Praying At The CrossroadsSample

 The Prayer of Joshua

The Bible calls us to “pray constantly” (1 Thess. 5:17). Jesus also taught us to pray before temptation rather than during or after it (see Matt. 6:13). However, much of our praying is reactionary praying rather than proactive praying. We don’t know for certain, but it’s possible that Joshua’s prayer about the battle of Ai was only reactive. 

Reactive praying in itself isn’t wrong, especially when life unexpectedly becomes a struggle. None of us plan for a defeat as the Hebrews experienced at Ai. On the other hand, offering only reactive prayers isn’t a sign of a healthy prayer life. 

The people of God suffered their first defeat in the promised land at Ai, and Joshua, their leader, didn’t immediately know the reason behind the defeat. Both his grief and his questioning are apparent in his prayer in Joshua 7:6-9.  It seemed to him that God had allowed the warriors of Ai to defeat the Israelites, and that prospect created a crisis of faith for him. 

Joshua prayed with great passion over the loss at Ai, but God wouldn’t allow him to stay on his knees. Sin had created the problem, and the leader and the people had to address that sin. Confrontation was in order. Sometimes our prayer might simply be preparation that’s quickly followed by action, especially when we already know what we should do in the first place. Knowing when to pray and when to act, though, isn’t always easy. 

The account of the judgment of Achan and his family is a difficult one. The judgment seems severe, but it’s a reminder that God expects His people to be holy. Particularly when they first entered the promised land, He wanted them to know immediately that He expected them to be different from the other inhabitants. We see the same kind of judgment on Nadab and Abihu when God first instituted the sacrificial system (see Lev. 10:1-3) and on Ananias and Sapphira in the early days of the church (see Acts 5:1-11). God graciously doesn’t judge us all this way, but He still demands our holiness. Taking our sin lightly isn’t an option.