Footsteps in Prayer

A journey through the Bible

JOSHUA • Find a place where you can look out of the window. • Notice all you can see outside. • Take in the sounds and smells. • Be aware of God’s loving eyes watching over you and with you. • Ask for the grace to be strong and very courageous in the Lord. • You may like to listen to James Block or Norwich Cathedral Choir sing Psalm 3. • You might instead like to listen to The Corner Room sing Psalm 1 or to Morricone’s Lady Calif. Photograph Sister Maureen CSF with permission You might like to listen to:

Day 1: Vineyard Worship Faithful One so Unchanging then click here.

Day 2: Acapelridge sing The Battle Belongs to the Lord then click here.

Day 3: Chris Tomlin sing Come Thy Fount of Every Blessing then click here.

Day 4: Tavener’s Prayer to the Holy Trinity then click here.

Day 5: Selah sing Before the throne of God above then click here.

Day 6: The King’s Daughters sing No Longer Slaves then click here.

Day 7: Today I choose to live my life for you then click here. Day 1: Joshua 1

As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Read this passage from Joshua 1. What words or phrases strike you? Read these words again slowly. Stay with one of the words or phrases that catches you and hold it in the stillness before God. What thoughts, feelings and images have emerged in this time of prayer? How has the Spirit been at work in your heart as you have prayed? You might like to note these down in your journal. When you have finished click here to continue. Twelve Tribes: Judah by Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik (fair use) Day 2: Joshua 2

Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there...

Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the

Red Sea[ for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.”

Read this passage Joshua 2. What words or phrases strike you? Read these words again slowly. Stay with one of the words or phrases that catches you and hold it in the stillness before God. What thoughts, feelings and images have emerged in this time of prayer? How has the Spirit been at work in your heart as you have prayed? You might like to note these down in your journal. When you have finished click here to continue. Rehab Kunstforum & Atelier Reimann (fair use) Day 3: Joshua 4

On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan.

He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red

Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”

Read this passage from Joshua 4. What words strike you? Read these words again slowly. Stay with one of the words that catches you and hold it in the stillness before God. What thoughts, feelings and images have emerged in this time of prayer? How has the Spirit been at work in your heart as you have prayed? You might like to note these down in your journal. When you have finished click here to continue. Crossing from the desert to the promised land, Table view Church Cape Town Day 4: Joshua 5

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Read this passage from Joshua 5. What words or phrases strike you? Read these words again slowly. Stay with one of the words or phrases that catches you and hold it in the stillness before God. What thoughts, feelings and images have emerged in this time of prayer? How has the Spirit been at work in your heart as you have prayed? You might like to note these down in your journal. When you have finished click here to continue.

Blessed Be the Host of the King of Heaven (public domain). Day 5: Joshua 7

The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction. Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them’.”

Read this passage from Joshua 7. What words or phrases strike you? Read these words again slowly. Stay with one of the words or phrases that catches you and hold it in the stillness before God. What thoughts, feelings and images have emerged in this time of prayer? How has the Spirit been at work in your heart as you have prayed? You might like to note these down in your journal. When you have finished click here to continue. The Valley of Achor by Jennifer Phillips See also HOSEA 2: 14-15 Day 6: Joshua 17 Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our relatives.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with the brothers of their father, according to the Lord’s command. Manasseh’s share consisted of ten tracts of land besides Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan, because the daughters of the tribe of Manasseh received an inheritance among the sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh. Read this passage from Joshua 17. What words strike you? Read these words again slowly. Stay with one of the words that catches you and hold it in the stillness before God. What thoughts, feelings and images have emerged in this time of prayer? How has the Spirit been at work in your heart as you have prayed? You might like to note these down in your journal. When you have finished click here to continue. You are the lifter of my head by Terri Derocher (fair use) Day 7: Joshua 24

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Read this passage from Joshua 24. What words or phrases strike you? Read these words again slowly. Stay with one of the words or phrases that catches you and hold it in the stillness before God. What thoughts, feelings and images have emerged in this time of prayer? How has the Spirit been at work in your heart as you have prayed? You might like to note these down in your journal. When you have finished click here to continue.

The Seer by Jenni Bump (fair use).

You might like to listen to one of these pieces of music each day as you reflect on how God has been at work.

Day 1: This is the air I breathe

Day 2: You are my hiding place

Day 3: Head above the water

Day 4: You Say

Day 5: The Lord’s Prayer

Day 6: Who you say I am

Day 7: So Will I

You might like to listen to The Travellers’ Prayer. The Israelites travelled through the Red Sea and the River Jordan - from Pharaoh to freedom. Led, protected and provided for, they were given the choice as to who they would serve. As we join Detail of The Lord is my Refuge by Hannah Dunnett used with permission our footsteps with those of other travellers, we have a choice as well. Psalm 3 Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side. Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.

Image by Hannah Dunnett used with permission Proverbs 3: 1-8

My son, do not forget my teaching, In all your ways submit to but keep my commands in your heart, him and he will make your paths straight for they will prolong your life many years Proverbs 3: 6 and bring you peace and prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favour and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

Photograph by Adele Barker used with permission Creative prayer Ebenezer - stone of help (1 Samuel 7:12-13)

The use of rocks and stones are well embedded in scripture. They are often used as memory stones - to remind people of the words and actions of God. In the journey of prayer so far we have met: Jacob who put a stone under his head at Bethel and after his dream set it up as a pillar and poured oil on it (Genesis 28). Moses who came down from Sinai with two tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God (Exodus 31:18) and who also placed 12 stone pillars at the foot of mount Sinai representing the twelve tribes of Israel (Exodus 28). In day three this week we encountered the Israelites picking up 12 stones and placing them as a memorial of the crossing of the Jordan on dry ground.

For this creative prayer look back over your life and pick one particular event where God spoke or acted for you. Remember that event in detail and give thanks. You might like then to represent this memory in a rock painting. There are two approaches to this that can be found by clicking on the images to the right. One is painting on a rock, and the other is a watercolour painting of rocks.

You might like to listen again to Chris Tomlin sing Come Thy Fount of Every Blessing. A prayer for the day

O Spirit of God, penetrate into the depths of our spirits, into the storehouses of memories, remembered and forgotten, into the depths of being, the very springs of personality, and cleanse and forgive, making us whole and holy, that we may be thine and live in the new being of Christ our Lord. Amen. Photograph Sister Maureen CSF with permission

George Appleton in One Man’s Prayers. Footsteps in Prayer

A journey through the Bible

An introduction to the book of Joshua from Fuller Seminary can be found here. A graphic introduction from Bible Project can be found here.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Title Slide The Seer by Jenni Bump (fair use). Final Slide The Pathway by Kate Austin (Adapted) Used with permission. This prayer station and other resources can be found at The Prayer Room