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Don't Be An Achan - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) February 10, 2026
- P L U N D E R E R
- Feb 10
- 4 min read
Are you familiar with Achan? He was one of the Israelites who made it into the Promised Land when Joshua was judge and priest over his nation. The Lord sent Joshua and his fighting men into the City of Ai, and although they should have conquered the city, 36 Israelite men died (Joshua 7).
Joshua was shocked by this defeat. After all, the Lord had told him in Joshua 1:5-6 - 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. That promise had taken him and his men into the miraculous victory in Jericho with no lives lost.
So, what went wrong during the battle for the City of Ai? Why is it that God empowered them to win in Jericho but not in the next city on their quest to conquer the cities in the Promised Land?
The answer is Achan. When God told Joshua he would win in Jericho, Joshua had instructed the army not to plunder the city but leave everything for the Lord. That was to be a covenant offering to God. Unfortunately, Achan took a robe, silver, and gold. This act of disobedience prevented his people from conquering the city of Ai. One man's greed and covetousness rose higher than the need to be obedient. Not only did the Israelites suffer for it, but so did he, his family, and his animals, who were all killed as a punishment.
The sad part is that had Achan been patient, he would have plundered the City of Ai because God gave the army permission to do so (Joshua 8). All he had to do was obey Joshua's instruction, teaching us of the need to obey the instructions given by the Lord and His genuine servants, just as 2 Chronicles 20:20 teaches: Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”
This may all seem very Old Testament and thus not palatable, but the fact is that although we are individuals, God sees us as part of a larger collective. That group could be our family, our church, our neighborhood, our workplace, or something else. He has planted us somewhere with the intent to use us to positively impact the unit we are a part of. Alas, our solitary actions can negatively impact the group we belong to. This should make sense when we consider the reverse. One person in a family, for instance, can receive God's blessings, which can change the lives of their loved ones forever.
As believers in Christ, we are His bride and part of the Body of Christ - His church. This creates a responsibility to one another. Each of us must walk with God in humility and obedience because our failings can affect our fellow Christians almost as easily as our accomplishments can bless them. Remember, Paul taught in Ephesians 3 that God will display His manifold wisdom through the Body of Christ. We therefore must fulfill our individual callings because each of us is integral to the church's ability to collectively achieve God's goals on earth.
Before you say this is an impossible task, remember that Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to all who believe in Him. It is the Holy Spirit's job to help each believer by reminding them of the word, telling them where to go (or not go), and providing godly wisdom to guide them each day. When we allow the Holy Spirit to do His assignment, we can avoid being the Achan who stalls the spiritual progress of the larger group we are attached to.
Sin has serious consequences, but we must praise God for the grace and mercy He's shown us all. The Bible teaches that he does not treat us as our sins warrant (Psalm 103:10). He knows we are human and thus prone to mistakes. Through Jesus, we receive grace to get back up after we stumble (Proverbs 24:16). He is committed to helping us do better with each passing day, so all we have to do is let Him. Jesus and the Holy Spirit will strengthen us so that covetousness, greed, lust, and other sinful desires don't stop the Body of Christ from exalting the Lord. Not just our lips, but with our very lives. God bless you.
As you await fellowship at Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages:
CLOSING PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for another day of fellowship and learning. Take all the glory and the praise.
Father, help us to hold fast what we learned today and to allow Your Spirit and Your Word guide us in all things. Your ways and Your thoughts are higher and better than ours, God.
Keep us, Almighty, and bring us together to gather again later this week by Your grace and to Your glory, IJMN, Amen.
LAST 10 MINUTES
Today's message is a sobering lesson on obedience, patience, and submission to God's authority. None of these things come easily to us because we are the children of Adam, born to him after the fall. We therefore have the disobedience and rebellion that he and Eve displayed.
However, we serve God, and He is the Prayer Answerer. If we call on Him to help us, He will. All we have to do is let Him. So why don't we pray for grace so we don't make the mistake Achan did?
Help me, oh God. I know that You created me for a purpose, and I want to fulfill Your purpose for my life. So, again, help me,…
Glorious God, thank You for being the God who cares for all. Thank You for You are He who makes the sun shine on the good and evil. You allow the rain to fall on the wicked and upright (Matthew 5:45). Praise be to You, kind Father.
Lord, God, I want to pray for those experiencing housing insecurity. God. You are He who does not deprive His children of any good thing per Psalm 34:10. Thank You, God, that housing is a good thing and just as You ensured that Elijah was taken care of even in the wilderness not allowing him to be exposed to the elements (1 Kings 19:9), I look to You to provide for Your people…
Lord, I come against every disease that affects women and their reproductive health. I decree against all fibroids, every sign of PCOS, anemia, and anything else presenting as a disease, but is a weapon of the enemy to bring ill health and impact the reproductive capacity of your daughters in this group.
Father, I decree that I bind each and every one of these diseases in the mighty name of Jesus. As they are bound here on earth, they are bound in heaven in accordance with Your word.
God, I speak life and good health. I loosen on earth Your healing grace and transformation of bodies to Your glory and by Your grace. I decree that these diseases are healed…
Dear Lord, thank You for being the Creator of all we see and don't see. Thank You for Your loving mercy that makes life possible. To You be the glory forever. Amen.
Father, You who love all Your creations, know that there are many who are suffering at this moment. The reasons for this are beyond my understanding, but I do know that Your love for them does not cease.
In John 9, Jesus taught the disciples that a man was blind not because of his sin or that of his parents, but so that the glory of God would be on display through his healing. And so, Father, I pray, IJN, that You will look upon the suffering and…