Keep the Light On!
Today’s Verse:
Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. ~Joshua 10:12
Midnight Sun is a term that describes areas of the world near the Arctic where, at certain times of the year, the sun continues to shine through most of the day. In Norway, between May and late July, the sun does not set until around midnight, and then it rises again at 4am. In Finland, there are some parts of the country where the sun does not set for 73 straight hours! Can you imagine having sunlight for such an extended period of time? This morning, we are considering one of the great miracles of the Bible. It is when Joshua prayed and asked God to hold the sun and moon still for an entire day. It is one of the great prayers of faith in the Bible.
It is a prayer that is individual.
This was the prayer of Joshua. “Then spake Joshua to the Lord.” “And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man.” Prayer is individual. Jesus said, “Men ought always to pray.” Paul said, “Men ought to pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands.” James said, “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Individual praying is a necessity for fellowship with God. Individual praying challenges us to stretch our faith through prayer. Individual praying stirs our hearts and develops our lives to conform us more in the image of our Lord. We know that God can accomplish much when we pray with others. However, God is greatly pleased when we pray to Him individually.
It is a prayer that is inspirational.
He prayed for the sun and moon to stand still. He was praying for sunlight for 24 consecutive hours! In his prayer, he prayed for something more. He was praying for more time to get things done. He was praying for more strength and stamina to keep going. Joshua and his men had not slept for at least 30 hours before this. He was praying for more opportunity to get the job done for the glory of God. In his prayer, he prayed for a miracle. The rotational orbit of the planets around the sun is the creative order of God. Any change to this creates disruption and possibly cataclysmic events. However, none of that happened. God was pleased that Joshua had so much faith to believe that God was in total control of everything that needed to happen right. Are you praying for anything miraculous right now? Then, he prayed for something memorable. This event was even recorded in a secular book known as the book of Jasher. It was recorded to remind us that God answered a bold and audacious prayer!
It is a prayer that is to be imitated.
No one before prayed a prayer like Joshua’s. As far as I know, I don’t think anyone prayed for God to do anything like this since. Great prayers of the Bible should be imitated. They were not given to us for mere reading. They are recorded to teach us that God is still answering prayers! Hannah prayed for her womb to be opened so she could have children: God answered her. Elijah prayed for the rain to stop, and later for rain to return: God answered both prayers. Jehoshaphat prayed for protection from the Assyrians attacking: God defeated them without Judah going to war. Daniel prayed for the mouths of lions to be shut: God answered him. A nobleman asked Jesus to intervene for his son who was at the point of death: Jesus answered him at that moment. God wants us to learn to pray the effectual, fervent prayers of a righteous man.
This morning, it’s time to recharge your faith in God and be bold in your prayers. Ask God to do something that will give you more, something miraculous, and something memorable.
Have a prayer-enriched God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Isaiah 18-22