Seeing The Wall Fall" | Pastor Wayman Ming

Devotional

Day 1: Seeing with Spiritual Eyes, Not Natural Ones

What you see with your natural eyes can often appear as an immovable obstacle, a wall that blocks your progress and limits your vision. Yet, the call is to see not with natural sight but with spiritual vision. It is an invitation to perceive the situation through the lens of faith, trusting in what God has declared over your life. This shift in perspective transforms impossibilities into divine possibilities. It is the difference between seeing a problem and seeing God’s promise in the midst of it. [04:11]

“Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. And the LORD said to Joshua, ‘See, I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and its mighty men of valor.’” (Joshua 6:1-2 ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific "wall" in your life that, when viewed naturally, seems completely immovable? How might your perspective and response change if you chose to see that same situation through the eyes of faith, believing God’s promise over it?

Day 2: The Vital Practice of Preserving God’s Presence

A life connected to God’s presence is a life charged with spiritual power and divine communication. Just as a cell phone must be regularly recharged to function, our spirits require consistent connection to our ultimate power source. This involves intentional practices that protect and prioritize our relationship with Him. It is about creating space in our daily routines to hear His voice and receive His direction. When we preserve His presence, we maintain access to His strength and guidance for every challenge. [13:42]

“You will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.” (Psalm 121:3-8 NKJV)

Reflection: What is one practical, daily habit you could adopt this week to intentionally preserve and protect your connection to God’s presence?

Day 3: The Power of Marching Together in Unity

There is a profound strength found when God’s people move together in purpose and unity. This collective action creates a spiritual atmosphere that can surround and confront the greatest of obstacles. It is a picture of the body of Christ in all its diversity, with every section playing its part in a harmonious whole. This unified march may not always make logical sense in the moment, but it demonstrates a faithful obedience to God’s unique strategy for breakthrough. [17:01]

“So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.” (Joshua 6:20 NKJV)

Reflection: In what area of your life is God inviting you to step out in faithful obedience, even if the direction doesn't yet make complete sense to you?

Day 4: Declaring War Through Passionate Faith

The Christian life is not passive; it requires a active, passionate faith that recognizes the reality of spiritual opposition. The enemy seeks to devour and destroy, but we have been given authority to declare God’s victory. This is not a quiet, polite faith but a confident shout that announces God’s arrival into our battles. It is an act of spiritual warfare, rooted in the assurance that God has already given the victory. [27:13]

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” (1 Peter 5:8-9 ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been passive in your spiritual life, and what would it look like for you to actively and passionately resist the enemy in that area this week?

Day 5: Bringing Out the Hopeless Through Relationship

True breakthrough extends beyond our personal victories to encompass the rescue of those who are without hope. God’s heart is always for the outsider, the marginalized, and the one others have written off. This goes beyond mere acknowledgment; it calls for intentional relationship-building. It is a commitment to walk alongside others, not just offer them a quick solution, ensuring they are fully brought out of their former life and into the safety of God’s camp. [30:04]

“But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, “Go into the harlot’s house, and from there, bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her.” And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel.” (Joshua 6:22-23 NKJV)

Reflection: Who is one person in your sphere of influence that God might be placing on your heart to build a deeper, more intentional relationship with for the sake of their spiritual journey?

Sermon Summary

Joshua 6 frames Jericho as a tangible picture of the immovable obstacles that block progress. God commands Israel to “see” the city not with natural eyes but with spiritual sight, declaring the city already given into their hands. The narrative unfolds into four practical, spiritual strategies for breakthrough: preserve God’s presence, march in unified obedience, wage focused spiritual warfare, and rescue the hopeless. Preserving God’s presence centers the ark amid a procession—armed guard, priests with trumpets, the ark, and a rearguard—illustrating that breakthrough requires a people intentionally keeping God at the center of daily life and corporate action. The battery metaphor clarifies that spiritual power drains when devotional rhythms fail; regular prayer, Scripture, and devoted time recharge the soul and maintain access to God’s guidance.

Marching around the city highlights corporate unity and the creation of an atmosphere. Silent, repeated obedience looked foolish externally, yet it built expectancy and alignment until the divinely appointed moment. The shout on the seventh day functions not as casual praise but as an act of war: a public declaration that God has arrived and will defeat the enemy. This reframes Christian victory as active, militant faith—vigilant, expectant, and passionate—rather than passive resignation. The narrative stresses that the enemy intends to devour lives, families, and futures, so believers must confront that reality through prayer, passion, and spiritual alertness.

Finally, the rescue of Rahab and her family models the outward fruit of genuine breakthrough: deliverance for the desperate. God spares the house of the harlot and uses relationships already formed—those spies who knew Rahab—to bring her out. Breakthrough cannot remain personal; it must extend to the hopeless through sustained relationships, not mere distribution of tracts. The church’s task becomes walking with the marginalized until transformation sticks, building bridges that lead people from acknowledgment into lasting belonging. The passage closes with an urgent invitation to spiritual sight, corporate prayer, and hands-on mercy as the means by which walls fall and lives change.

Key Takeaways

1. Preserve God's presence daily Keeping God at the center functions like maintaining a charged battery: daily rhythms of Scripture, prayer, and devotion sustain spiritual power and clear hearing. When presence drops, prophetic insight and breakthrough fade; intentional practices protect access to God’s guidance. Prioritizing brief, consistent spiritual disciplines produces persistent readiness for the moment God chooses to act. [06:31]
2. March around in united obedience Walking in visible, collective obedience builds spiritual momentum that private faith cannot replicate; unity forms an atmosphere that invites God’s arrival. Repeated, seemingly odd acts of faith cultivate expectancy and discipline that prepare a community for the decisive hour. Unity does not erase mystery, but it aligns people with God’s plan and multiplies spiritual authority. [14:29]
3. Declare spiritual warfare with passion The seventh-day shout functioned as an act of war, not mere praise; spiritual breakthrough often requires passionate, militant faith that names the enemy and calls God’s victory. Vigilance and deliberate confrontation oppose the devil’s designs to devour families and futures. Passionate prayer and confident declarations signal readiness for God to intervene and dismantle strongholds. [19:30]
4. Bring out the hopeless intentionally Real breakthrough moves outward to rescue those entrenched in despair, not merely to acknowledge needs. Building sustained relationships—walking with people beyond a single encounter—creates the trust and continuity necessary for lasting transformation. Strategic compassion requires commitment, not convenience, and uses existing connections to lead the lost into freedom. [29:17]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:22] - Reading: Joshua 6
[01:14] - Theme: Advancing Toward Breakthrough
[03:23] - Jericho as an Immovable Wall
[06:31] - Preserve God's Presence
[14:29] - March Around the City
[19:30] - Declare War on the Devil
[29:17] - Bring Out the Hopeless
[36:48] - Invitation to Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: Joshua 6:1-5, 20, 22-23 (ESV)
Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and its mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”... So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city... But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute's house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.” So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel.

Observation questions

What did God command Joshua to "see" before the battle even began, and what was the reality of the situation he was looking at?
What was the specific, multi-day instruction God gave for how the people were to approach the city?
According to the sermon, what was the purpose of the great shout on the seventh day, and what common misinterpretation was addressed? [23:06]
Who was specifically saved from the destruction of Jericho, and who was sent to rescue them?

Interpretation questions

The armed guard, priests, ark, and rearguard created a specific formation around God's presence. What does this structure suggest about the priority God's presence should have in the life of a community?
The people marched in silent obedience for six days before the victory came. Why might God use a process that, from the outside, could appear foolish or pointless before the breakthrough happens?
The enemy is described as seeking to devour lives, families, and futures. [21:54] In what ways does this active opposition contrast with a more passive view of spiritual struggle?
The two spies, who already had a relationship with Rahab, were the ones sent to bring her out. Why is an existing relationship so crucial for effective spiritual rescue, rather than a one-time encounter?

Application questions

Preserving God's presence was compared to keeping a cell phone battery charged. [12:02] What does your current "spiritual battery" level look like, and what is one specific, daily rhythm you could establish or improve to ensure you stay connected to God's power and guidance?
Marching around the city required visible, collective obedience. What is one area in your life or in our church family where you are being called to step out in unified, perhaps misunderstood, faith to help create an atmosphere for God's arrival?
The shout was an act of passionate, militant faith. [25:32] Where in your life or in the lives of those you love do you need to move from a passive "whatever will be" attitude to a passionate declaration of war against the enemy's schemes?
There is a difference between acknowledging the hopeless and building a relationship with them. [33:12] Who is one person in your sphere of influence that feels like a "Rahab"—someone who seems far from God—and what would it look like to intentionally walk with them toward breakthrough, rather than just handing them a tract?
Breakthrough ultimately moved outward to rescue others. If God were to bring a major breakthrough in your current obstacle, how would that victory naturally extend beyond your personal life to impact the hopeless around you?

Sermon Clips

It's the same when it comes to our spiritual lives. Did you know we're plugged in to the ultimate power source, the god of heaven? And as long as we're preserving his presence, we have access to his communication. We're hearing his voice. We're receiving his text. We're getting his emails. We're getting the information that he asked for us to receive. But if we're not preserving his presence and all of our spiritual energy is is leaving us because of of not preserving or protecting his presence, at some point, we lose our spiritual charge. [00:12:54] (43 seconds) #SpiritualCharge

But here's what I'm sensing that I need to challenge you with today. There's a difference between acknowledging the hopeless and building a relationship with the hopeless. And that's the next step that Bethesda really needs to make to impact eternity in our community. I call it the case of the gospel tracks because we wanna go and shove a gospel track in somebody's hand who needs the lord, but we don't spend enough time to build relationship and with that person to make sure that there's a bridge into the kingdom. [00:33:03] (45 seconds) #RelationshipOverTracks

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Seeing The Wall Fall" | Pastor Wayman Ming | February 22, 2026