And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned. Joshua 7:10-11 KJV
There is a time for prayer. This was not it. This was a time for routing out sin. Joshua and the people of Israel had gone to battle in their own power thinking it would be an easy victory. It turned out to be a terrible defeat. They had not prayed, or looked for God’s direction, and there was sin among them, which had not been dealt with. Too often the same happens with us. We ignore God; depend on ourselves, and when things don’t go well we wonder why. That is not the time to ask God why He has let us down. God’s answer to Joshua was simple; before they could be blessed they needed to deal with their sin. We cannot expect God to hear our prayers when we fail to turn away from our sins.
Lord, I know that I am too often like Joshua, I cry to You when it is too late. Prayer needs to be the first thing I do not the last thing. Help me keep the timing of my prayers such that I might avoid the pain of acting without Your blessing.
