1st.: Balak, It is a Spiritual Battle
When the people of Israel stopped, the king Moab, Balak, noticed.
“in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.” (Num. 22:1,2).
The Israelites had just defeated the group of people called the Amorites (Num. 22:2).
Balak realized that the real battle was more in the spiritual realm than in the physical realm.
So, before he mobilized his troops, Balak sent messengers to a local prophet named Balaam, the son of Beor.
He asked the prophet, “Curse [for] me this people [the Israelites], for I know that he whom thou blesses is blessed, and he whom thou curses is cursed.” (Num. 22:6). Balak wanted to first gain the spiritual backing, before he engaged in the physical battle.
One of the purposes of prayer is to secure God’s support in an endeavor.
It is easy to agree with this teaching, at an academic level.
But, because we don’t naturally perceive the spiritual
dimension, we often lack the motivation to spend time with God.
Spending time with God will help win His support for a specific endeavor
(or find out why he won't help).
If we don’t perceive the spiritual side, when we can get blind sided.
Therefore, we should adjust our schedules to spend more time with God.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Eph. 6:12)