Don't Forget to Pray

Message from Daily Encounter:

"The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord." - Joshua 9:14 (NIV).

After the days of Moses when the armies of Israel, led by Joshua, were conquering the Promised Land marked out for them by God, the surrounding kings and nations were understandably terrified. This was because God was with the Israelites giving them great victories wherever they went.

However, the men of Gibeon, a nearby country, resorted to trickery and outsmarted Joshua. They sent a
delegation to Joshua with the appearance of having come from a distant land so they could deceive Joshua
into making a treaty with them. Their donkeys carried worn-out sacks and old wineskins that were cracked and
had been mended. They wore old clothes, and worn and patched sandals, and the bread they carried with them
was dry and moldy.

Their ruse worked. Joshua signed a treaty with them and only afterwards discovered they were a neighboring
people among those countries God had told Joshua to destroy because of their wickedness. They had to live
with the consequences as a result.

Joshua's mistake was that he made this treaty without praying and inquiring of the Lord! An extremely
valuable lesson for all of us to learn!



Reflection of B:

After stopping my habit of doing quiet time with my best friend last year, I found it difficult to keep a consistent quiet time regiment on my own. I guest it is the same with my best friend too. I feel so guilty that other things have taken precedence to my time with God. :(

The above passage came into my mailbox yesterday to remind me that I need to pray and seek God's direction for my life and career. I have been busy with planning to start my own business and to resume my postgraduate study, but I have not seriously consulted God. It's time I go back to basic, to seeking God's will for my life.


Dear Father,
Sorry that I have put you in my closet and forgotten about seeking Your perfect will in the things I do. Forgive me, Lord. Please give me the strength to continue this spiritual journey with You daily. I want to commit all my plans into Your hands now. Help me be clear of the name of my startup, selection of my partners, and my decision to further my study.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.