STEEMCHURCH: Make Bold Prayers

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Jesus said that if you have faith, you can tell a mountain to move and jump into the sea. What is your mountain? What is the challenge of your life? Your prayer can make a difference

Boldness in prayer is an idea that bothers many people. We think about speaking to God with delicacy, humbling ourselves before God or having a conversation with God ... but suffering with anguish before God? Bomb the heavens with prayers? Give fists at the door of the Most High?

Fight with God? Is not that an irreverent sentence? Daring?

It would be if God had not invited us to pray that way. «So, when we have any need, let us approach the throne of God with confidence. He will help us, because he is good and loves us "(Heb 4.16 TLA).

         Joshua did it, but not before he did not. His prayer life teaches us what happens when we do not pray and also tells us how to pray.

In the days that followed the assembly in Siquem, a group of foreigners arrived at Joshua's camp. They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very distant land" (Joshua 9.9). They presented themselves as unhappy pilgrims from a distant place. Everything seemed to match his story.

His clothes made of sack, his sandals and his clothes were worn. Even the bread was dry and moldy. They asked to be allies of the Hebrews. They praised God's accomplishments, and asked Joshua and his men to make a covenant with them. Josué pondered the options, and their leaders finally agreed.

Three days passed before Joshua realized he had been teased. Those people were not from a distant land; They were from Gibeon, a day's walk away. His worn out attire was a camouflage. They pretended to be foreigners because they knew that the Hebrews had plundered Jericho and Ai.

And perhaps they knew that the laws of God made special provision for cities outside of Canaan (Deuteronomy 20: 10-12). Any city that agreed to make peace with them would be forgiven. And because they were afraid, they resorted to deceit.

Why did Joshua and his elders not detect the ruse? Because "they did not consult Jehovah" (Jos 9.14). The practice of the Hebrews should be to pray first, to act later. Joshua was told: "He will stand before Eleazar the priest, and he will consult him for the judgment of the Urim before the Lord" (Numbers 27.21).

         Joshua did not do it. He and his council established an alliance with the enemy because they did not seek the counsel of God.

We should learn from Joshua's error. Our enemy also enters disguised in our camp. "Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11.14 NIV). He is cunning. That's why it's vital that ...

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Let's consult God in everything. Always.

Immediately. Quickly. Live with an ear towards the sky. Keep an open line with God.
«God, is this opportunity coming from you?».
«God, are you in this company?».
«God, should I follow this path?».

In every decision. Before each crossroads. Recognize him, pay attention to him, ask him: «Do I turn to the right or to the left?». "Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, and do not lean on your own prudence. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight "(Proverbs 3.5-6).

Our relationship with God is exactly that: a relationship. His invitation is clear and simple: "Come and talk with me" (Psalm 27.8 NLT). And our answer? «Here I come, LORD» (v. 8 NLT). We remain with him and he remains with us. He gives us wisdom according to what we need.

He will help us against the devil. It will expose Satan's trickery. However, we must consult with him regularly. His word is a "lamp [...] to [our] feet" (Psalm 119.105), not a reflector towards the future. He gives us enough light to take the next step.

The Glory Days are what they are because we learn to listen to the voice of God telling us that we will look to this side or to the other. «Your ears will hear it. Behind you, a voice will say, "This is the way you should go," either to the right or to the left »(Isaiah 30.21 NLT).

Refer any decision to the court of heaven. Like David, you can ask God to "bow your ear to me, rescue me quickly" (Ps 31.2 NLT). Wait for God to speak before acting. Be patient. Monitor your impulse «I will make you understand, and I will show you the way in which you must walk; I will fix my eyes on you "(Ps 32.8). If you feel in your heart that you should review something, pay attention and ask God again. This is the only way to circumvent the deceptions of the devil.

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Consult God in everything and ... Ask God for great things.

Joshua did it. The alliance with the Gibeonites soon proved problematic. The other kings of Canaan saw them as traitors and set out to attack them. Five armies attacked the town of Gibeon. They were outnumbered. But as the Gibeonites had an alliance with Joshua, they asked the Hebrews for help. And as he had given his word, Joshua had no choice but to come to his rescue.

And Joshua of Gilgal went up, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men. And the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them; for I have given them into your hand, and none of them shall prevail before you. And Joshua came to them suddenly, having climbed all night from Gilgal. (Joshua 10.7-9)

The five kings never had a chance. Apparently they did not expect Joshua to respond with such fervor. They fled and the Hebrews pursued them very closely. And as Joshua's army roared behind them, clouds began to roar above them. "Great hailstones" fell from the sky, as in an intense aerial bombardment (see 11 TLA).

Do not give in a little bit. Answer with prayer; honest, continuous and bold prayer.

You are a member of the family of God. You do not approach God as a foreigner, but as an heir. Approach your throne confidently. Present your requests with fervor not because of what you have achieved but because of what Christ has done. Jesus shed his blood for you. You can pour out your heart before God.