In relation to God, we are always in a position of response. In the first instance we must respond to what he has done and said for us. We tend to think of prayer too individualistically. God isn’t just speaking to you. He is most importantly speaking to us. And he has started that conversation thousands of years ago through word and deed. These words and deeds are recorded in the Bible. Anything he wants to say to you now will be the application of those truths first revealed in the books of the Bible. Have you ever joined a table conversation late and struggled to join in on the interaction? Because you missed so much of the conversation, you don’t get the jokes, and you don’t understand the references. The reason we read the Bible is to get in on God’s conversation with us. If you neglect Scripture, you show disregard for the conversation he is having with us. You should not then complain if God seems silent. If you want to hear from God, start with what he has already said, and make it a priority to continually meditate on his Word. I don’t read the Bible just for daily inspiration. I read the Bible to orient my soul to God’s conversational agenda. I can hear what he is saying to me now, because I am continually reflecting on what he has said to us. The Bible is the foundational revelation of God, and all prayer is ultimately a response to that.
Ask God to help you engage more deeply with his Word in the Bible.
Read Psalm 19.
