Ask For the Impossible

One of the greatest joys of my life is my two year old son Jackson. He is a little crazy and a lot fun. He has a very unique view of the world.

In Jackson’s world, chicken nuggets and french fries are really the only meal you need.

In Jackson’s world, his little brother is more of a pet than a person.

In Jackson’s world, his daddy can do anything… nothing is impossible for his daddy…

The things he cannot reach, daddy can get for him; the toys that are broken, daddy can fix; if he needs it, daddy can provide.It doesn’t matter how impossible it may be for him to do, he has complete confidence that his daddy can get it done.

I think that is the perspective we are meant to have when it comes to God. We should be able to ask God for anything and be completely confident that our heavenly father can handle it. The Bible talks about having faith like a child. The kind faith that asks for the impossible and almost takes for granted that it will get done.

I am reminded by a story in Joshua 10. Israel was on their way to taking the land God had promised them. They had allied themselves with a neighboring people and no sooner had they done that than those people were attacked by five kings and their armies. Israel came to the aid of their allies, routing the enemy. This is where we pick up the story:

Joshua 10:
11 As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky, and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites. 12 On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: "O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon." 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!

What kind of prayer is that? Sun stand still? Who in their right mind asks for something so crazy? That is some intense faith. Notice that he doesn’t preface his prayer with anything. Here is this thing that is completely impossible and yet Joshua just throws it out there like its nothing. He doesn’t pause to think that he is literally asking God to stop time, to stop the earth from spinning, yet continue to sustain it on its axis. He doesn’t do all the astrophysics involved in literally altering the fluid movement of the universe, he just prays.

What is even crazier is that God answered his prayer.

I think we can learn a few things from Joshua and praying prayers of faith.

First, we must line our prayers up with God’s purposes. Joshua’s prayer was perfectly aligned with what God was doing. God had promised that he would give the people of Israel victory. Joshua knew God’s promises and lined his prayer up with what God was doing. You cannot ask God for the impossible for selfish reasons. God is not a slot machine in the sky spitting out winning lottery tickets to everyone asks. You cannot simply ask God for a million dollars because your birthday list is a little hefty.

However, you can discern the heart of God in any situation and ask God to do the impossible.

Second, I think it is important to go big and be specific. Joshua didn’t pray something like "just help me…" or "please help us defeat these guys."

So many times, I have been guilty of this. I start praying about this or that or for this person and here I am praying generic prayers that are so beneath a God who can do the impossible. I don’t think we always go big enough when we pray. It’s painful to think about how many times I have prayed small prayers over big situations because I just couldn’t let God be big enough in my heart to take over and do the impossible.

Praying possible prayers over impossible situations only communicates that we don't think God is big enough or strong enough to come through

If we are going to be people of faith, if we are going see the impossible, we have to ask for it by name.

Finally, we have to be confident. Notice Joshua doesn’t say, something like God, if you are willing. There is no question in Joshua’s mind that God can or that God wants to do it. He just throws it out there and trusts God to come through. That is faith.

When we are in a place where if God doesn’t come through, we will fail we are most likely in the very center of God’s will.

So here is Joshua, completely confident that God will do his part if he will just ask. What is more, he is so confident that he goes public with his prayer.

Look at verse 12,
On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: "O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon."

Joshua didn’t go hide and ask God, he did it in front of the whole nation of Israel. Alright God, here it is. We need this this imposible thing done and I am asking you to do it. And I am so confident that you can do it that I am going to pray this in front of absolutely everyone.

Too often we are too careful with our prayers. I think we hide these prayers sometimes because we are afraid of what will happen if God doesn’t do it. What if people hear us pray that and nothing happens? It doesn’t matter… It is not up to you to answer the prayer, just to pray it.

You and I can see the impossible, but we have to be audacious enough to ask for the impossible.

James 5
15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Just incase you are feeling a little timid about praying impossible prayers, remember John 14, Jesus said this,

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.