There are two different ways in which we can respond to the trials that are sent to press us into Christ. We can turn to the Lord immediately and seek His wisdom and help in overcoming the difficulty instead of looking to ourselves or other people for the answers to our problems. Or we can rebel against the tools God uses (often other people) and complain and find fault with our circumstances, people, and finally God Himself.

The Israelites chose to murmur and complain rather than to bring glory to God by professing faith in His goodness and faithfulness.

And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? (Hebrews 3:18)

When we experience pain or disappointment, as Israel did in the wilderness of Sinai, we should go to prayer immediately. We must never look at people or circumstances, unless there is something practical we should do at the moment. As we go to the Lord, not blaming or criticizing God or people, a part of our adamic nature dies and in its place appears the Nature of Christ. We find our rest in Christ, growing in His Character and resting with Him at the right hand of the Father, waiting until our enemies become our footstool.

Command upon command, rule upon rule, the Person and ways of God are eternally engraved in our character.

If, however, we begin to complain, criticize, blame people and circumstances, feel sorry for ourselves, we become bitter. Our heart becomes hard against people and God. No progress is made toward our land of promise. Instead our development is arrested and we remain in a state of spiritual babyhood.

We cannot make progress toward the rest of God except as we learn to pray consistently. If we do not set aside a definite time for prayer each day we will not grow in the Lord and we will not learn to live by the Life of the Lord.

The effect of prayer on our ministry. The history of the Christian denominations and churches is one of carrying out the programs and plans of man. From the efforts of the Catholic Church to dominate the politics of Europe to the ambitious evangelist who seeks thousands of "decisions for Christ," the Christian Era has in large part consisted of human effort.

How often has God poured out His Spirit, as in the case of Azusa Street in Los Angeles in the beginning of the twentieth century, only to have ambitious people take hold of the work of God and organize it into an institution.

The Azusa Street outpouring came about as one individual (and no doubt there were others) prayed for several hours a day over a period of years. Prolonged prayer often has been found in association with outpourings of God's Holy Spirit.

But people are not able, it seems, to wait on God and follow His leading. Instead they think of numerous reasons why they must organize God's program into a system they can manage with money and human talent. They begin in God and then switch to their own ambitions and plans.

That which begins in prayer quickly moves over to human thinking and effort.

To be continued.