Daily Devotional
"Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, 'Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the valley of Aijalon."
Joshua 10:12
Picture this scene: Joshua is in the middle of a battle, his troops are fighting, enemies are fleeing—and he stops to pray for the sun to stand still. Not quietly, not privately, but out loud where everyone can hear. This wasn’t a safe prayer like “Lord, help us do our best” or “Your will be done.” This was asking God to interrupt the natural order of creation.
What gave Joshua the audacity to pray such a bold prayer? Look back at verse 8: God had already promised him victory. Joshua’s bold prayer wasn’t presumption—it was faith acting on God’s promise. He believed God’s word so completely that he was willing to ask for a miracle to see it fulfilled.
Too often our prayers are small because our view of God is small. We pray for parking spaces but not for the salvation of our families. We ask God to bless our food but not to use us to reach our communities with the gospel. God isn’t just interested in our small needs (though He cares about those too)—He delights to answer prayers that only He can answer, prayers that bring Him glory and demonstrate His power.
Today's Challenge
When was the last time you prayed a prayer that required God's miraculous intervention? What promises of God could you base bold prayers on this week? What's the difference between bold faith and selfish presumption?
Prayer
God, forgive me for playing it safe in my prayer life. You are the God who made the sun stand still, who parted the Red Sea, who raised the dead. Help me to pray prayers worthy of who You are.....bold prayers based on Your promises, not my circumstances. Give me faith to ask for things that only You can do. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen.
