Living and Praying Expectantly

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expect great things attempt great things, God did it, James 4:2-3, Joshua 10, pray boldly, prayer of faith, sun and moon, William Carey

Joshua was in a fierce battle. While arrows were flying and swords were clashing, he dared to ask God for the impossible. He prayed:

“O sun, stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.” 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies.” (Joshua 10:12-13)

I have to admit that asking God to stop the sun from moving across the sky is beyond my expectations. I don’t want it to be this way. I want to believe God for more. How about you?

Can anyone imagine a greater prayer of foolishness or faith than this prayer of Joshua? Please don’t get caught up in the fruitless speculation of how God stopped the sun. If the Lord could create the universe in the first place, we shouldn’t have difficulty in believing He could stop or slow the rotation of the earth, moon, and stars.

The fact is God did it!

How God accomplished this feat is not the point. The Lord moved in such a fashion that it caused everyone to stand in awe.

“There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man.” (Joshua 10:14)

Do we dare to pray as boldly?

The only way we can dare to pray as boldly as Joshua is to pray in concert with God’s will. Again, the easiest way to get heaven to move is to pray the prayer that originates in heaven.

“You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:2-3)

As missionary William Carey headed off to India in the 1700s he said what ought to be our life slogan: