The Secret of Guidance

On the first few pages of the paper he was writing titled, "The Key to Knowing God," Olympian and missionary Eric Liddell offered suggestions on how to have an effective daily prayer hour. Eric had been seperated from his wife Florence and their children again for a few years. War had broken out in China as the Japanese had invaded and were taking over with brutal force.

Japan had already attacked Pearl Harbor and brought the United States fully into WWII as well. Eric and other missionaries and expats found themselves confined to a certain part of Tientsin, China. Eventually, the Japanese would order he and many others sent to an internment camp.

In the midst of this awful war, Eric penned his suggestions for an effective prayer hour. He began with this: "One word stands out from all the others as the key to knowing God, to having his peace and assurance in your heart; it is OBEDIENCE. To OBEY God's will was like food to Jesus, refreshing His mind, body and spirit. 'My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me.'"

"Obedience to God's will is the secret of spiritual knowledge and insight. It is not willingingness to know, but willingness to DO (obey) God's will that brings certainty. Obedience is the secret of guidance. Every Christian should live a God-guided life. If you are not guided by God you will be guided by something else (from Eric Liddell: Pure Gold by Dave McCasland)."

That is what Jesus taught in John 7:17, "If anyone chooses to do [obey] God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own."

What is guiding you today? The fodder of effective prayer is choosing to obey the Master and His Word no matter the cost.