Stop Praying and Start Moving

Posted on May 09, 2016 Topic : Weekly Devotionals

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on’ ” (Exodus 14:15).

Many passages of Scripture speak of the importance of crying out to God in times of distress. In Lamentations we read, “Arise, cry out in the night…pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord” (Lamentations 2:19). There comes a point, however, when the time for crying out is past and our clear instruction from the Lord is to take action.

That’s what God said to Moses. The Israelites didn’t need to worry about the details; God would take care of everything. He would help His people by obstructing the sight of the Egyptians with clouds and darkness. He would give the Israelites light. He would cause the wind to dry up the sea bottom. They didn’t need more desperate prayer. They needed to get moving!

They may have been tempted to just wait. “This can’t be what God wants us to do! It’s too dangerous! It’s too frightening! How do we know we’ll make it? Let’s just keep praying about this.”

Sometimes prayer is an excuse for inaction.

Famed missionary Amy Carmichael once wrote a simple rhyme to illustrate the importance of following through with action once we have thoroughly prayed over a matter:

A centipede was happy till

One day, a toad in fun

Said, “Pray, which leg goes after which?”

Which strained his mind to such a pitch

He lay distracted in a ditch,

Considering how to run.

When you hear God telling you to move in a certain direction, take two words of advice: Do it! If you delay, you may well find yourself “distracted in a ditch, considering how to run.” When the way is clear, remember the Lord’s instruction to the Israelites through Moses—“Move on!”

Holy Father, help me to understand, as I am in prayer and waiting for a leading from You, when it is time to take action. Help me to be wise enough to recognize the answers to my prayers when they come in ways I am not expecting. Give me the knowledge of Your will that lets me know when it is time to stand up and take steps of faith. I see from Your Word that there is a time to stop praying about doing something and start doing it. Help me to always know when that is.

In Jesus’ name I pray.