Day 14 - Principle 6: Begin by reading the Bible

There is no substitute for the word of God.  When you start your quiet team by reading and meditating on God's word, you align your mind and your spirit with His will.  This is the first step in receiving His power.

Selwyn Hughes recommends the following steps in 15 Ways to a More Effective Prayer Life to get the most out of your scripture reading:

• Come to the word expectantly.  Heb 4:12 - For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power (Amplified Bible). Expect God to reveal things to you and He will.
• Come prepared to surrender to the truth it unfolds.  1 Sam 15:22 - To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams (Amplified Bible).  Obey.  It is as simple and as difficult as that.
• Come expecting to use the truth that God reveals to you.  God blesses us so that we may, in turn, be a blessing to others.  When God reveals something to you, live it and in doing so you will be revealing it to others, blessing and encouraging them.
• Come leisurely and unhurriedly.  Take time with God.  Be quiet and receptive.  In 1 Kings 19:11, 12 God did not reveal Himself in a wind, earthquake or fire.  He spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice.  You have to be quiet and receptive if you want to hear that voice.  Think about that.
• Come believing it to be a divine revelation.   
• 2 Tim 3:16 - Every scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) (Amplified Bible).
• Jer 33:3 - Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (Amplified Bible).
• John 16:13 - But when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all the Truth.  For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future] (Amplified Bible).

Hughes closes with these words:  "... before attempting to get through to God in prayer start your quiet time by meditating on His Word.  This means that you will get to God, not through the medium of your own conceptions, but through the medium of God's conception of Himself.  His thoughts become your thoughts.  You are ready for anything."

Sounds like pretty good advice to me :)