Note: Pastor Immanuel Zagana is from Togo, Africa, a French speaking nation. He came to us through the ministry of WILD (Wise Intentional Leadership Development) which is based in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. For more information, see https://wildleadership.org

God used Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt, to lead them through the wilderness, and to prepare them to enter the promised land of Canaan. But now, with the death of Moses, God wanted to use Joshua to take Moses' place and lead them into the land of Canaan. Please note Josuah 1:1-7.

We are now ready to observe the first of two pillars that will sustain our Christian life.

The First Pillar - The Word of God - Joshua 1:8-9

As with Joshua, we need to know the word of God. We need to meditate upon it constantly and speak of it to one another - constantly, night and day.

Jesus is the living word and the light of the world. Now we must have His word and be the light of the world. See John 1:1-4,14,17; 8:12,30-32 ; Philippians 2:14-16.

We need to work according to His will / according to the word of God. See Matthew 28:18-20. Let's consider our relationship to Jesus and the word God.

John 17:17 - Jesus prayed that the truth would sanctify us.

God's word protects, preserves, and sets us apart for God's use. Many people do not understand the full scope of our salvation.

• Our spirit is saved when we are forgiven, justified, and born again.


• Our soul is saved in an on-going, life-long process called sanctification (Psalm 119:11)

Acts 20:32 - We need to be committed to "the word of His grace."

It is God's grace, working through His word that builds us up and gives us an eternal inheritance.

The Second Pillar - Prayer - John 17:1-25

See how our Lord Jesus prayed! Should we not be like Him? Prayer is a way of having a connection with God and our heart. As we already noted, Jesus prayed for our sanctification (John 17:17). In John 17:11, Jesus prayed for our unity. In so many ways, we cause unnecessary division. It is our duty to pray. It is God's will to bring people together in truth and love (John 17:20-21, etc.). We should pray for people's character. We should pray that confusion and division be dispelled.

See how our Lord Jesus prayed for Peter. In Luke 22:31-32. Jesus was planning to use Peter on the day of Pentecost to bring about three thousand souls to faith. He had many other plans for Peter. Satan wanted to weaken Peter. Jesus prayed to prevent the work of Satan in Peter's life. Jesus prayed that Peter's faith would not fail. Now we are called to pray for one another and the Lord's work. The prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much (James 5:16-18)

The two pillars of the Christian's life involve God's word and our word through prayer.