Quit Praying and Get Moving

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. (Exodus 14:15-16, NIV)

At first reading this verse seems a little strange. Why would God say to Moses "Why are you crying out to me?" Isn't that what we are supposed to do - to cry out to God in prayer? Well, of course! We take everything to God in prayer and keep praying until we get an answer. Jesus made it clear that we "should always pray and not give up" (Luke 18:1) and Paul said we should "pray without ceasing" (1 Th. 5:17). So, prayer is a good thing and I certainly don't mean that we don't need to pray anymore!

But there comes a time when the praying is done and it is time to get a move on. When the petition has been laid before the throne of God and His will on the matter has been expressed, then the praying part is over. To keep praying after that isn't an act of faith but becomes a form of un-faith. The greater part of faith is simply the courage to act on God's word. Once the Father has spoken and His will is known we must take that word as the truth of what will be done, and then act on it. Consider the actions of Jesus in Gethsemane:

Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Matthew 26:38-42)

Three times Jesus went by Himself to pray and twice came back to wake his disciples. The third time, however -

Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" (Matthew 26:45-46)

The praying was done, Jesus had settled the matter in his spirit, and there was no more hesitation - "Rise, let us go!" From that point on he set his face to the cross and went forward without hesitation. Just as God told Moses at the Red Sea, and as Jesus did at Gethsemane, so we also must do. Pray continuously until the word of God comes and then get moving!

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