Pressing Pause to Pray

Welcome to today's word of encouragement from Our Daily Bread. The devotional writer for today is James Banks in the reading is titled pressing pause to pray the fire hydrant gushed into the street.

I saw my opportunity. Several cars had splashed through before me and I thought what a great way to get a free wash my car hadn't been clean for a month and the dust was thick so I fired it up and headed into the day lose crack.

It happened so fast. The sun had already beaten down on my black car that morning.

Heating its glass and interior but the water from the hydrant was frigid as soon the cold. Gosh hit the hot windshield. A crack struck like lightning from top to bottom. My free car wash ended up costing me plenty if I had only pressed pause beforehand to think or even to pray never have a moment like that. The people of Israel did under far weightier circumstances.

God had promised to help them drive out other nations as they entered the land he'd given them so that they wouldn't be tempted by false gods.

But one of the nation saw Israel's victories and used stale bread to trick them into believing they lived far away. Joshua chapter 9 verses 14 through 15 says the Israelites sampled their provisions, but did not inquire of the Lord.

Then Joshua made a treaty of peace, unknowingly circumventing God's instructions.

When we make prayer a first resort instead of a last, we invite God's direction, wisdom and blessing. May he help us remember to press pause today. Today's power daily bread devotional Scripture reading comes to us from Joshua chapter 9 verses seven through 15. The Israelites said to the Hittites, but perhaps you live near us.

So how can we make a treaty with you. We are your servants. They said to Joshua, but Joshua asked who are you and where do you come from. They answered your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God, for we have heard reports of him all that he did in Egypt and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan Sihanouk King of hash bond and Og, King of passion, who reigned in Ashtoreth and are elders and all those living in our country said to us take provisions for your journey, go and meet them and say to them. We are your servants make a treaty with us. This spread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you, but now see how dry and moldy. It is in these wineskins that we filled were new but see how crack they are in our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey, the Israelites sampled their provisions, but did not inquire of the Lord.

Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live in the leaders of the assembly ratified by of let's pray thank you father for giving wisdom generously and without finding fault to those who ask you for it.

Would you please help us to press pause more frequently and come to you and to lean not on our own understanding, but in all of our ways to acknowledge you thank you Lord for the great gift of prayer and is in Jesus name that we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today.

My name is Wes Ward and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread ministries