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Program D-7425
Stop, Pray, Move! We’ve been looking at the passage from Exodus 14 where Moses told the people to stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will bring. And then God immediately tells Moses to stop praying about this situation and move. He said, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”
It was time to move. But the question today is, how do we know when it’s time to move? God doesn’t speak directly to us as he did to Moses. How do we hear his voice clearly?
If you’re waiting for God to show you exactly how everything is going to work out, where the money will come from, and who will help you, you’ll probably never move. God asks us to walk by faith, not by sight. That means you take the next step, even though you may not know exactly what the next step holds for you. I’m not saying you move without giving it lots of thought and prayer, but at some point, you have to move or abandon it.
There have been times when I’ve started to move in a certain direction, thinking that was where God was leading, only to find not only did the doors slam in my face, but my passion and desire died very quickly. That was a sign to me that I was moving on my plans, not God’s. At other times I’ve stepped out by faith, shaking in my boots but certain that God was leading me, and it was time to do something.
In fact, I began this radio ministry thirty-one years ago, after praying about it for eighteen months. As I was driving to work one day, after praying about it again, God’s wisdom to me was, “You’ve prayed about this long enough; get moving.” I had no idea what to do, but decided to at least make a phone call and get some advice. Once I decided to move, God started to move in miraculous ways, and within three months the radio program began on one station in Chicago, and now it’s heard internationally on 400 or so stations. But there was a point when I knew it was time to stop praying about whether or not I should do something, and take step one.
Stop, Pray, Move! There are times in our lives when each of these is appropriate. If you’re in stop mode, ask God if it’s time to move. If you’re trying to make things happen and pushing doors open, ask God if it’s time to stop and pray. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”