WHEN PRAYER BECOMES A COMMAND.

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*

*WHEN PRAYER BECOMES A COMMAND.*

*Scripture Treasure.*

Joshua 10; 7-15

*So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.*

*And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.*

*Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.*

*And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.*

*And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.*

*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.*

*And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.*

*And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.*

*And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.*

*Insight and Highlight.*

Prayer can be a command.

*Scripture Commentaries.*

While prayer is a petition, a call and supplication to God, God often contrain Himself to just not answering only in return to our asking but answering to our command rather other than our asking.

God said in Isaiah 45:11 *Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.*

David said to Goliath in 1 Sam 17:46-47

*This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.*

*And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands.*

Joshua commanded the sun and the moon not to go down until Israel had defeated their enemies. It was against the natural and divine order. God stopped the functions of the sun and moon for one day.

God obeyed the voice of one mortal man and it was unmatched in biblical history.

Job teaches us to command our morning, ref Job 38:12.

Jesus taught us to *".....ask and it shall be given......"* (Matt 7:7) He further teaches us that while the Old Testament prophets would prophesy or declare God's will to His people saying *"....thus sayeth the Lord....."* Jesus came saying with distinctive command *"....Verily, verily, l say unto you...."*

To 'ask' is a command of Christ to all believers, to 'command' is for believers to ask God to do what he desires, not doubting.

He said in Mark 11:23 *For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith*

In Mark 11:23, He combined the act of 'command' as both a product of 'asking' and a prelude of 'asking'.

As for 'asking from God'' and 'commanding God'', one is not complete without the other, each with the other completes the process of asking and receiving.

Paul teaches us to surrender to God's will through prayer, rather than command Him, demanding actions. 1 Thess 5;17, Philpns 4:6, Acts 5:9, he did, however, affirm God's promise through Jesus Christ to give us victory over sin and death.

Romans 16:20: And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

It is His promise, among many others and we can command it.

We have authority from Christ, Luke 10:19.

We are both under His authority and in authority to command!

*Remorse corner.*

There is no one who prays who will not command God to do what he desires as a petition.

*Call to Word action.*

Jesus is our Father and Lord. He is God. There is no known command that the name must be accompanied by any human self-made praise or other abbreviation or words of appellation on or after His name because the name is powerful on its own.

Jesus is the name, believe in Him, ref Phillipians 2:9-11.

*The Christian clarion duty.*

The name is powerful. It stands alone and it is the power behind any asking and command made to God.

*Prayer.*

Lord help me both to exercise my Kingdom privilege to ask from and command You the works of Your hands and hear me as l call in Jesus name.

Good morning all and have a blessed day.

God bless you.

Shalom.