Stop Reading About Praying And Pray!

I just read this article, and really enjoyed it.What Tim Challies says is just so true to me: "Reading comes naturally to me; prayer does not." I have been making a conscious effort lately to look to the Bible, and to prayer, and to meditating long on God's once-for-all revealed will before (and often instead of) running to the Christian bookstore to read some about how someone else dealt with any sticky situation I find myself in. It is easier (and doesn't take any faith) to ask a fellow human how to deal Biblically with an issue than it is to pray about it to our all-knowing and yet unseen Creator, and to search His word and trust that His wisdom is perfect for your situation, whatever it may be. We must search His word for verses and passages that apply to our specific issue, and then pray that He will show us how to apply what we've read, and then just be still and meditate, listening carefully for His voice. Job assures us that God does speak to us, now one way, now another. It may be in a dream while we sleep, or it may come as a gentle whisper in our ears, or it may be on a bed of pain. (Job 33:14-19.) We don't know how God will speak to us, how He will guide us, but we do know that He will. He has promised that numerous times-esp. in the Psalms-so we must be always ready to hear His voice. "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5.)