One of the Israelites disobeyed God and took stuff from Jericho that was set apart to God. When they came to tiny Ai, the spies reported this enemy could be easily defeated. They recommended Joshua only send a few thousand into battle.
They were shocked when they were defeated, with a number of lives lost. Scripture reports that their hearts melted. Joshua goes before the Lord and sounds very much like the Israelites. His prayer was more fear than asking God what went wrong or seeking wisdom. God took a rather dim view of his attitude and ordered Joshua to, "Get up." The sin of one man had doomed them to destruction. They needed to remedy the situation and go out against Ai.
When Joshua was charged with leading the people, he was repeatedly told not to be afraid or dismayed. Apparently, this was a weakness. After they repented, and dealt with the sin in the camp, they went against Ai with a full contingent of soldiers. They didn't leave anything to chance.
Did you know the devil doesn't care if you pray? However, if you pray in faith, he sits up and takes notice. You become dangerous to his kingdom. Long, wordy prayers get us into fear and doubt.
We're to be on guard! II Corinthians 10:3-5
1. Guard your thoughts.
2. Guard your words.
3. Guard your actions.
To listen to the full message, check out the sermon player, podcast, or download it to your MP3 player from our website. If you're looking for a church home or visiting in the area, you'll always find a welcome at Zoe Christian Fellowship. We're located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Rte. 611), Warrington, PA. For more information, call (215) 343-7686.
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