Yet we do not have to be in difficulties before we can turn to Holy Spirit for assistance. The example of Jesus is that we should seek Spirit's guidance at every turn of our lives.

Starting Small On whole, what we see of Jesus in gospels is his handling of big things in his life. Yet letter to Hebrews tell us in chapter 5.7 - 8 that, through his prayer, Jesus learned to submit to Father's will. In fact, his obedience came only through suffering.

We suffer whenever we have to bend our own will to that of someone else. We seem to have an inbuilt desire to do our own thing. And that is something world encourages in us. Just take notice to a few TV adverts to see that.

Now, where other people are concerned, we can often argue that we know as well as they do. But where God is concerned we can never say that. Got always knows best - and even more, God's love for us is so pure that he never acts except in our best interest. Hence we can never do better for ourselves than to do what God wants us to do!!!

It's not always easy to hear God. In fact, there are two general situations. The first is when God speaks, as it were, without prompting. He just says something - and there is always something about that which marks it out from usual kind of thoughts. Secondly, there are those times when we are asking God about something. Then it can be more difficult to hear him. If you meditate regularly on Scripture, you will soon get used to discerning his communications. (This is discussed at some length in my book "The Keys To Christian Mediation", but is rather too involved to detail in a short article)

If we have not tried to discern God's will for us on a daily basis, we should start small. Ask him about small things first: if forthcoming weekend is free, ask how to spend it; if thinking about buying a book, ask Spirit whether or not you should - or which one, if there are alternatives. Small things like this.

Leave bigger things until some experience has been gained. But objective is to gradually bring whole of one's life under domain of Spirit. Then he lead our life. We do not lead it ourselves. And it is all better for that!

We do buy Bible but we seem to make little use of it.. Why?

Why Meditation Is Important Probably major reason is that people often find Bible to be boring. It is of little use to tell people that it is not boring if that is their experience. There are many reasons for this impression. However, purpose here is not to explore these but to suggest that meditation on God's word in Scripture is the major way to discover that it is anything but boring - in fact, to find that it is most exciting book every written. And that it is a key to unlocking our further spiritual growth.

We cannot go into a proper instruction here on how to meditate on Scripture, but we can make two major points which may encourage reader to explore further. (e.g. through present writer's The Keys To Christian Meditation).

The first is that Scripture really is God's word to us. The Catholic Church does teach that every word of Scripture is divinely inspired. Thus Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation says it teaches without error that truth which God wanted put into sacred writings... If God did this for our benefit, least we can do is make effort to investigate it.

But secondly, we are missing whole point if we seek to undertake that for ourselves. This is one, if not main reason why people find Bible boring. When we read Bible, and most of all when we meditate on it, we need to ask its Author to guide us. That is Holy Spirit, and it is he who will show us that his book is anything but boring.

Let us understand clearly what this is concerned with. We are not talking about that kind of divine revelation which properly belongs to Church. We are opening ourselves to those personal communications of Spirit to which so many of saints have opened themselves. God communicates with his people in all kinds of ways, but this is one of most important. And so many of us miss it. We may not have lost plot but reading Book certainly helps us to put it up front. And meditating on it does more than merely keep it there. Meditation on Scripture has potential to bring us into a new experiencial knowledge of God and a much deeper understanding of our life of faith.