Have you ever had to do something but didn’t feel equipped or have the courage to try for fear of failure or ridicule? Or perhaps, you have a dream but getting there is a big step and you wonder if it’s even possible. Fear of failure OR fear of success can stand in your way. Do you need a Joshua 1:9 prayer to feel strong and courageous?
Fear of not being smart enough, having enough experience, or not being educated enough, and on and on, can hold you back from the purpose and design God has created for you. Just before the death of God’s servant Moses, Joshua was on the brink of something huge. God has asked him to fill Moses’ sandals and be the leader of Israel. Joshua had a lot to be afraid about! The Bible doesn’t tell us he was afraid, but God does tell Joshua numerous times to be “strong and very courageous.”
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Joshua 1:9 Prayer
As a mom, there are so many times when I’ve felt overwhelmed and insecure in my ability to do a specific job or task. When you become a parent no one gives you a manual with a comprehensive index. But, no matter what our abilities and gifts are, we are in need of a higher power to guide and lead us, to give us strength and bolster our courage. Just like Joshua, we face difficulties, financial setbacks, loss, devastation, poor choices, mistakes, and grumbling people in our life.
Also just like Joshua, we can lean into Jesus and pray for him to give us the strength and courage to do the hard things that are the right things. As stated earlier, the Bible doesn’t tell us that Joshua was fearful or worried, but reading between the lines and how many times God reminded him to be strong and courageous, I’m certain that he was struggling with lots of insecurities.
As God kept reminding Joshua of his strength and ability to support Joshua in the change in leadership and leading God’s people, I’m certain that Joshua prayed constantly as he claimed God’s promise to be with him and give him strength and courage. That Joshua 1:9 prayer turned into days, weeks, months, and years of praying for Joshua to continue on in the position that God had directed him to.
Using Joshua 1:9 as a Prayer for Courage and Strength
One of the beautiful things about scripture is that we can use it as we pray to God. Taking a verse like Joshua 1:9 and turning it into a prayer for courage and strength is exactly what God loves to hear. When we can apply the things we learn from the biblical characters and stories of difficult situations and see mighty power of our faithful God, the problems of life and each crazy situation can turn into a stance of courage when we call on the name of Jesus.
God’s word is filled from cover to cover with promises that our heavenly father will never leave us or forsake us. We can have good courage to follow God’s calling and do the work he’s equipping us to do. When you know that God is calling you to do something new, use a Joshua 1:9 prayer and ask God to give you the strength and courage to move ahead without being fearful.
Prayer for Strength and Courage in Difficult Times for Family
If you are facing something difficult in your family right now, you may be searching for a prayer for strength and courage in difficult times for your family. You may not know where to turn or even what to ask for. But God knows the end from the beginning and he can strengthen you and your family.
Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for promising to always be with us and never leave us. Today, you know the challenges that are facing my family. I pray that you will open the door of opportunity, that you will strengthen us to see the opportunity and blessings that are going to come out of this trying time, and that you will hold our hands and lead us on this journey.
Please take away our fear and give us peace as we wait for your direction. Help us not to be tempted to doubt or be discouraged because we know that you have such a beautiful plan for us. (Jer 29:11) Thank you for being with us and strengthening us as we trust in you. In the beautiful name of Christ Jesus, amen.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. ~ Joshua 1:9
Short Prayer for Strength During Difficult Times
The word of God is filled with many a clear command to not worry but to trust, to not be afraid and to be strong. These are not only leadership instructions for Moses and Joshua, but also for us today in our daily lives. No matter what you are facing, you do not need to be discouraged today. The hopeful words of Joshua 1:9 can help you do your work with boldness today knowing that God is with you every single moment of this day.
This short prayer for strength during difficult times can be used in any situation at any time.
Dear Lord God, you’ve promised to be with me wherever I go, please give me the strength and courage to do what you’ve asked me to do today. Thank you so much for hearing and answering my prayer! In Jesus’ name, amen.
Joshua 1:9 Prayers (and Answers)
By the end of the book of Joshua, all the tribes of Israel have been given their parcels of land. The enemies have been driven out and the land is free from war. The crops are growing, the people are settled into their new homes in their own towns and cities.
Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. ~ Joshua 21:45
Joshua’s time as a leader was almost finished. He had completed the jobs God had given him. He had fulfilled the purpose that God had for him. Joshua 19 relates that Joshua was included in the distribution and given land and inheritance just like the twelve tribes.
As he reviewed the great things God had done for them he reminded the people of God’s leading. He encouraged them to “be very strong” to follow God’s law and reminded them once again about God’s promises and their fulfillment. Just as God had reminded Joshua to be strong and courageous and do the work, Joshua was now encouraging his fellow people.
You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. ~ Joshua 23:14
Through all of the challenges, scary situations, criticism, insecurities, and questioning, Joshua remained true to God. Joshua looked for God’s promises and remembered the fulfillment of those promises over the years.
Courage comes from seeing God’s promises fulfilled. We have to be intentional about keeping track of those promises. Those answers to prayer to bring down the walls of the Jericho cities in our life.
As you look back at how God has provided for you and taken care of you, you can then move forward with courage, knowing that He will be with you, even if you are afraid.
Even if the job seems too big or too scary, God will go with you. If you are following God’s leading, He will create a beautiful story in the end.
Making a Joshua 1:9 Prayer of Your Own
What are you afraid of that seems too big to do? What do you feel God calling you to do that you are fearful about? Do you feel like you’ve been Praying for Rain Like Elijahwithout getting any answers? Start writing down the times in the past where you have seen God leading you, where you have seen direct answers to prayer.
Write these down and start your own story of courage. Write down some Bible promises that apply to your situation. Start with these 31 Bible Promises and claim them for yourself. Start reading the book of Joshua and think about Joshua being afraid and insecure.
God has an amazing plan for you and your life. He has plans for you that are so amazing that you can’t even begin to dream them. He doesn’t want you to be held back by fear. He wants you to be strong and courageous and do the work He’s given you.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you.” Declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11-14
What would you do if you knew…
- the walls of Jericho would fall down after seven days?
- that God would be found if you seek him?
- God had called you to do something hard?
- all of God’s promises would come true?
Wait a minute. You do know this! God’s promises are true and He is waiting for you to seek Him. He has been with you in the past. That means He will also be with you in the future. The Bible stories about strength and courage are included in the Bible for YOU!
No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. 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. ~ Joshua 1:5-7
As a mom, you are leading the army of your family to inherit the land. You have the job of fighting daily battles, working against the enemies that would break apart your home and distract you from the goal.
Be strong and courageous and do the work! God is on your side. He will be with you today. He will be with you tomorrow. Be strong and very courageous! Remain in Him – John 15
Courage comes from seeing God’s promises fulfilled. We have to be intentional about keeping track of those promises. Those answers to prayer to bring down the walls of the Jericho cities in our life.
As you look back at how God has provided for you and taken care of you, you can then move forward with courage, knowing that He will be with you, even if you are afraid.
Even if the job seems too big or too scary, God will go with you. If you are following God’s leading, He will create a beautiful story in the end.
You may also like these posts…
- Praying Moms – Using Scripture to Pray for Others
- Remain in Me – Lessons from John 15
- Joshua 1:9 Prayers for Courage
- Creating a Self-Care Life
- Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children
- 31 Bible Promises to Pray for Your Children
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This is beautiful. This was so helpful to my soul as I feel God has called me to something bigger than myself and yes there is fear. There is concern over what to say and do, in motherhood and beyond. I felt your story is so relatable and I want to know what happened at work – did you say what you should? Did your fears come through or did it work out better than expected? You also made Joshua relatable that he was just brave and ready, but just like us. Thank you.
Rose, I’m so glad this touched you. God has an amazing plan for your life and you are right where you need to for Him to work in your life. Thankfully, God is also working in my life and through my challenges and fears as well. Be strong and courageous!
As someone who lives with anxiety, I am usually pretty fearful about any new challenges, no matter how small. Thank you for the reminder that I’m never facing these problems alone!
Isn’t it a great reminder! We worry about so many things but God is already there taking care of things and carrying us through the difficult spots!
Isn’t it interesting how you can build things up in your head to be so much bigger than they need to be? Glad you were able to work through things!
Yes, I think half of the stuff we are afraid of is simply stuff that has grown in our imaginations! 🙂
As someone who is in the education myself, a lot of what you shared here resonated with me deeply. Thank you for your writing!
This is such a beautiful post. Definitely worth reading
Thank you, Susie, for your kind words!
Courage comes through practice. I can attest to that! When paralyzed by fear, I force myself to do the right thing, and I’m always glad I did!
Yes! I’ve found that to be true as well. Rather than being paralyzed by fear, if we move through it, it is usually less fearsome than what we had anticipated.
Wow! I haven’t actually read the story of Joshua for such a long time! So it was awesome that your post used him as a reference! It never ceases to amaze me how weak we really are and how our own minds can become our enemies! But through the power of God we will be made strong and victorious!
You are so right! I think sometimes our minds are the biggest battlefield that Satan uses to discourage us from doing what God has planned for us. God’s power is so much greater if we will allow Him to guide and lead us!
There are so many valuable lessons of courage in your Bible study of Joshua that you have provided in this article. No. 1 for me – I need to get into this book and study further. 2 – I need to be purposeful about applying these lessons to my life!
I’ve also used your article to encourage others today. Thank you!
Great post! I have been there before, fear is a constant battle we fight as Christians and I’m thankful for posts like this that addresses lessons for courage. I liked all the tips you shared from the book of Joshua and other Biblical promises reminder.
It’s like how they say we need to exercise our faith for it to grow. Thanks for this reminder. Many blessings to you!
Very true! Courage comes from practice of exercising our faith. When we are working on something we know is following God, the courage seems to come more easily than we are working on our own!
This Lessons of Courage Post is awesome and SO relatable to me! Everything you described (especially in Motherhood), I was nodding as I read lol. The Book of Joshua is so awesome. Thank you for the incredibly well written post! ❤
This is a great, well thought out post. I enjoyed learning about Joshua, your points on courage and how you related it to your story. Thanks for sharing!
I love all of these lessons on courage! Joshua has been one of my favorite books of the Bible. For me, I had to have a “sun stand still prayer” to break the fear I was having that God wouldn’t show up!
I find myself going back to Joshua over and over again as well. I actually have a picture on my wall in my office with Joshua 1:9 on it. Just a daily reminder that God has called us to do a work and He will give us the strength to accomplish it.
Joshua is the book I turn to when I find myself afraid of doing something new. He sets a great example of what it looks like to do the next thing that God told you to do and nothing more. Great post.
What a wonderful reminder that none of God’s promises have ever failed and He will always be true to His word. The book of Joshua is proof of God’s goodness and faithfulness to those who love Him.
Thank you for the encouraging words. I never thought about how Joshua must have felt taking over Moses’ positions. Those were big shoes for him to fill, but God was with him and knew he could do it. Thanks for the reminder.
Yes, it seems like it would have been very intimidating! I’m so glad that God goes with us – before us, around us, and behind us!
Love these reminders of what produces courage in us. And until we have it, it’s so good to know that God will provide it, and anything we lack when it comes to doing his will. I absolutely love this post! Thanks for laying this out and building us up!
Wow this was so encouraging! I loved how you said this, it was something I needed to hear.
Thank you Kimberly! I’m so glad you found it encouraging! Reading of the courage of others, such as Joshua, can help our own courage to grow.
Great post! I am reading Joshua right now as well and I love all your insights into it. This inspires me to trust God when He asks me to do something scary.
Oh, it sounds like the timing was just right if you are already reading about Joshua and the courage he had to follow God. You’re right, God will strengthen us as well.
What a beautiful post full of biblical reminders <3 Thank you for writing this! I especially loved that you pointed out that Joshua knew God. He knew God was powerful and faithful, and if God said it, Joshua could trust it. Thanks for sharing!