Just about everything I can think of in this world of ours has its limits: wealth, time, wisdom, opportunities, even physical life itself. Paul wrote: "For this world in its present form is passing away" (1 Corinthians 7:31). And John declared, "this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave" (1 John 2:17).

Many people in the world—maybe even you—are facing terrible storms in their lives: broken homes, joblessness, loneliness, loss, world crises. These things slash at the very fabric of our hope in Christ. It may even seem as though we are lost, adrift at sea in a small boat during a hurricane. How on earth will we be able to reach the shore safely?

Whatever we might acquire in life, the novelty of it will diminish over time. Take a new car, for example. Don't you love the new-car smell? You look for excuses to drive it. You vow to never eat in your car. And then a month goes by and you're late for work. You have to eat, and sure enough, you have your first spill inside your car. Some time passes, and you get that first little dent in the door. Then the paint chips a little. And after a while, that new car is not so exciting.

We want to be holy…but sometimes that just seems much easier said than done. Well the good news is you don't have to make that happen! In fact, you can't become holy in your own strength. Yes, God does expect us to live holy, consecrated lives. But not even the best of our intentions can make it happen.

This same principle holds true with prayer. In our normal everyday lives, we are surrounded by countless voices in need of our attention. Our children cry for it, our employers demand it, and our loved ones yearn for it. With all of these bidding for our attention, no wonder God's voice at times seems so muffled or distant.

Of all the heroes in Scripture, few are spoken of as respectfully as King David. What made him so special? David himself wondered the same thing(2 Sam. 7:18) The best answer is simply that he was a man who listened to God.