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Day 6: Audacious Prayer

Through Joshua's prayer, we will look at a miracle for which we still have no explanation. In his prayer, Joshua asks God to keep the sun still in the sky. Israel is fighting a battle in which daylight is essential. To be victorious, Joshua boldly goes before the Lord and asks Him to keep the sun and the moon from moving. This impossible prayer is prayed in direct encouragement from God's promise to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands.” (Joshua 10:8)

Remember that Joshua had seen miracle upon miracle over time, Red Sea deliverance, God's provision of manna, and Jericho's walls coming down. Because of these testimonies and because of the promise, he prayed an audacious prayer.

God answers, “So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed its setting almost a full day” (Joshua 10:13), and Israel wins the battle.

There are many interpretations of “how” the sun stood still. Lots of rational explanations and scientists have their answers. In writing this, I crawled out of the rabbit hole of research and whether it was a cosmic refraction, an eclipse, the sun stopped shining, a day-long hail storm or a supernatural miracle - what we do know is that God answered and fulfilled his promise to Joshua, “I have given them into your hands.”

The same God who went before Joshua is still the same God who fights on our behalf today. Invite Him into your battle today. Ask Him to go before you; ask Him for his strength, power, wisdom, and love to flow through you. Ask Him to do the extreme for you. Steven Furtick writes, “Audacious faith is the raw material that authentic Christianity is made of. It's the stuff that triggers ordinarily level-headed people like you and me to start living with unusual boldness. If we have the audacity to ask, God has the ability to perform.”

My family friend, Barb, in a small Church of England church audaciously prayed for my sake in 1984, and it led to my seemingly impossible healing. Message me (mcollins@willowparkchurch.com) if you’d like to know more of this story!

Lord, thank you that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. That the same power that stopped the sun, heals our broken bodies, fights our battles and raised Christ from the grave lives in every one of us. I pray that we will live our lives according to this bold truth. Amen.

Reflect and Respond

• If we were to examine our lives right now and consider what seemingly impossible thing we would ask, what would you ask God for?
• Meditate on this verse and ask the Lord to speak to you.”Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors He would give them. You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31: 7–8)

“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Prayer Focus

• Pray for Pastor Jeremy, Kim and their family (Creekside).
• Pray for Pastor Jordan, Lis and their family (Hwy 33).
• Pray for Pastor Curtis, Leslie and their family (Seniors).
• Pray for Pastors Nick and Jenny Toews and their family (South).
• Pray for our apprentice pastor Luke Madden and his wife Rachel (Hwy 33).
• Pray for our apprentice pastor Courtney Vasko and her husband Mike (South).
• Pray for your three prayer points.