The Big Ask

There’s an incredible story  in the Bible – well there are many of them – but think about this one.

It’s part of the story of God getting His people to the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua.  In this story they are going out to battle after Joshua had prayed and gotten direction form God.   In the long battle Joshua prayed an amazing prayer in front of his people.  He prayed

“Sun, stand still over Gibeon and you moon, over the Valley of Aijalon” 

What happened?”

“The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.  There has never been a day like it before or since when the Lord listened to a human being.”

From Joshua 10

I’m not making this up.  Joshua’s prayer impacted the created order.  God intervened when requested by a faithful, but not perfect man.

And so I’m asking myself these days, what are we asking of God?  Are we just “going with the flow” about what’s happening.  How filled with faith are our prayers as we come to God seeking His help for the various difficulties in our lives in nature as well as human behaviour? 

Do we still believe God will speak to us, will act on our behalf?  Are we still taking time to listen for His voice, get out and do what we believe He is guiding us to do, and then calling out to Him for the supernatural help we need as the going gets tough?  God tells us to:

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

Jeremiah 33:3

Loving God, we too easily get distracted by circumstances and challenges around us.  Time wears on us and the troubles around us only seem to intensify. 

We are grateful today that we serve the God who created the heavens and the earth and who is still in control of every single thing going on in our world today.  And so in the middle of it all, whatever our “make the sun stand still” need is, we pray to have faith and to call out to You, knowing that You are the one – the only one – who can do what’s needed today. 

As Joshua and the warriors did their part, so we will faithfully seek to do what we can but when what we need is beyond what we can do, we pray to have the faith and take the opportunity to call out to You for “the big ask”, the unimaginable, the supernatural, knowing that You are willing and able. Amen

What impossible situation have we prayed about today?  This is a great moment to pause and speak to God about it, wouldn’t you say?