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Life often brings us to moments of crisis—times when fear paralyzes us, and we find ourselves unsure of what to do. In such moments, prayer is a natural and necessary response. But as we see in Exodus 14:14-16, there is also a time when action must accompany our prayers.
As the Israelites stood trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s approaching army, panic set in. In their fear, they cried out to the Lord, and Moses reassured them: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14, NIV). However, God’s response in the next verse is striking: “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward” (Exodus 14:15, NKJV). God was calling them not just to pray, but to act.
The Balance Between Prayer and Action
Charles Spurgeon put it beautifully: “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, now and then, a time when even prayer must take a secondary place.” This does not diminish the power of prayer but highlights that sometimes God is waiting for us to step forward in faith.
Prayer is essential—seeking God’s wisdom and clarity.
Think of a student preparing for an exam. Prayer is essential—seeking God’s wisdom and clarity—but if the student does not study, failure is almost certain. Similarly, a person struggling with a destructive habit may pray for deliverance, but without actively making choices to change, they remain in bondage. As Spurgeon further warned, “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, ‘Wherefore criest thou unto me?’ Give up thy sin; this is not a matter for thee to pray about, but to repent of.”
Faith in Action: Real-Life Examples
The Bible is filled with stories where people had to step forward in faith. The widow in 1 Kings 17 had only a handful of flour and a little oil left when Elijah told her to make him a small loaf first. Her obedience opened the door for God’s provision. In the New Testament, the ten lepers were healed “as they went” (Luke 17:14), not before they acted in faith. Their healing required movement.
In our daily lives, we see this principle in action. Imagine a person seeking a new job. Prayer for direction is important, but without sending applications or attending interviews, they are unlikely to see results. A business owner may seek God’s blessings, but without diligence, planning, and hard work, success remains elusive. As Trapp wisely stated, “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.”
Lift Up Your Rod: The Call to Participate in God’s Miracles
When God told Moses to lift up his rod and stretch out his hand over the sea (Exodus 14:16), He was asking for an act of obedience before performing the miracle. The rod itself had no power, but God chose to use it as a visible sign of His authority. Similarly, God often asks us to take small steps of faith before He moves mightily.
The greatest example of this is salvation itself. We do not earn it by our works, yet God calls us to respond in faith—to confess, believe, and follow Him. Just as Moses’ rod did not part the Red Sea but was a tool in God’s hands, our actions do not save us, but they position us to receive God’s miraculous grace.
Move Forward in Faith
Are you facing a Red Sea moment in your life? Have you been praying for deliverance while remaining stagnant? God is calling you to move forward. Trust Him, take action, and watch as He makes a way where there seems to be none.
“There is a time to pray and a time to act. It can actually be against God’s will to stop doing and to only pray in a particular situation. This was a time for action, and Moses could pray along the way.” May we learn to discern when to be still and when to step forward, knowing that God is faithful to meet us in our obedience.
