Be Careful Who Your Allies Are: Do NOT be like Jehoshaphat.

Dr. Teresa Allissa Citro
Dec 31, 2018
6 min read

This morning, I was talking with my Executive Director about God and His faithfulness in our lives, family, and TOH. I’m telling you, I felt the Holy Spirit drop something in my spirit. It was like this huge revelation. King Jehoshaphat!

As I was talking with her, I was praying, "What are you trying to tell me, God?" I stopped our conversation, and I told Linda what God was telling me and I asked that we would study Jehoshaphat particularly this battle as God said to me, “Go read the battle Jehoshaphat and Ahab.” Please read this passage. It’s so important I will never look at another connection the same way again.

“So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-Gilead. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal robes.' So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, 'Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.' When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely this is the king of Israel!' So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.” -1 Kings 22: 29-33

I am going to share what God clearly showed me. We must be very careful who we associate ourselves with. Sometimes, we think people of power, position, and wealth are important. Therefore, we make alliance with them. It’s fine to do this IF you know those people walk in honor and integrity and will be good influences in your life. However, sometimes this is NOT the case. God was against Ahab. He was a wicked man, and a wicked king. Listen to the plot he had. “I’m going into battle disguised but you wear your roles robes.”

Jehoshaphat knew God was displeased with Ahab. Jehoshaphat continued a friendship with a wicked man, and a wicked leader as a king. Listen very carefully here. Jehoshaphat had no business associating himself with a man who lived ungodly before a Holy God. He should have known better.

What does not shock me is his evil plan. Evil people do evil things. Jehoshaphat didn’t even see it coming. Remember this, when you continue in relationships with people who are not moral they will never have your back. Their characters and conscience are seared, and your good judgement goes out the door. Ahab disguised himself so he wouldn’t be recognized and killed but told his friend to go ahead and wear his royal robes. If that wasn’t a suicide mission I don’t know what is?

Jehoshaphat went into war wearing his royal robes that is friend knew would cause him harm, and death. Wow what a friend! They thought he was Ahab and went to battle to kill him. Jehoshaphat revealed he wasn’t Ahab. God and only God spared his life. Let me stop here and say, “What was Jehoshaphat thinking?” God had already sealed Ahab's fate.

Jehoshaphat had no business aligning himself with Ahab. That’s called unholy alliance. Jehoshaphat knew what the prophet Micaiah had prophesied about this battle. In fact, it was Jehoshaphat that asked what God’s will was for this battle. How could he miss it so badly? Because he was trying to be friends with a wicked man. The response from God was Ahab would be killed and the battle lost. Jehoshaphat ignored the prophet of God and it almost cost his life. Ponder on this very carefully as you move forward with some of the alliances you have made. Not every person has your best interest in mind. Sometimes it looks like they do because they want something from you. It’s important to pray and ask God for wisdom. I admit I fail at this too until today. God showed me an important truth. I can’t ever forget.

I know exactly what God is saying to me and you today. Not every person that comes into our lives should be there. A real friend will never destroy you and will never deceive you and compromise your very life. God warned Jehoshaphat by the prophesy Micaiah said. Jehoshaphat was disobedient to God and went ahead fully knowing that battle would be lost and Ahab killed. Who does that? Who goes against what God says? Well, obviously, Jehoshaphat did. If it wasn’t for God’s mercy, Jehoshaphat would had been killed. The story ends exactly with how Micaiah prophesied.

Watch this, Ahab's intent was to destroy and kill Jehoshaphat. God wasn’t going to take Jehoshaphat’s life even though Jehoshaphat went against what God said. Jehoshaphat was going to fight for his friend. Ahab on the other hand could have cared less about Jehoshaphat. He put Jehoshaphat in harm's way so that he would be mistaken as king and killed in his place. With friends like that, who needs enemies? God takes Ahab’s life. What was meant to kill Jehoshaphat came back to kill him. I could write an entire sermon just on this. I pray God opens your eyes to see this truth today.

In the end, the battle is lost, Ahab dies, Jehoshaphat taught a very important lesson, and the prophetic word God gave through his prophet Micaiah came exactly to pass.

Listen very carefully, never align yourself with people who are rebellious to God. Never align yourself with people who do not take your warnings seriously, especially when they are living in blatant sins. Friend or no friend, you are in danger when people choose to overlook the evil they do in the eyes of God. Unholy alliances will never win in any form or shape.

I spoke about this before. I had to return a gift of $1 million someone gave to Thread of Hope. Trust me, my board knows the fasting and prayer I did hoping I had heard wrong from God. That money had been marked to do so much good. We were giving it away. God said, “Give it back!” As hard as it was, I’m not going to lie, it was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I gave it back telling the person, “I do not know why I have to give back this to you. God told me I can’t have it.” To this day, I do not know why God told me to give it back.

Sometimes you have to give things up, give people up. Whatever it might be, God wants total loyalty to him. Jehoshaphat learned that lesson the very hard way. It was a miracle he wasn’t killed. Please get this message today. Unholy alliances cost you your destiny. Be kind, be nice, but let things and people go. Jehoshaphat was a real friend to Ahab. He couldn’t possibly have imagined Ahab was trying to get him killed.

You might not be killed physically by people who pretend to be your friends. However, they can try to destroy your character and reputation. Guard yourself well, and when you do fall into the hands of people you were a good friend to, don’t fight back in the same manner they fought you. Fight on your knees, and ask God to bring the people who heard the lies to you so you can tell the real truth. Remember Jehoshaphat. God protected him, teaching him a lifetime lesson, but he should have paid attention to the prophecy instead of aligning himself with a wicked man and king. There never was a friendship with King Ahab.

Dr. Teresa Allissa Citro

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are the God of Wisdom, and I am asking You to give me the wisdom I need to make right and good alliances so I don't end up with alliances who will try to bring me down and lead me away from You. Give me discernment to know who is sent from You to be my friends and to know who is not of You that will only bring about destruction. Give me the insight I need to determine who is truly an ally of mine and who is not. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles