Several years ago, I read Bob Roberts, Jr.’s book Transformation where he writes, “For some
strange reason today, instead of being a power source, prayer is the excuse for not doing
anything, always ‘waiting on God’ to do something, but it never happens. ‘Wait’ always wants
more information…” (Page 131).
In a similar vein, Martin Luther King, Jr. in his Sermon “The Misuse of Prayer,” states, “Although
prayer is native to man, there is the danger that he will misuse it. Although it is a natural
outpouring of his spirit, there is the danger that he will use it in an unnatural way.” King goes on
in his sermon to mention that one of the ways we misuse prayer is that we “make prayer a
substitute for work” (https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/misuse-
prayer).
In Exodus 14:14 we read, “The Lord will fight for you, you need only keep still.” This seems an
invitation for us to “wait for the Lord,” which in many ways it is. Yet just one verse later the
Lord speaks to Moses, “‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up
your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through
the middle of the sea on dry ground’” (vs. 15-16).
In prayer we trust the situation, struggle, request, etc. to the Lord with the mind of preparation
to be obedient when God tells us to move. The hymn Trust and Obey comes to my mind when
the chorus proclaims,
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
We are made for prayer and prayer is made for us. We need to find the balance of praying
without acting and praying while acting. God calls us in prayer to wait upon Him, while being
prepared to move when He tells us to move.
Prayer: Lord, I wrestle with finding balance between activity and waiting. I need your balance
in my life. I want to spend time in the waiting of prayer, while being active when you call me
to move. Help me, Lord! I love you. I want to Trust and Obey. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.