Have You Prayed About It?
Prayer is an essential part of a Christian’s life. It’s even been said Christians should be addicted to prayer. But how and why do we pray?
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1 As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, 2 they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.
3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, 4 they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, 5 with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. 6 And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” 7 But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” 8 They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” 9 They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, 10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. 11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’ 12 Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. 13 These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” 14 So the men took some of their provisions but did not ask counsel from the Lord. 15 And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.
16 At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them. 17 And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 18 But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. 19 But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. 20 This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.” 21 And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them.
22 Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell among us? 23 Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” 24 They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. 25 And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.” 26 So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. 27 But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, in the place that he should choose.
We are estimated to make more than 35,000 decisions a day or roughly 2,000 decisions per hour. Most of those are unconscious and have become so ingrained in our daily routine that we don't even notice them after a few seconds (like your decision to keep reading this blog)
When faced with life decisions, you have a straightforward question: Have you prayed about it?
Deception comes in differing ways. Lies aren't always fancy words dressed to appease you. If the adversary does not defeat you by coming as a devouring lion, he will try again as a deceiving serpent. John 8:44 says that Satan is the father of lies. He is the Master of Deception. The enemy will tell you lies because he wants to see your relationship with God ruined.
Satan is no fool. You don't earn the title of Master of Deception by playing children's games. He's cunning and will make it appear that you're doing the right thing but doing so without Christ. He was at church this past Sunday, and he'll be there this upcoming Sunday. When we let our guard down and begin to think we have things under control, that's the first sign that we've been deceived.
In today's scripture, we see Joshua and the Israelites conned by a group of foreign ambassadors. The Gibeonites lied about where they came from, who they were, their prestige, willingness to serve the Israelites, and honoring God. Their lies were born of self-protection because they feared the Israelites. Had Joshua taken the time to pray about the situation, he would've known it was a trick. However, because they failed to pray, they made a covenant with a group they had no business being in business with.
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it shall be given to him." (James 1:5)
Can God Be Limited?
"And they limited the Holy One of Israel." (Psalm 78:41)
God's wise and benevolent purposes are often frustrated. We limit God with our lack of trust and understanding. When we turn to others or our knowledge, instead of prayer, to process decision-making, we limit our reliance on God and His powers. I know it sounds simple, but for us to pray for discernment is no small task. It can make the difference in deception versus deliberation.
Although we have access to God's wisdom as Christians, this isn't something we automatically possess. Instead, it's something we must diligently seek repeatedly and often. With so much vying for our attention and seeking to distract, deter, discourage and dissuade, every Christian should be praying for spiritual discernment. This mindset comes when we pleadingly pray and set our focus on scripture.
Charles Spurgeon once said that "We should become addicted to prayer as Christians." When you take a step back, you recognize that the essential things in our lives are the things we dedicate with our prayers.
True faith involves exercising patience. Hebrews 6:12 tells us that whoever believes will not act hastily. But in their haste, Joshua made a covenant with the enemy that could've been avoided. They walked by sight and not by faith. After listening to the strangers' speech and examining the evidence, the leaders concluded that these men were telling the truth. The leaders of Israel took the scientific approach instead of the spiritual approach. They depended on their senses. It was all very logical and convincing, but it was all wrong.
God is Not Your Genie
When troubles loom, do you seek manmade options and opinions in place of taking your concerns to God? The will of God comes from the heart of God, and we should not see His will like customers who look at options in a supermarket. Instead, we should see it like servants who listen to orders.
When we view our relationship as a supermarket, we limit God's power in our lives. That mentality believes God is a genie who answers all our requests and desires. But that's not how God operates. It's not about what we want but what God wants for us. Therefore, as believers, we should seek His orders for our life.
We live in enemy territory, and daily deceptions are thrown at us. In Proverbs 3:5-6, we are instructed to lean not unto our understanding but in all our ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct our paths.
God doesn't want us making commitments and loyalties to people and organizations who will deceive us. When we are lured into a false promise, we will be separated from God. Things may seem swell, but that could be the deceiver's lie.
God's orders may seem illogical at the time, but they will always be the right decisions. Think about the Israelites a few chapters earlier in Joshua. They were instructed to:
Wander the desert for 40 years.
Cross an impassable river.
Take a city by marching around it.
The only way to make sense of our life and be guarded against deception is to seek the counsel of the Lord to discover His presence, control, guidance, and knowledge.
Two Attitudes for Prayer
1) Adoration
Christian minister and author Max Lucado said, "God meets our needs one day at a time."
When we adore God, we want to be in communion with Him. We want to pray and seek His glory. His presence has transformed our lives. Being obedient isn't so difficult when we pursue His will.
If you're unsure how to pray, gratitude is a great start. But, remembering that God is not a genie, how can you turn your questions and decision into praises?
2) Posture
Three ministers discussed the best way to pray one day when a telephone repairman entered the room.
The first minister believed the best way to pray was to bow on one's knees. The second minister said he prayed best when standing on his feet with his eyes turned toward heaven. The third man felt that the most effective position for prayer was sitting with the head bowed and the eyes closed.
Finally, the telephone repairman interrupted the conversation. He said, "I found that the most powerful prayer I ever made was while dangling upside down by my heels from a power pole forty feet above the ground."
In the Bible, we see people at prayer on their knees, on their feet, on their beds, and in their chariots. We see them praying while hiding in a cave or riding in a big fish. Our Lord prayed while kneeling in the Garden of Gethsemane while standing by the tomb of Lazarus and while suspended on the cross of Calvary.
It isn't the body's position but the posture of the heart that makes our prayers powerful in God's sight. God has commanded us to pray always, pray everywhere, and pray in everything.
TL;DR
When faced with life decisions, you have a straightforward question: Have you prayed about it?
Deception comes in differing ways. Lies aren't always fancy words dressed to appease you.
When we turn to others or our knowledge, instead of prayer, to process decision-making, we limit our reliance on God and His powers.
We should become addicted to prayer as Christians.
God is not our genie. It's not about what we want but what God wants for us.
Two attitudes for prayer
Adoration
Posture
Related Reading
How to Deal With Anxiety by William Merriman
How to Remember Your Blessings by Bro. Chris Carter
Feeling Stuck in a Rut?by Bro. Chris Carter
About Christ Church Memphis
Christ Church Memphis is church in East Memphis, Tennessee. For more than 65 years, Christ Church has served the Memphis community. Every weekend, there are multiple worship opportunities including traditional, contemporary and blended services.
