt offering was set to ensure that there was no fire on it. He then made a simple prayer in 1 Kings 18:36-39: “And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. 37: Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 38: Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39: And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.”

The Almighty God answered Elijah’s prayer by fire to prove He is a God to be served and worshipped because He has power to do all things. He answers our prayer when we call upon Him. He is there for His people whenever the enemy intends to disgrace or fight them. That is why Prophet Isaiah said in Isaiah 59:19: “So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” 400 prophets of Baal including King Ahab and his Queen, Jezebel, as well as all the people that worshipped and bowed to Baal surrounded Prophet Elijah, but God arose and they were defeated and put to shame.

God does not work with multitude to prove His power. He does this so that the people will not give the glory to themselves. Each time God arises the enemy will be put to shame. King David knew what God could do when he declared in Psalm 46:1-5: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2: Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. 3: Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah! 4: There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5: God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.”

God is our refuge and present help in time of trouble. He is ever ready to answer us whenever we petition Him for help. The world, we live, is full of evil. There are times enemies will attack for no just cause, there are periods we will be in need of the basic necessities of life and all roads seem to be blocked against us. There are times the Devil will come with the afflictions of sickness, spiritual attacks, the only one who can help out is God. We must call upon Him in times of need.

God wants us to call on Him prior to His intervention. The Bible captures the reason in Psalm 115:16: “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.” God is the King in Heaven and has delegated authority to men to rule the earth; hence, for the King in Heaven to come to earth, it must be by invitation. Hence, it is your duty to call on God in times of need. In facing the challenges of the present world always remember you have a powerful God; call on Him in times of trouble and He will arise in your favour in Jesus’ name.