I do like the way God reacts to Moses reaching out to Him in prayer before the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. The people look at Moses and see a man full of faith, but before God he cried out in desperate prayer. This was a good form of leadership but what did God have to say about the praying? I find this quite fascinating that God was telling Moses to stop praying and start doing. This was a time for action and if Moses had the need to talk to God along the way – terrific – but in the meantime start moving.

The Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out for help? Tell the people to move forward.Lift up your walking stick and hold it out over the sea. The water will divide, and the Israelites will be able to walk through the sea on dry ground.I will make the Egyptians so stubborn that they will go in after them, and I will gain honor by my victory over the king, his army, his chariots, and his drivers.When I defeat them, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” – Exodus 14:15-18 GNT

I found these three interesting quotes that made sense —

“There is a time for praying, but there is also a time for holy activity. Prayer is adapted for almost every season, yet not prayer alone, for there comes, every now and then, a time when even prayer must take a secondary place.” – Spurgeon

“There is something more to be done than to pray. We must not only crave God’s help, but be forward in the course whereby to make way for God’s help.” – Trapp

“There is a favourite sin, of which he has long been guilty; he does not give it up, but he says that he will pray about it. God says to such a man, ‘“Where fore criest thou unto me?” Give up thy sin; this is not a matter for thee to pray about, but to repent of.’ The man says, “I was asking for repentance.” Ask, if thou wilt, for repentance, but exercise it as well.” – Spurgeon

We are talking about faith here – are we not?  The apostles asked for their faith to be increased and some think that is a great prayer to pray and one that we should pray.

The apostles said to the Lord, “Make our faith greater.” – Luke 17:5 GNT

I believe they forgot to keep reading.

The Lord answered, “If you had faith as big as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Pull yourself up by the roots and plant yourself in the sea!’ and it would obey you. – Luke 17:6 GNT

There is no need for more for all we need is what we have, however, I am sure I miss the point on more than one occasion – I need to use the faith I have.

Satan does have a plan, he has designs, strategies and an agenda to take away the little faith we have and destroy the unity that comes to the Church that comes through our faith in Christ. It is our call to come against those schemes.

When you forgive people for what they have done, I forgive them too. For when I forgive—if, indeed, I need to forgive anything—I do it in Christ’s presence because of you,in order to keep Satan from getting the upper hand over us; for we know what his plans are. – 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 GNT

When it comes to faith, we need to pray that we stay united and not applaud disunity or division. Forgiving and restore require action on our part. To be reluctant to do so humiliates the repentant sinner and perhaps could drive them to despair. May the Holy Spirit unite our hearts, through prayer, when it comes to the restoration of a believer.  That is faith in action.

“Nothing serves to verify the intimacy and constancy of the Redeemer’s preoccupation with the security of his people, nothing assures us of his unchanging love more than the tenderness which his heavenly priesthood bespeaks and particularly as it comes to expression in intercession for us.” —John Murray