There was a man who, a number of years ago was in such dire spiritual perplexity and spiritual dryness that he went to speak to his Minister. It was fortunate for him that the man he spoke to was one of the greatest of all the old ancient divines in Scotland, Alexander White. The man was so impressed with the help he received that when he got home he made notes of the conversation; they are as follows.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Act in faith even when you don’t feel it. If you can’t think spiritually about Christ, think naturally about His work.
Take some of His sayings; better think about them than not at all. Though you are cold and faithless at first, love and faith will come. Don’t wait for a surge of feelings, think of Him at once.
His Holy Spirit works, not violently or with external movement, but when we feel a softening at the reading of His Word; when we feel a gentleness in our dealing with others; then comes a sweetness in the frame of our minds which is the Spirit working in our nature and moulding the dispositions that we have.
Gabriel is said to have come swiftly to Daniel while he was speaking and praying. He’d need to come very swiftly indeed to most of us if he is to catch us on our knees. How often does the spirit of prayer find us in this attitude?