This is NOT the Time to Pray--Taking Responsibility for Your Life--Part 3

Have you ever heard someone try to talk themselves out of a situation they behaved themself into? As a former principal and school teacher, I heard it many times. I suspect the police officers in our class have heard many examples as well. As parents, you may have even heard your children try to talk themselves out of situations they behaved themself into.

Does such behavior ever apply to Christians? Do we ever try to talk or pray ourself out of situations we behaved ourselves into? I suspect we are all guilty of such behavior at some time in our lives. Some very religious folks have a tendency to hide behind their prayers and to match irresponsibility with prayers. For example, how many times have we disobeyed the will of God only to face the consequences of our actions, and then fell before God earnestly seeking deliverance from the consequences of our failure to follow God's will?

In today's lesson, Andy Stanley uses the story of Achan's Sin in Joshua 7 to illustrate how God's people often try to pray themselves out of situations they behaved themselves into. In Joshua 7, we learn that Achan took some of the spoils from God's great victory at Jericho after being told specifically not to take any of the spoils of victory. Achan saw a beautiful robe and silver and gold as he went through the rubble of the Israelite victory over Jericho. He coveted these things and took them even though the Lord specifically forbid such behavior.

Days later, when the Israelites attacked the small city of Ai, a city that Joshua's scouts had recommended only sending 3,000 men to attack and subdue the city, the Israelites were routed and chased from the city gate. Indeed, about thirty-six of the Israelite soldiers were killed. This caused the men of Israel to become afraid because they realized that God had not delivered Ai into their hands as they had expected. Joshua and the elders tore their clothes and fell face down to pray. At the end of the evening, the Lord told Joshua to stand up. He wasn't interested in granting the prayers of a people who had been unfaithful to him. He instructed Joshua to sanctify the people and to identify the men of Israel who had violated God's command. Achan was found to have the forbidden items. Achan and his entire family were destroyed. Many men died because Achan failed to honor God's commands. Praying to God was not sufficient to justify the irresponsible behavior of Achan. You might ask, "Was it fair that innocent Israelite warriors died as a result of Achan's sin? Was it fair that Achan's entire family was destroyed because of his sin?" Maybe not, but irresponsible behavior is almost never "fair" in the end.

Andy Stanley suggests that we don't need to pray about something that God has already addressed in His Word. You don't have to pray about it. God said to be honest. Don't pray about it, just be honest. God said to pay your taxes. You don't have to pray about it....just pay your taxes. God said not to participate in sex before marriage. One doesn't have to pray about it....just don't have sex before marriage. However, if someone fails to honor God's directives and then thinks they can pray their way out of a situation caused by their irresponsible behavior, they are sadly mistaken. Andy says, "If you are substituting prayer for taking responsibility in your life, you're an irresponsible person that prays." But, don't think that God is going to bail you out of a sticky situation that you have created.

Take responsibility for your life. Act responsibly. Follow God's directives. In these matters, prayer is not necessary. As the Nike slogan says, "Just Do It." If we fail to do so, we or someone else or perhaps both will have to pay for the irresponsible behavior. We can't tolerate irresponsible behavior--in our own lives or in the lives of others. Eventually, everybody pays for irresponsible behavior