FAITH AND PRAYER: WEEK 2

A Time to Wait in Prayer:

Defeat at Ai: Joshua 7:1-25.

“Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord God, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies? For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?” Joshua 7:6-9 (NKJV).

Most of us are familiar with the Israelites' victory at the battle of Jericho, but do you know what happened after that? Joshua attempted to take the city of Ai, and 36 Isralites died in battle before their army retreated in fear. Why, Joshua wondered, would the Lord do this to to them. Apparently, he was unaware of two problems. First, an Isralite disobeyed when he took forbidden plunder after Jericho fell. Second, God did not initiate the battle; Joshua had be persuaded by his own advisors. Because Joshua failed to seek heavenly counsel, he didn't know about the Israelite's crime until it was too late. After the wrongdoer was put to death, Joshua waited for God's cue to take Ai. Then, and only then, was the Hebrew army successful.

The Fall of Ai: Joshua 8:1-25:

“Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the spear that was in his hand toward the city. So those in ambush arose quickly out of their place; they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and they entered the city and took it, and hurried to set the city on fire. And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended to heaven. So they had no power to flee this way or that way, and the people who had fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers.Now when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city ascended, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai” Joshua 8:18-25 (NKJV). Can you see yourself making a mistake similar to Joshua's, which are trying to handle a situation in your own strength? It's easier than we think when sin skews our thinking and hinders our communicaiton with the heavenly Father. Let's each examine our heart earnestly, confess any sin, ask Go to lead us, and then wait for Him. Remember, His guidance is always better than our own.

Prayer Gives Us Familiarity with God:

Our sins once separated us from God, but Christ gave His paid the price on Calvary so that we have an opportunity for external life. On the cross our payment was paid for our penalty, At the moment of our salvation, we enter into an intimate association with God the Father through His Son. This is the season that you must be confident that the Lord will hear and answer your pleas, you must remain faithful in the midst of every adverse situation, in every stormy challenge and against the wiles of the devil. You have to believe that no weapon formed against you will prosperous.