When Not to Pray

Sometimes it is wrong to pray.  Does that sound sacrilegious? heretical? unbiblical?  But it is the Bible that shows me that at times praying is the wrong thing to do. 

Exodus 14:15 is my text.  The situation is like this:  God has humbled Pharaoh and Egypt with the ten plagues.  God's people have been released from bondage.  Moses has led the children of Israel toward the Promised Land and has camped at the shore of the Red Sea.  However, Pharaoh has again hardened his heart and ordered his chariots and troops to bring the slaves back.  Moses and the people are trapped between the sea and Pharaoh's army.  The people cry out in fear.  Moses urges them to be quiet, to stand still, and see the Lord fight for them (verses 13-14).  But God rebukes Moses: "Why are you crying out to Me?  Tell the sons of Israel to go forward" (NASB).  I love the way the Living Bible paraphrases the verse: "Quit praying and get the people moving! Forward, march!"  The Lord was telling Moses that right then was not the time to pray; it was the time to act.

Perry Noble, pastor of NewSpring Church in South Carolina, recently blogged about the necessity of taking action in addition to praying.  He wrote that a person wanting to lose weight would need to do more than just pray about it.  He or she would need to get up and exercise as well as cut back on the cookies and sodas.  Other examples he gave of when prayer by itself would not be enough included when a marriage is in trouble, when someone wants to be a better parent, when finances are a mess, or when a person is struggling with a besetting sin.  He goes on to encourage church leaders to not just pray but to confront issues in the church.  He cites David facing Goliath:  "David didn't just pray and God, through his prayer times, took Goliath out!  Nope, David picked up five rocks, walked down into the valley, and handled business."  (He is a much  more colorful writer than I.)  Noble concludes, "God did not just call us to PRAY about His will, but to PARTICIPATE in it" (emphasis his).

So when is it wrong to pray?  when God tells us not to!  When the Holy Spirit has spoken to our spirit that our prayer has been heard and that God is on the move.  As David sought God about attacking the Philistines, the Lord told him to attack when he heard the sound of troops marching in the tops of the trees, because that would signify that He had gone out before them to give the victory.

I am convinced we do too many things without praying.  But it is just as wrong to pray and pray and never do what the Lord has plainly told us to do.  Henry Blackaby taught us that after our prayer time, we should be extra alert to see what the Lord is doing around us.  Then we must take action to join Him in what He is doing.  Let's pray, but let's also act.  God is moving before us to bring the nations to Himself.  Let's not miss it by staying on our knees too long.

AAA Prayer Part 2

Approaching His presence is the most important part of prayer.  After all, our real need in prayer is the Lord Himself.  We don't need things; we need Him.  He doesn't just give us wisdom or courage; He gives us Himself to be wisdom and courage within us.

Being in His presence should lead to a second phase of prayer:  aligning with His purpose.

Henry Blackaby in Experiencing God reminded us that God is always at work and is always inviting us to join Him.  We experience the joy of seeing God's glory manifested in our reality when we adjust our lives to God's will.  The story of the Bible is not what great men did for God but what a great God did through men who were willing to adjust their lives to His plans.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, His model prayer highlighted the importance of alignment.  Approaching God's presence first ("Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name"), disciples then commit themselves to His purposes ("Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven").  Only after those first two steps had been taken were personal petitions to be presented for physical needs, social/relational needs, and spiritual needs.

If we align our lives with His purposes, it is possible that presenting our specific needs will be unnecessary.  "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).  "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things [the necessities of life] shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  Sometimes God may require us to ask for specific things in order to manifest His glory and increase our faith (thus the truth "you have not because you ask not" James 4:3).  But generally speaking, His provision is always there for those who follow His vision.

God is not a cosmic vending machine.  He does not exist to meet our needs or grant our requests.  We exist to serve Him.  Out of His grace, He showers us with many blessings, but we must never forget who is servant and Who is Master.  As David Platt says, we were created to enjoy His grace and extend His glory.

After approaching God's presence in prayer today, let's submit our wills to His will.  Let us pray that His purposes will be fulfilled and the whole earth will be full of His glory (Habakkuk 2:14).