Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from Radical.net.

This is a really sad couple of verses. As we see Saul seeking God,

not hearing what he wants to hear, and so Saul decides to look for answers elsewhere.

Just like that, instead of considering why might God be silent in this situation,

what do I need to do in repentance or in just waiting on God with patience? Instead,

he immediately does that which God has explicitly specifically said not to do.

And as I see this picture in Saul, I can't help but to think about this tendency in my own life.

I'm guessing in yours in a variety of different ways.

We don't know all the details about why God did not answer Saul in this situation.

Obviously, we're led to believe that much of it has to do with Saul's disobedience to God.

And so when we pray, we do need to start with confession of sin.

We need to come before God, even before asking him for this or that, or seeking him for wisdom

and direction and this way or that way, to make sure that we are walking in obedience to him,

that we're honest with him about where we have sinned or are sinning against him,

to think that it's possible for you and I to come to God and to say, God, please direct me in this

way or that way, when we are disobeying the specific direction he has given us in his word and

this or that area of our lives. And so we need to be careful to evaluate our

hearts, our lives or obedience to God as we seek him. And then in times where it may seem,

God is silent and we're walking in obedience to him to wait on him and never to give up on asking.

I just think about the parable Jesus told in Luke chapter 18 when he said, he told him this

parable to teach them. So let me lead us to pray based on this picture in Saul and this tendency in

all of our hearts. Oh God, we ask that you would teach us to pray.

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