If we would march in God's army we must learn not to make assumptions, to take nothing for granted. Satan is always alert, always looking for a single careless act on our part so he can defeat us.

If we would survive spiritually during the coming age of moral horrors we must learn to pray without ceasing. There can never be one single moment when we let our guard down, not at a party, on a vacation, at home in bed, or anywhere else. We must post a guard at all times.

We are in a war! How many battles of history were lost because of carelessness, because of taking something for granted, because of assumptions that proved to be terribly incorrect!

The Lord Jesus is at hand. He always is ready to hear and answer our prayer from the smallest detail to the greatest crisis. The believer who takes the smallest matters to the Lord in prayer will probably do the same with the great crises.

When someone asks you to do something, pray about it. When a "great opportunity" comes your way, pray about it. When you get an idea, before you act, pray about it.

Pray about what you eat, what you wear, everything you do during the day. Keep looking to the Lord. This may seem impossible but it is not. It rapidly becomes a way of life if we make an effort to do it.

If you do not have enough time to pray during the day, ask the Lord for time to pray.

Pray about your classes in school. Pray on the way to the hospital, to the dentist. Pray about your income. Pray about the church you go to. Take nothing for granted. Pray! Pray! Pray!

Joshua had just had a smashing victory at Ai. Then he renewed the Divine covenant with the people.

Then the Gibeonites tricked him.

You can have a glorious time in church. Then something happens on the way home and before you know what has happened you are in defeat. Why? Because you relaxed and forgot to pray about what you were doing on the way home, what you were saying to your family, what you were thinking.

When at a future time we are at rest in Paradise such watchfulness in prayer may not be as important as it is now. But please understand that the drums of Hell are beating to the attack in our day, as I stated previously. The level of Christian dedication that was acceptable a few years ago is dangerously inadequate in our time.

The day of hypocrisy is over. You and I must be utterly sincere in all we are doing. The hypocrites in the churches will be terrified at what will take place in the future. The lies and games no longer will accomplish their desires. Their perfidy will be revealed for all to see.

Many carnal believers will come and attempt to join themselves to the warlike remnant. They will be employing their customary artful flatteries and plausible but fallacious arguments. If you and I do not keep continually in prayer we will be deceived, just as the Gibeonites deceived Joshua.

To be continued.