Some people pray and then wait and do nothing to help their situation. Maybe a person is nearly out of money and in need of work but never makes application online or goes to inquire at places that need workers. Yes, it is good to pray first but then we need to be open to however God seems to be leading us. Sometimes He may send the answer to our prayers without us doing anything, like a large check arriving in the mail; but most often we are to actively engage after we feel led by the Holy Spirit to actually do something.
Roberts tells of a woman who was praying much about a situation but otherwise quite passive. She thought she didn’t need to do anything, so Roberts gave her a plaque that read, “Pray toward heaven but row toward shore.” She didn’t appreciate the message for she thought her problem would be solved if she prayed hard and did nothing. I remember being on the lake when I saw a bad storm coming. You never saw someone row so quickly and I kept my eye on a landmark so I wouldn’t veer off to the right or left but would land at the dock in the smallest amount of time. Sometimes God requires us to do something in answer to our prayers, but our part is to keep our eyes on Him, listen carefully to His directions and obey. He answers our prayers in many ways. As it says in Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” The Message says, “Put God in charge of your work, then what you’ve planned will take place.”
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