1. Joshua 12:1–24 (ESV)
  2. Application

Prayer should include specific thanksgiving

Joshua 12:1–24 (ESV)

1 Now these are the kings of the land whom the people of Israel defeated and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, with all the Arabah eastward:

The list of kings is specific and clear: Sihon, Og, and Jericho. It is not a general list (the kings of Canaan); it is particular, providing an itemization of the Lord's goodness.1 Each conquered king is a testimony to the Lord’s power and a cause for Israel’s praise.

Israel has a tradition of thanking God for very specific provision and intervention in their lives (e.g., Psalm 105:1–45; Psalm 135:1–21; Psalm 136:1–26). This is something that we should also learn as Christians. We must thank God not just in general but specifically. Thank him for specific people in your life. Thank him for the job you enjoy, the friends you know, your family. Praise him after a sermon or Bible study for the truths you learn from his Word. Pray for the conversion of people by name. Be specific in your prayers and thanksgiving. It is as faith gives thanks in detail that faith is nurtured, encouraged, and takes on fresh heart to expect more mercies.2