Here is a story that grabbed my attention. There is no direct correlation to prayer but I think there are issues here that I could consider as to what happens when I do not pray – and it is not all bad. At the end of the day, what God wants to happen, happens. I think He would prefer an invitation from me to participate.

Sheba passed through the territory of all the tribes of Israel and came to the city of Abel Beth Maacah, and all the members of the clan of Bikri^[a] assembled and followed him into the city. Joab’s men heard that Sheba was there, and so they went and besieged the city. They built ramps of earth against the outer wall and also began to dig under the wall to make it fall down. There was a wise woman in the city who shouted from the wall, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here; I want to speak with him.” Joab went, and she asked, “Are you Joab?”

“Yes, I am,” he answered.

“Listen to me, sir,” she said.

“I’m listening,” he answered.

She said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Go and get your answer in the city of Abel’—and that’s just what they did. Ours is a great city, one of the most peaceful and loyal in Israel. Why are you trying to destroy it? Do you want to ruin what belongs to the Lord?”

“Never!” Joab answered. “I will never ruin or destroy your city! That is not our plan. A man named Sheba son of Bikri, who is from the hill country of Ephraim, started a rebellion against King David. Hand over this one man, and I will withdraw from the city.”

“We will throw his head over the wall to you,” she said. Then she went to the people of the city with her plan, and they cut off Sheba’s head and threw it over the wall to Joab. He blew the trumpet as a signal for his men to leave the city, and they went back home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king. – 2 Samuel 20:14-22 GNT

Joab has just murdered his cousin because he had lost his position as commander to him. So he was not in a “spiritual” mood when he approached the city where Sheba was hiding in. That is the first thing I noted. Here is the second thing – they had already built a ramp to the city wall and were now digging against the wall in order to topple it. Does it not seem odd that Joab is working hard for nothing? First of all, why not tell the town why he is there and what he wants? Secondly, if you have a ramp, why do you need to topple the wall? So finally, God has enough and sends a woman to end the day.

My takeaway is simple enough – without prayer, without communion with God, without a right relationship with God, I am going to be working twice as hard as I need to. What is worse – people who follow me see me working is such an inefficient manner that I loose respect as a leader.

A gentle reminder that with prayer comes wisdom.