Before young David went out in the duel with Goliath, the Philistine giant, he prayed for God’s enabling strength. Prayer remains a potentiality awaiting fulfillment through God’s intervention when we initiate action. It’s in our action that God answers our prayer for His favors and intervention to triumph over the enemy.
For instance, Joshua would not fight, believing that God would vanquish their enemy for them. Joshua’s attitude did not sit well with Moses, who instructed him to “choose some men and go out and fight the Amalekites,” after which Moses would stand on the hill with the staff of God. In this pivotal moment, the success of the battle depended on the endurance of Moses’ hands. As long as his hands were raised, Israel had the advantage; when they lowered due to arm weariness, the enemy gained ground. To overcome this challenge, Aaron and Hur supported Moses’ arms, holding them steady until sunset, resulting in Joshua’s victory over the Amalekites.
No sweat, no sweet is my favorite proverb. Our preachers and prayer warriors must encourage action/work among their congregations for the realization of the potential of prayer. Without the enabling concomitant action or work, their congregants will remain the milk cow enriching their preachers and prayer warriors. Without enjoining their membership to work, preachers and prayer warriors appear to be nothing else but predators preying on their unsuspecting congregations. I am reminded here of the saying “to those who have, more will be given; and to those who have not, even the little they have will be taken from them in what is euphemistically labeled tithe.
The proverb “if you don’t work, you don’t eat” originates from 2 Thessalonians 3:10, where the Apostle Paul commands the church to discipline its members who are not working. Jesus Himself called out the Pharisees and teachers of the law for their hypocrisy and corruption. Preachers and prayer warriors who show a blind eye and a deaf ear and don’t call out and condemn the commission of injustice, mendacity, extortion, oppression, deception, exploitation, marginalization, corruption, and tyranny, aid and abet corruption and nonfeasance in government and society. It is as has been said before me, a bad system does not appear wrong to those who benefit from it. They do everything to defend it to the detriment of larger society.
Prof. Akubue wrote in from St. Cloud, MN.
September 1, 2025.
