Praying and Prayerfully Doing

"Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The will of God is for us to always rejoice, pray, and in everything give thanks.  Doing so is indicative of people who are at rest in the almighty God they trust with their whole hearts.  Instead of being blinded by fears and worries, followers of Jesus are enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit to do God's will with gladness.

I read Exodus 14 today and was intrigued with the back-and-forth between the Hebrews and Moses after Pharaoh sent them away.  Shortly after demanding the children of Israel leave Egypt, Pharaoh and his people regretted sending away their slave labour and mustered all their chariots to pursue them.  When the Hebrews saw the advancing enemies out of fear for their lives they lashed out at Moses.  Their terror distorted their grasp on reality and clouded their view of God, His promises, and ability to save them.  Exodus 14:13-14 reads, "And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. ¹⁴ The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."  Moses urged the people to repent of their fear and trust the LORD who would fight for them and save them.

In light of it being God's will people pray without ceasing, Exodus 14:15-16 is most instructive:  "And the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. ¹⁶ But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea."  Prayer is fitting at all times yet prayer should not hinder us from trusting and obeying God.  Moses believed God would save His people and thus it was pointless to continue praying God would save when it was time for Moses to tell the people to go forward in faith when there was no path.  God told Moses to lift up the rod, stretch it out, and the Red Sea would be divided:  it would be a path to deliverance for the Hebrews and a tomb for the pursuing Egyptians.

I wonder:  is it possible we are continuing to pray for something God has already declared as done?  Can we be like Moses, crying out for salvation and deliverance when all that remains is for us to obey Him and take necessary steps of faith?  I am sure the people prayed as they walked between the walls of water which towered above them on the right and the left, and God brought them through.  I am convinced prayer is the best course of action in all seasons of life yet it serves little purpose if we do not respond to God's directives in faithful obedience.  Prayer is an intentional action that leads us to undertake God-directed actions prayerfully.

A similar situation occurred under Joshua's leadership after the children of Israel suffered a shock defeat at Ai.  On the heels of a miraculous victory over the stronghold of Jericho the men who went up against Ai (without seeking counsel of the LORD) fled and 36 of them fell slain.  Joshua tore his clothes and lay before the presence of the LORD with dust on his head.  His words sound eerily similar to the Hebrews who trembled at the sight of the Egyptians:  "Oh that we had been content on the other side of the Jordan!  What shall I say when Israel turns their backs before their enemies?"  Joshua's lamentation received a pointed answer from God.

Joshua 7:10-13 gives us God's response:  "So the LORD said to Joshua: "Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. ¹² Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you. ¹³ Get up, sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the LORD God of Israel: "There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you."  There was no point in Joshua lying and mourning a defeat and loss of life when there was sin in the camp which needed to be confessed and removed from among them.  Only then could they stand before God or their enemies.  Prayer preceded God's answer, and Joshua would prayerfully need to carry out the judgment according to God's word.

When God asked Moses why he cried unto Him or why Joshua lay on his face, they did not answer.  What could they say in light of God's glorious voice, wisdom, and judgments?  God told Moses to tell the people to go forward; Joshua was told to get up and sanctify himself with all the people.  This teaches us prayer is not just something we do as an end in itself so God will do something (which He does beyond reckoning) but to adopt a posture for God to instruct and direct us to practically take action according to His will.  When we are fearful or have suffered a defeat, let us hope in our almighty God, His promises, and unfailing love.  Instead of pleading for what He has already promised or being overwhelmed by regret, go forward in faith!  Get up off the ground, dust yourself off, and take prayerful action to sanctify yourself before the LORD who knows the hearts of all men.  If we trust God to pray, shouldn't we trust His commands and do them?