Sometimes we just need to act!

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Don’t worry about the things you cannot do. Do the things you can do. Move, and then let God direct.

Let me say very clearly I believe in praying and I believe in reading the Bible. More than just believe, I know it is what sustains and refreshes me. However sometimes we need to act – not keep on praying.

I guess some examples that come to mind are:

1. when all of a sudden the Holy Spirit drops someone’s name, or you see something that makes you think you should contact someone – then do so. A while ago I had a friend who had been praying in their car and asking God for help. I had noticed something on Facebook that made me ring them, just as they were pulling into a car park after their prayer in the car. Acting on the Holy Spirit’s prompting I rang and they later told me that was the sign to them God had heard and was sending the help they had just prayed about. and:
2.  when you receive a ‘word of knowledge’ about a pain or illness or something affecting someone who is at church (or elsewhere) – act, don’t just sit there praying until church is over and it is to late because the person God wanted to heal has left the building and gone home.

People often say that they believe that the Holy Spirit leads them – but then fail to obey His promptings. Jesus was a Man of prayer, but He was very much a Man of action.

The Book of Acts isn’t called the “acts of the apostles” for no reason. The Apostles didn’t sit around all day waiting for ‘confirmation’ after confirmation in prayer meetings – they went and acted.

The title of the book of Acts comes from the Greek word praxis, a word often used in early Christian literature to describe the great deeds of the apostles or other significant believers.

Note this prayer of the first Apostles: “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speak Your Word with great boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the Name of Your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:29-30)

The prayer was for, and followed by, action. And as they moved forward, as they acted, the Holy Spirit directed their paths – sometimes even changing their original course. But at least they acted.

Remember that a small rudder can steer a huge ocean-liner – but only because it is moving. The rudder is of little value to the stationary ship. Prayer is vitally important – it does prepare the way. But without action on your part when the Holy Spirit leads you to act then you are possibly not being the hands, feet, mouth and love that God wants to use in someone’s situation.

Trust God to steer you in the right directions – but move, act. Learn to rely on and trust the Holy Spirit’s promptings.

I will leave the final words to Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke: “The Apostles “moved on”; they did not fast and pray for a month to find out what they were supposed to do. They preached everywhere and their cue was the word of Eliezer, Abraham’s chief servant: “As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me” (Genesis 24:27).

Nowhere does the word tell us to do nothing until we hear God’s instructions; it tells us to put everything into whatever our hand finds to do (Eccl 9:10).

Joshua was ready to invade the Promised Land, so God told him to go ahead “for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged!” (Joshua 1:9).

All the way God respected Joshua’s decisive leadership and went along with him. The promise of God is that “Whatever he does prospers” – a promise for those whose roots go down into the Word of God, like into fertile soil (Psalm 1:3).

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8).”

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