Pray First, Act Later
In the course of time, David inquired of the LORD. "Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?" he asked. The LORD said, "Go up." David asked, "Where shall I go?" "To Hebron," the LORD answered. (2 Samuel 2:1) In most everything he did, David sought God’s guidance first. He almost always prayed first and acted later. (His disastrous reversal of this process will be discussed at a later date.) After mourning Saul, David asked God whether he should go up to one of the cities of Judah. When he received an affirmative answer, he asked which one and was told to go to Hebron. Now we don’t know if David actually heard God’s voice or whether the Lord communicated His will in some other way. But what we do know is that David asked God in advance what he should do. How many times are you and I guilty of “praying on the fly” – asking God what to do while we’re in the process of doing it? It’s awfully hard to hear God’s voice when we’re in a rush of activity, especially incorrect activity. Even worse, most of us act first and pray later – when we’ve really gotten ourselves into a jam. Then we start shouting, “rescue me”, never acknowledging that a little patience and seeking God’s will would have prevented us from getting into the mess in the first place! Starting today, why not try David’s way of doing things…? Pray first and act later – you’ll be glad you did. “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 From Dogwood Ministries, Inc. J-R-and-Bonnie@dogwoodministries.org Be sure to visit us at www.dogwoodministries.org Used with Permission
