But Did You Pray About it Though?

Joshua 9:14 puts a sobering question right in front of every decision: “But did you pray about it, though?” Israel made it into the promised land, but the Gibeonites showed up with a staged presentation. Their old clothes, worn sandals, and moldy bread looked like solid evidence. Israel sampled the provisions, did the due diligence, checked the bread, and examined the facts. But Israel never asked the mouth of the Lord.

The contrast between information and direction cuts deep. Google, spreadsheets, reviews, friends, numbers, ChatGPT, and all the receipts can give information, but none of that can replace hearing what God says. The eyes can see what has been staged, while the Spirit can discern what has been hidden. Prayer asks God to show what the eyes cannot see, expose what emotions are hiding, and keep appetite from making the decision.

Joshua’s treaty with the Gibeonites shows how a prayerless moment can produce a binding decision. Every opportunity is not an assignment. Every open door is not somebody’s door. Every increase is not advancement, every relationship is not covenant, and every invitation is not an instruction from the Lord. Permanent agreements need more than evidence that looks good on paper. They need the direction of God.

David’s battle with the Philistines shows that yesterday’s victory does not eliminate today’s need for prayer. David inquired of the Lord when the Philistines first came, and God said to go straight up. When the same enemy came back, David inquired again, and God gave a different strategy: circle around behind them. Same enemy, different strategy. Experience can become a threat to dependence when somebody starts saying, “I got this,” instead of asking God what to do now.

David at Ziklag shows that even if prayer did not come first, prayer can still come now. David stood in the ashes after the city burned and his family was taken, yet urgency did not cancel inquiry. He strengthened himself in the Lord, called for the ephod, and asked, “Shall I pursue?” God gave direction, and David recovered everything. Prayer may not undo every consequence, but one directed next move can change everything.

God’s grace still meets people who moved too fast, signed the papers, spoke too soon, or trusted their own understanding. God does not get tired of hearing from His children. The better choice is not merely a good idea, but a God idea. It is better to arrive late with God’s direction than to move quickly without God’s presence.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Evidence cannot replace divine direction Israel looked at the bread, clothes, and provisions, but none of that told them what God was saying. Facts matter, due diligence matters, and wisdom matters, but visible evidence can be manipulated. Prayer keeps discernment from being ruled by appearances, emotions, or a well-packaged story. [08:03]
• 2. Every open door is not yours Opportunity can look like favor while quietly pulling somebody away from God’s assignment. More money, more influence, more attention, or a new relationship does not automatically mean God has spoken. The question is not simply whether something can work, but whether God is actually leading into it. [10:53]
• 3. Yesterday’s victory needs fresh prayer David refused to make today’s decision on yesterday’s instruction. The same Philistines required a different strategy because God was doing something different in that moment. Experience becomes dangerous when it turns dependence into assumption. [18:36]
• 4. Urgency does not cancel inquiry David’s family had been taken, his city had burned, and his men were ready to turn against him, yet David still stopped to ask God. Pressure can make quick action feel spiritual, but haste without direction can multiply the damage. God’s timing and strategy can put something supernatural on what looks naturally impossible. [29:01]
• 5. Prayer still works after failure David sought God while standing in the ashes, not before the crisis had already happened. Prayer may not erase every consequence, but it gives direction for the next move. God’s grace means that a person who failed to inquire first can still inquire now.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:54] - But Did You Pray About It?
• [03:20] - Information Is Not Direction
• [05:30] - Israel and the Gibeonite Deception
• [08:03] - Check the Bread, Check With God
• [12:24] - Prayerless Moments and Binding Decisions
• [13:21] - Same Enemy, Different Strategy
• [17:56] - Yesterday’s Victory and Today’s Prayer
• [22:41] - Even If You Did Not Pray First
• [23:28] - David Seeks God at Ziklag
• [29:01] - Urgency Does Not Cancel Prayer
• [33:31] - One Directed Next Move
• [36:08] - A God Idea, Not Just a Good Idea
• [40:46] - Grace to Pray About It Now
• [47:11] - A Moment of Prayer and Communion

Bible Reading

Joshua 9:14 — “So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD.” [00:50]

1 Samuel 30:8 — “And David inquired of the LORD, ‘Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?’ He answered him, ‘Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.’” [24:15]

2 Samuel 5:19 — “And David inquired of the LORD, ‘Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?’ And the LORD said to David, ‘Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.’” [14:20]

2 Samuel 5:23 — “And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, ‘You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees.’” [15:54]

Observation questions

1. What did Israel do with the Gibeonites’ provisions, and what important step did they fail to take before making their treaty? [07:46]
2. What details made the Gibeonites’ story appear believable, and why were those details not enough to reveal the truth? [06:21]
3. What is different about God’s instruction to David in 2 Samuel 5:19 and His instruction in 2 Samuel 5:23, even though the enemy was the same? [17:22]
4. What questions did David ask God at Ziklag, and what was happening in his life when he stopped to inquire of the Lord? [27:25]

Interpretation questions

1. Joshua 9:14 shows that Israel gathered evidence but did not ask counsel from the Lord. How can good research, wise advice, numbers, and visible evidence become substitutes for seeking God’s direction? [08:34]
2. Why might a person be especially tempted to act without prayer when an opportunity looks beneficial, profitable, or urgent? How can a person tell the difference between an open door and God’s direction? [10:53]
3. David prayed again when the Philistines returned, and God gave him a different strategy. What does this reveal about relying on past victories, past experience, or a method that worked before? [18:29]
4. David sought God while standing in the ashes of Ziklag. What does this passage show about God’s grace toward someone who has already made a decision, created a mess, or missed an earlier opportunity to pray? [31:43]

Application questions

1. Is there a decision in front of you right now involving work, money, a relationship, a move, a commitment, or a difficult conversation? What information have you gathered, and have you also clearly asked God, “What are You saying about this?” [04:25]
2. What “evidence” might be influencing you most strongly right now—fear, emotions, money, pressure, appearances, advice from others, or the desire to move quickly? What might prayer help you see that your eyes or emotions cannot see? [10:34]
3. Have you recently assumed you knew what to do because you have handled something similar before—parenting, marriage, leadership, conflict, finances, or ministry? What would it look like to seek fresh direction instead of saying, “I got this”? [17:56]
4. Is there an area where you know what needs to be done, but you still need God to show you how to do it—how to speak, how to lead, how to confront, or how to wait? [21:03]
5. When pressure rises, what is your usual first response: sending messages, making calls, reacting, researching, withdrawing, or praying? What simple practice could help you pause and inquire of the Lord before making your next move? [29:23]
6. Is there a situation where you did not pray first—something already signed, said, started, or damaged? Rather than staying in regret, what would it look like to bring that situation honestly to God now? [32:39]
7. Prayer may not undo every consequence, but God can give direction for the next move. What is one next step you need God to direct this week? [34:10]