Spoke to the Sun: Unleashing the Power of Faith and Words

Speak It – Part 4

Review Scriptures

2 Corinthians 4:13 (AMP)

Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he had, who wrote in Scripture, "I believed; therefore I spoke." We also believe; therefore, we also speak.

Hebrews 11:3 (AMP)

By faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

Genesis 1:26-30 (AMP)

Then God said, "Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth."

John 14:12 (AMP)

I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father.

Matthew 21:21 (AMP)

Jesus replied to them, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have faith [personal trust and confidence in Me] and do not doubt or allow yourself to be drawn in two directions, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen [if God wills it]."

1 Kings 17:1 (AMP)

Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word."

Ezekiel 37:4 (AMP)

Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.'"

Ezekiel 37:9 (AMP)

Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live."'"

Main Text: Joshua 10:1-15

Remember God's Promises

Joshua 1:1-9 (AMP)

Now it happened after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' servant (attendant), saying, "Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise to take his place, cross over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. I have given you every place on which the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness of Arabia in the south and this Lebanon in the north, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates [in the east], all the land of the Hittites (Canaan), and as far as the Great [Mediterranean] Sea toward the west shall be your territory. No man will [be able to] stand before you [to oppose you] as long as you live. Just as I was [present] with Moses, so will I be with you; I will not fail you or abandon you. Be strong and confident and courageous, for you will give this people as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers (ancestors) to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do [everything] in accordance with the entire law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper and be successful wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

The Day Joshua Spoke to the Sun

Joshua 10:1-5 (AMP)

When Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai, and had utterly destroyed it—as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king—and that the residents of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were [living] among them, he [and his people] feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, and to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, "Come up to me and help me, and let us attack Gibeon [with a combined army], because it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons (people) of Israel." Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they with all their armies, and they camped by Gibeon and fought against it.

Joshua 10:6-11 (AMP)

So the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, "Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all [five of] the kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country have assembled against us." So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the men of valor. The Lord said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, because I have given them into your hand; not one of them shall stand before you." So Joshua came upon them suddenly, [surprising them] by marching [uphill] all night from Gilgal. And the Lord caused them to panic and be confused before Israel, and He struck them dead in a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goes up to Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. As they fled before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones [of hail] from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. More [Amorites] died because of the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

Joshua 10:12-14 (AMP)

Then Joshua spoke to the Lord on the day when the Lord handed over the Amorites to the sons of Israel, and Joshua said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, And moon, in the Valley of Aijalon." So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation [of Israel] took vengeance upon their enemies. Is it not written in the Book of Jashar? So the sun stood still in the middle of the sky and was in no hurry to go down for about a whole day. There has not been a day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to (heeded) the voice of a man; for the Lord was fighting for Israel.

There has never been a day like that before or after—when the Lord listened to the voice of a man!

Key Principles

If You Are in the Will, God Will Pay the Bill

John 15:7 (AMP)

If you remain in Me and My words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.

When we abide in Christ and His Word abides in us, we can ask whatever we wish. The key is alignment—being in God's will positions us for His provision and power.

You Have Been Given the Keys

Matthew 16:19 (AMP)

I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.

God has given us the keys—the authority—of the kingdom of heaven. What we bind on earth is bound in heaven; what we loose on earth is loosed in heaven. We have been given authority to speak and see results!

The Bold Faith of Joshua

Joshua didn't just pray about the sun—he spoke to it. He commanded the sun to stand still and the moon to stop. This is the kind of bold, audacious faith that gets God's attention. Joshua knew he was in God's will, fighting God's battle, and he spoke with the authority God had given him.

The Lord listened to the voice of a man because that man was aligned with God's purpose, filled with God's Word, and bold enough to speak to the impossible situation in front of him.

Discussion Questions

1. Speaking with authority: Joshua spoke directly to the sun and moon, not just to God about them. What does this level of boldness reveal about Joshua's understanding of his authority in God? In what areas of your life do you need to shift from merely praying about problems to speaking directly to them?
2. Abiding in God's will: The message emphasizes "If you are in the will, God will pay the bill." How do you know when you're truly abiding in God's will versus pursuing your own desires? What does it practically look like to remain in Christ and let His words remain in you (John 15:7)?
3. The power of alignment: Joshua had spent time meditating on God's Word day and night (Joshua 1:8). How does consistent time in Scripture prepare us to speak with authority in crisis moments? What would change in your life if you made God's Word a daily priority?
4. Using the keys: According to Matthew 16:19, we've been given keys to bind and loose. What situations in your life need you to exercise this authority? What's keeping you from boldly declaring what heaven has already declared?
5. Unprecedented faith: Verse 14 says there had never been a day like that before or after when God listened to a man's voice. What would it take for your faith to reach a place where you're willing to ask God for the unprecedented—the miracle that seems impossible? What "sun" do you need to command to stand still?