When prayer and God's word meet

Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." (Mark 4:13-20)

One of my resolutions this year is to go through the bible teaching of Don Anderson for six books of the bible (I set the target fairly modestly, although 2 months into the year, I've only just about finished 1 John - a very short book! ... ) But I've also realised that there are days when I listen to his preaching, and my heart is pierced. There are days when nothing penetrates my heart of hard soil. I've always thought it was the preacher. I've come to realise it's the listener that makes all the difference.

While the Word seems to be the central idea in Jesus' "Parable of the Sower", I see it slightly differently these days. I see prayer as even more central. Because prayer is needed to plough the soil first, so that the seed doesn't fall on the path, the rocky place or the thorny ground. Unless God ploughs my heart first, I hear but do not listen. My mind is a thousand miles away and totally unreformed.

So it seemed like God was speaking direct to me when I read these words by A. Murray. Murray put into words the niggling feeling I've been harbouring of late:
"Little of the word with little prayer is death to the spiritual life. Much of the word with little prayer gives a sickly life. Much prayer with little of the word gives more life, but without steadfastness. A full measure of the word and prayer each day gives a healthy and powerful life."

Prayer today: Father God, help me not to forsake your Word, or prayer, that I may have a healthy and powerful spiritual life. In Jesus' name, Amen.