Leading by following? through Prayer?

1 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. …   3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.  4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD … [Jehoshaphat prayed,] 12 “O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” 13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD. 14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel … in the midst of the assembly.  15And he said, … “Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.  16 Tomorrow go down against them. …17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, 19 Then the Levites … stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high. ... Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”  21… He appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever.” 22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.  23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. ... No one had escaped.  2 Chronicles 20:1 ... 24 (NKJV) 

But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.  Nehemiah 4:9, (NIV)

Jehoshaphat and Nehemiah depended upon on God through prayer to lead God's people through possible life threatening disaster. Jehoshaphat obeyed God by not fighting but setting the singers ahead of the army praising God.  Nehemiah did what God said by continuing God's work but posting a guard and being ready to fight.  It is important to remember that both of these leaders talked to and listened to God first before they led.  We lead by listening to and following God.  We listen by reading and meditating on Scripture and investing unhurried time in prayer. God is the leader, we are the followers.  Remember, you can't take anyone else any farther than you have allowed God to take you.

God's subtle tones of the sky by Jeremy McNaughton