HOW TO PRAY

Romans 8:18-39

by: Pastor Edward Vincent J. Barcial

 

Philip Yancey is an American Christian author. Fourteen million of his books have been sold worldwide, making him one of the best-selling evangelical Christian authors. Philip Yancey in his book on prayer tells of a young American soldier in Iraq who learns that his wife back home has advanced cervical cancer. Doctors gave a bleak prognosis. In desperation, he sent an urgent email to his church with the request that everyone in turn forward his prayer request to every praying person they knew. The email said, "Pray and forward. It only takes a second to hit "forward." Please don’t delete this, your prayer can and perhaps will save her life. Please pray and ask everyone you know to pray for the HEALING of Cindy, removal of the cancer in her body so she may enjoy all that life has to offer, and continue to be the wonderful mother to our 5-year-old son."

Yancey goes on to ask, "Does prayer operate like a pyramid scheme -- the more people who pray, the more likely the answer? Does a sick woman with who happens to have praying friends stand a better chance for recovery than an equally deserving person who does not?"  [Source: Philip Yancey. "Prayer: Does It Make a Difference?" (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006) p. 301. From a sermon by John Hamby, "Praying for Others: The Power of Intercessory Prayer" 6/29/2009]

 

The address this question, we need to look into the book of James.

 

James 5:16-18 (NKJV)

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

 

It says that a (single) person’s prayer avails much. It doesn’t take much to get an answer. But there are qualities we need to see. EFFECTIVE means “according to the WORD of God.”  Our prayers must be in line with the Bible and its truth. God will not answer prayers that are fleshly or worldly and totally against the Bible. It has to be according to God’s will for us.

 

FERVENT means “according to the SPIRIT of God.” Our Biblical prayer must be passionate, earnest and in the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. Religious prayers, although biblical in its content and sound right, are powerless unless we let the Holy Spirit pray through us.

 

RIGHTEOUS means “according to the CHARACTER of God.”  Our lives should reflect the holiness of God. God does not hear sinners because sin is a hindrance to prayer. We must be in righteous relationship with God in order for us to be heard.

 

Psalms 66:18-20 (NKJV)

If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. 19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!

 

The verse also continues to mention a single man that availed God’s answer. James tells us about Elijah who is like us in every way and his prayer as A  (single, one) man availed heaven’s blessings.

 

17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

 

Let us now learn how to pray effectively by using the Word of God according to the book of Romans.

 

I.                   REASONS TO PRAY  

 

1)      SUFFERINGS    - Our prayer should be the result of suffering and not the means to eliminate it.

 

Romans 8:18-19 (NKJV)

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

 

James 5:13a (NKJV) Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.

 

Jesus went through many sufferings on the cross that qualified Him to be our intercessor.

 

Isaiah 53:10-12 (NKJV)

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

 

Jesus also suffered and prayed in the Garden before His crucifixion.

 

Luke 22:44 (NKJV)    And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.

 

2)      FUTILITY – God allows futility in our lives so we could always come to Him in prayer for our needs.

 

Romans 8:20 (NKJV) For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;

 

Are you frustrated in life? Discouraged or disappointed? Be of good courage. Pray without ceasing during futile moments.

 

3)      CORRUPTION – Since we live in an imperfect world, prayer then becomes essential in our lives.

 

Romans 8:21 (NKJV)

21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

 

HOW TO PRAY

 

Our prayer must be accompanied with the right values and attitude. We will mention seven of them.

1)      Pray With Hope – There is always a reward in the end. Hope of an answer will keep us going.

 

Romans 8:24 (NKJV)

For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?

 

2)      Pray With Perseverance – Never give up in prayer. Pray until something happens (PUSH).

25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

 

3)      Pray With The Spirit – The Holy Spirit will help us because we do not know what to pray for

 

26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

 

4)      Pray With The Promise – God promises that everything will work out in the end.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

 

5)      Pray With Destiny – Jesus is our intercessor today. As we pray, we will be more and more like Him.

 

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

 

Romans 8:16-17 (NKJV) The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

 

6)      Pray With Confidence – God is willing to give us all things.  This will increase our faith in prayer

Romans 8:31-34 (NKJV)

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

 

7)      Pray With Victory – In Prayer we will overcome all things.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Conclusion:  If we fail to pray, remember that Jesus is still praying for us. He will never fail. Our life now is secured.

 

Luke 22:31-32 (NKJV)

31 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."

 

1 John 2:1 (NKJV)

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

 

Heb 7:25 (NKJV)

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

 

Keep on praying!    There is power in prayer to our God in Jesus’ name.   God bless!  

WIN – AL AIN 16^TH Anniversary Message From The Pastor

 

My family and I would like to congratulate Bro. Paul Mojica and the Core leadership of the WIN – Al Ain YA for a joyful 16^th anniversary. May the Lord use the young single professionals and workers for the glory of God and the propagation of the Gospel in the land. God bless us all.

 

This year they have chosen the theme, “THE CALL” based on Isaiah 61:1-7. This is the very scripture that Jesus read in the synagogue when He began His public ministry (Luke 4:16-22). The call is very clear:

 

Isaiah 61:3c (NKJV) That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."

 

Isaiah 61:36a (NKJV) But you shall be named the priests of the LORD; they shall call you the servants of our God.

 

We are called to righteousness for the glory of God and are called to be servants. But without the Holy Spirit we can never be what God has called us to be. So in order to answer the call, let us receive the anointing of His Spirit in order to fulfill our calling by doing 5 things:

 

Isaiah 61:1-3 (NKJV) "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me

 

1)      To Preach good tidings to the poor;

 

We are called to share the Gospel of Jesus for salvation to all. (Mark 16:15)

 

2)      To Heal  - He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted.

 

We are called to demonstrate the power of the Spirit to heal. (Mark 16:18)

 

3)      To Proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; ² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day ofvengeance of our God;

 

We are called perform deliverance by using the Keys of the Kingdom in spiritual warfare. (Matthew 16:19/Psalm 149/ Mark 16:17).

 

4)      To Comfort and To Console - To comfort all who mourn, 3 To console those who mourn in Zion.

 

We are called to offer our prayers and admonish people with the WORD of God to those who are suffering. (John 11:1-44)

 

5)      To Give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

 

We are called to impart to others the spirit of joy and praise to the Lord. (Psalm 103:2, 63:3, 86:12, 150:6)

 

That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."

 

May the Lord be glorified today and forevermore as we receive His fresh anointing so we could heed the call to serve and glorify Jesus in righteousness. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to anoint us with fresh oil today and forevermore.

 

God bless us all!

 

From my family to yours,

 

Ps Edward,  Sis. Marlene, David John and Sally Joy

THE SIN OF ACHAN: THE ACCURSED THING

Joshua 6: 15-27 and 7:1-26

by: Sis. Marlene Barcial

 

 

Have you ever ask yourself …why are so many Christians living in defeat today? Many of us are struggling with sickness, depression, marriage problems, rebellious children, and so on. If God is for us, why there are moments in our life that it seems God is not fighting for our battle. Have you ever thought about “accursed" items in our homes that are hindering the presence and works of almighty God? Could it be that we are giving Satan a foothold in our homes unknowingly to come in an opened door?

 

Throughout the Old Testament God told His people the Israelites many times to put away the strange and accursed things and return to Him. God fought the battle for His people when they put their trust in Him and served Him only. “The sin committed by Achan” is a story full of lessons for modern day Christians and we will find out how God is seriously desires sanctification among His people throughout history.

We had read from the passage that after an incredible victory over Jericho, Achan, an Israelite soldier, secretly disobey the clear directives regarding the accursed thing and treasures taken in war. Joshua told his men that all the spoils taken from Jericho were to be considered: “devoted things” belonging in God’s treasure and warned Israel to get rid of the accursed thing belong to that city. In the story, Achan secretly challenged Joshua’s orders by taking valuables and hiding them under his family’s tent.

In Joshua 6: 15-27 and 7:1-26, we can find these words repeating themselves:

Accursed/curse                                - 12 times mentioned (the repetition is a form of emphasis)

Stones                                  -5 times

Destroy/destruction       -5 times

Trouble/d                            -3 times

 

A. The Accursed thing had clearly defined or identified.   -  Joshua 6:17-26

Joshua 6: 17-19

 Now the city shall be doomed by the Lord to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.¹⁸ And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. ¹⁹ But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.”

The phrase “Accursed thing”  is the Hebrew word  H2764 חרם   חרם chêrem  (khay'-rem, kheh'-rem) that means “dedicated thing/s which should have been utterly destroyed, (appointed to) utter destruction, devoted thing.”

1. The “accursed thing” meant something “under the ban” and marked for utter destruction.

Jericho, the city had been placed under the ban by the Lord an expression which comes from the Hebrew word, herem which means “a devoted thing.” The verb form, haram, means “to ban, devote, or destroy utterly.” In this case, the accursed thing was the city of Jericho itself, with all its possessions and inhabitants, animal and humans. However, Rahab and her family were to be spared, because of her kindness to the two spies (Joshua 6:17).

It is related to an Arabic root meaning “to prohibit, especially to ordinary use.” The “harem,” (Arabic “haram” -“prohibited”) meaning the special quarters for Muslim wives, comes from this word. So, to surrender something to God meant devoting it to the service of God or putting it under a ban for total destruction.

The Dake’s Annonated Referrence Bible supports this meaning: “The accursed thing is anything that is devoted to destruction. It could be something consecrated to the sanctuary and if taken by anyone unlawfully, it would become the accursed thing to the sinner.” This was the same sin that Ananias and Saphira committed as in Acts 5:1-3. Tithes and offerings mentioned in Malachi 3: 8-12

Malachi 3:8, 9   

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

To understand this further: Basically, for something to be under the ban meant one of two things:  

a. Everything living was to be completely destroyed.

You may say, this has been called cruel and primitive—nothing less than the murder of innocent lives, but the Canaanites were by no means innocent. They were abominable people who practiced the dishonorable forms of immorality including child sacrifice (Deuteronomy 18). God had given the Canaanites over 400 years to repent, but now their iniquity had become full (see Gen. 15:16; Lev. 18:24-28).  And only one family who did turn to the Lord (Rahab and her family) was spared. Note Norman Geisler’s comment: “the battle threatening Israel was not simply a religious war; it was a theocratic war.”Meaning that Israel was directly governed by God and “the extermination” was God’s direct command. Exod. 23:27-30; Deut. 7:3-6; Josh. 8:24-26). Remember that No other nation either before or after Israel has been a theocracy. Thus, those commands were unique. Israel as a theocracy was an instrument of judgment in the hands of God.

Secondly, something to be under the ban that

b. All the valuable objects like gold and silver were to be dedicated to the Lord’s treasury.

 

This was evidently to be done as a kind of first fruits of the land and an evidence of the people’s trust in the Lord’s supply for the future.  Let us be warned!

2. The accursed thing is serious/ grievous sin that will cause trouble!  Joshua 7:1-9

¹ But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi,[a] the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel.

The word Trespass in Hebrew  H4604      מעל       ma‛al    mah'-al  means treachery, that is, sin: - falsehood, grievously, sore, or transgression.

The truths about committing accursed thing are: How serious it is even until today.

1. The Lord held the whole camp of Israel accountable for the act of one man and He withheld His blessing as long as this is practiced and until the matter was dealt with.

a. God viewed the nation as a unit.

Notice how the Lord did not mention “Achan” but referred to the sin as being ISRAEL’S SIN.  Because of the sin of ONE the whole camp suffered UNTIL the evil thing was removed from them!  The Lord did not view them individually, but as a WHOLE when it came to the breaking of HIS commandment.

b. One believer’s sin impacts everyone.

Achan’s behavior also illustrates how one believer commit such sins negatively impacts and creates trouble for an entire group or nation. Achan’s name, the Hebrew, akan, is a play on the word akor, which means “trouble.” Achan in Hebrew H5912 עכן ‛âkân means “to trouble; troublesome.” So Joshua would declare that the Lord would bring trouble (akor) on Achan who had become a “troubler” to the nation because of his sin (cf. 7:24-25). Thus, the location of Achan’s death and grave was called, “the valley of Achor” (Hebrew, akor, “disturbance, trouble”).

Though the crime was committed by one person, the whole nation was considered guilty.

The Apostle Paul saw the same principle of unity at work in the church (1 Cor. 5:6-13). The Unjudged sin contaminated the whole assembly—“Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?” (1 Cor. 5: 6) Warning also for us!

2. Sin never escapes God’s watchful eye

We must be reminded that nothing escapes from the eyes of omniscience God (Psa. 139:1f). We can fool ourselves and others, but never the Lord. God sees the sin in our lives and desires us to deal with it, and not to hide it.  Hiding it only hinders our progress in God’s will and plan (Prov. 28:13) and creates trouble for others. In Numbers 32:23 reminds us, “be sure your sin will find you out.” This is similar to the idea of reaping what we sow because of the natural consequences of God’s spiritual and moral laws.

3. Sin is no small matter to God.

The words, “therefore the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel,” intensely call our attention to the holiness of God and the fact that sin is no small matter with Him because it is rebellion and rebellion is as the sin of divination (1 Sam. 15:23). Even though the Lord died for our sins and stands at God’s right hand as our advocate and intercessor, God does not and cannot treat sin in our lives lightly. It is against His holy character (His holiness, righteousness, love, etc.) and against His holy purposes for us since it hinders His control and ability to lead us. Bottom line is: One sin has brought all the nations to defeat and caused God to stop His blessing.

4. The accursed thing brings defeat (failure) and disappointment Joshua 7:5-11

⁵ And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water. ⁶ Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.

The price they have to pay for their defeat: One man’s trespass caused this defeat and the loss of 36 mighty men of war. The defeat at Ai demoralized the people. This created misgivings (doubts) and a lack of hope or confidence in the Lord.

⁷ And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord God, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! ⁸ O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies?

In our sinful human nature, we are typically just like that. We are so quick to become depressed, discouraged, and disoriented and to look in every direction for a reason for defeat, except ourselves. We blame, we make excuses, we hide and shy, but we so often fail to honestly examine our own lives. We assume that the problem could not possibly be us. Rather than examine their own lives as the source of their defeat, they began to doubt the Lord and wonder if He had changed His mind or if they had misread His directions. (https://bible.org/article/agony-defeat-joshua-71-26)

On the other hand, in the defeat at Ai we see a real test of Joshua’s leadership.  Someone remarks, “There are tests to leadership as well as tests of leadership.” One of those tests is the test of failure. Failure, like all testing’s’, is common to all men (1 Cor. 10:13) and the manner in which a leader handles his failures will have a powerful impact on his growth and future leadership. (http://bible.org/seriespage/defeat-ai-and-sin-achan-joshua-71-26)

It was a comfort to know that despite of our own failures we realized that God can greatly use us if we will trust Him. Failure is not the end. In fact, failure can be the back door to success; it may be just the beginning depending on how we respond. Of course, it is always better to make a few new mistakes and learn from them than to repeat old ones. Or else, our defeats have no life-changing value.  A leader must learn to be realistic and prepared to realize that he cannot be right all the time. There is no such a thing as a perfect or infallible leader.

4. The accursed thing brings grievous consequences to a leader/nation Joshua 7: 11-12

A.      The Lord revealed the consequences of committing this grievous sin

¹¹ Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. ¹² Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.

 Defeated by enemies - The children of Israel could not stand before their enemies

Destroyed by sin -The children of Israel have become doomed to destruction

Deserted by God -God will not be with the children of Israel anymore

The solution to the problem:  Destroy the accursed thing from among them.

B.       The Lord revealed the manner of destroying the accursed thing:

Joshua 7: 13-26

¹³ Get up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the Lord God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.”

The commands that dealt with sin: Get up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘sanctify yourselves 13-15. Assemble the people according to their tribes- these specific instructions were given for purging out this sin from their midst. First, there is to be examination of the people tribe by tribe, family by family, and finally man by man. Note also how the men (the fathers) are the ones held responsible for their families. The examination would reveal the guilty party. God gave divine direction and Achan was discovered by supernatural means. Amazingly, He did not come forth voluntarily to confess or repent and throw himself on the mercy of God. His failure to do so stands in contrast with the attitude of the prodigal and the publican of the New Testament. (http://bible.org/article/agony-defeat-joshua-71-26).

C.      The verdict of the Lord

This describes the punishment that was to be carried out on the guilty party with the reason given for the severity of the punishment. The person who took the accursed thing should be burned with fire and all that he has because he transgressed the covenant of the Lord and has done a disgraceful thing in Israel. the beautiful Babylonian Garment, 200 shekels of sliver, the wedge of gold weighing 50 shekels (stolen things) his sons and daughters (family) his oxen, donkeys and sheep (Profession or Job; Livelihood) his tents and all that he had (all his possessions) Savings, House and Lot, furniture. His life. The terrible penalty of committing disobedience in regards to accursed things. The heaviest penalty was death, burning and destruction of all he owned by fire, as a shadow of the eternal death penalty in eternal fire. To burn refers to burning after being stoned to death, not burning alive.

(http://bible.org/seriespage/defeat-ai-and-sin-achan-joshua-71-26).

Conclusion:  The Lesson From Achan’s Sin    Joshua 7: 20-24

1.       The process (pattern) to Achan’s sin was a familiar one.

²⁰ And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done: ²¹ When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.”

The process (pattern) to Achan’s sin was a familiar one. He saw, he coveted, and he took and hide. It was the same with Eve (Gen. 3:6) and with David (2 Sam. 11:2-4) and it is the same with us.

2.         The Death of Achan Settled (7:22-26) SOLID or never change…verdict has been done.

²⁵ And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.²⁶ Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.

Pastor Clay Ritter commented on this incidence:

Joshua’s approach was tender, yet firm. He hated the sin, but loved the sinner. Achan’s confession while honest, was too late and the product of discovery. He only did so when forced to by the circumstances. It was not an act of repentance. (Godly sorrow that leads to repentance) (2 Cor. 7:8-11). If he had voluntarily cast himself on the mercy of God, his life might have been spared, as in the case of David and his sin.

The story of Achan illustrates the principle that leaders may become vulnerable following major success. Although it can be very difficult, leaders must take the appropriate step, to remove those who block God’s blessing and work. When a team member compromises a core value, the ripple effect of his or her action can hurt many others. Godly leaders must stop the trickle (drip) before it becomes a flood.
 

I want to emphasize that nothing is ever accomplished with our eyes when we always focus on our failures and problems. First, we must confess our failures and the things that caused them once determined. Then we must seek to learn from them. Finally, we need to know that God’s will is immediate recovery and faith in the grace of God. God’s will for us is to get up and move on.

We are also right to forget or minimize the holiness of God. God is described as holy more than by any of His other attributes—more than even His love, mercy, and grace. As a holy God, God is perfect righteousness and justice, and, because of His justice, He must deal with sin (cf. Psa. 50:21; Eccl. 8:11-12). http://bible.org/article/agony-defeat-joshua-71-26     2008 Calvary Chapel Wilmington – Pastor Clay Ritter The Agony of Defeat (Joshua 7:1-26)Study By: J. Hampton Keathley, III   by Kathy A. Smith

Deu 7:25, 26 "You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold [that is] on them, nor take [it] for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it [is] an abomination to the LORD your God.  ²⁶ "Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it [is] an accursed thing.