Day: February 27, 2022

Emphasizing Digestion Rather Than Content

Some people propose that we should read the Bible once a year by reading three chapters in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament every day. We do not need to force ourselves to read four chapters every day. There is no need to bear the heavy burden of rushing through the Bible in this way. Today I am breaking all the chains that bind us. We simply need to find time every day to focus on eating and drinking God. We can do this once a day or two or more times a day. How do we eat? We eat by reading in the way of praying and by praying in the way of reading. There is no need to be confined to one verse or even one chapter. There is no set rule. This can be compared to eating. Sometimes we may eat one slice of bread. At other times we may eat three bowls of porridge. There is no legal requirement. There is no need to worry about how much food is in the pantry. We simply need to consider how much we can eat and digest that day. If our appetite is not good, we eat less. When our appetite is better, we eat more. We should apply this to reading the Word. The Bible is very rich. I have been reading it for thirty-four years. Sometimes when I read the Word, I can take in only five or six words. I once said that I would need a month to read through Psalm 133. Others thought that I was exaggerating. They wondered how I could spend a month to read three verses. I actually needed two months. I read it day after day. That psalm is very rich. We are not concerned with how many verses we read; we are concerned with how much we have digested. May all of God’s children learn this way of reading the Word—the way of eating and drinking God.

If we have the way, we can set aside other times to read through more chapters. This can be compared to quickly looking to see how much food is in the pantry. For example, we might read through all fifty chapters of Genesis in two hours. Although there is nothing wrong with this, it is different from eating a meal. This is browsing through the kitchen; it is not eating and drinking God. This is merely reading Bible stories. The most precious experience, however, is to set aside a definite time during the day to read with prayer and pray with reading, in other words, to pray-read and read-pray. Such reading does not need to take a lot of time. It is not necessarily healthy to read for a long period of time. Eating too much can lead to indigestion.

Stopping Frequently to Meditate

In this way of pray-reading one often wonders whether he is praying or reading. Our reading becomes our praying, and our praying becomes our reading. As we do this, we should also meditate; we need some “selahs.” I have said that the selahs in the psalms can be compared to rest notes in musical notation. When we come to a selah, we should stop for a while; we should not hurry. It is not necessarily better to read many verses. We should stop and meditate. While we are meditating, we are turned to our inner being. Prior to this we were turned outward. But by pray-reading, read-praying, and meditating, we become an inward person. Previously, we were wandering and unfocused, but through pray-reading and meditating, we become focused. Our mind no longer wanders, and our unstable soul becomes calm.

This matter has much to do with our spiritual benefit. Many of us have wandering minds. Our minds are always wandering. It is difficult for us to be calm and to pray. Hence, it is difficult for us to live in fellowship with God or to live before His presence. When we read the Word by pray-reading and read-praying, we are saved from this condition. There is no need to pray too much or read too much. We simply need to read a little, pray a little, and meditate a little. However, we should not let our thoughts wander. We should meditate only on what we have read and prayed. Then our wandering mind will be rescued. We will no longer be inwardly confused, and our spirit will become strong. When we meditate in this way, there will be much prayer and intercession; we will receive burdens, guidance, and commissions from the Lord.

Interceding

This was the way Daniel read God’s Word. He understood the word of Jehovah to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the seventy years of Israel’s captivity. This produced a burden in him, and he turned the burden into prayer. His prayer was initiated by God’s Word. This corresponds to the Lord’s word in John 15:7: “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.” We do not initiate the asking; it is initiated by God’s word. When the word that we read touches our inward being, it becomes a burden within us and directs us in our prayer. Such prayer is initiated by the Spirit, proceeds from God, and will be answered. In this prayer two prayers are combined into one; God prays in our praying, and our prayer matches His prayer. Thus, we are joined to God. In this prayer our spirit and the Spirit pray together; the human and divine natures are combined. This is genuine prayer. Since this prayer is initiated by God, God will accomplish it. Since His words have entered into us, His desire becomes our desire. Since He is the motive and source of this prayer and He is flowing through us, we can ask whatever we will, and it will be done. Our asking is according to God’s will because it is initiated by His Word.

Abraham was a man living in the presence of God. God visited him and fellowshipped with him, and he fellowshipped with God. When God was about to leave, Abraham walked with God for a distance to send Him off. While they were walking, God said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” (Gen. 18:17). Abraham received this word. While he waited in God’s presence, he received a burden and prayed. This prayer was initiated by God, not Abraham. His prayer expressed and magnified God. This was a sweet experience.

Praying with Reading 
Issuing In Enjoying the Glory of God

This way of praying and reading is the mingling of God and man. This is glorious yet mysterious. The God of glory mingles Himself with us in our practical human living. He does this as the Spirit and the Word. The Spirit is in our spirit, and the Word is in our hand. The Spirit prays with our spirit and leads us to read and understand the Word. The Spirit within and the Word without correspond and mingle as one. The Word then enters into us and motivates us to pray. This prayer is the expression of the Word. In this way God works within us and is expressed through us. It seems as if man is working, but God is working. The issue of this reading, praying, and interceding is the enjoyment and digestion of God’s riches. We receive God’s will, His desire, and His eternal purpose, and we become a channel for His expression. Our intercession affords Him the way to accomplish His will on earth. It seems as if He is answering our prayer, but He is carrying out His will. The result is that man is blessed through the preaching of the gospel to save sinners, through the release of life to nourish the believers, and through the building up of the church. Such prayer makes us fruitful branches that glorify God. We enjoy God and are filled with Him. Hence, we express, magnify, and glorify Him. This is the issue of our eating and digesting God. God is mingled with us as one. He becomes our content, and we become His expression.

In this way God becomes everything we need. If we need patience, He is our patience. If we need light, He is our light. If we need power, He is our power. If we need humility, He is our humility. He is our magnanimity and circumspection. He is our power in the gospel and our eloquence. He is also wisdom for us to build up the church and love for us to shepherd His children.

He is our food. He is everything to us. In order to become our life, He is food to us as the Spirit and the Word. The Spirit is invisible and inside of us, and the Word is visible and outside of us. We exercise our spirit to touch God through praying and reading, reading and praying. We touch both the Word and the Spirit. The Word outside of us enters into us and is expressed through us. We pray, yet God prays. We live, yet God lives. This is what it means to eat, drink, and enjoy God. This is what it means to eat God as food and receive Him as our life. This is the mingling of God and man.

In such a living we have resurrection, the Spirit, the church, the Body of Christ, and coordination in service. The church is built, and we serve in the Body. We experience the authority of the kingdom and the throne of God. We have God’s image and His glory; we have the New Jerusalem. God is mingled with man. He becomes man’s content, and man becomes His expression. This is the issue of our reading and praying, praying and reading. This is the issue of our eating, drinking, absorbing, and enjoying God. May the Lord lead us into such a living through the riches of His glory.

Supplying Ourselves and Others

Some may think that we are the only ones supplied through such praying and reading, but this is not true. As we read Romans 8:1 in this way, the Spirit may give us a feeling to pray for others. We may say, “Many brothers and sisters have not seen this grace of having no condemnation in Christ. Lord, show them as You have shown me.” In this prayer we are petitioning, interceding for ourselves and for the other brothers and sisters.

After praying in this way, we may have a feeling to speak with the brothers and sisters concerning Romans 8:1. When we receive this burden, we should respond by asking the Lord if the feeling to speak with the brothers and sisters is of Him and if He wants us to speak in the meeting. The anointing may move within us, causing us to sense that it is the Lord’s desire. If we have a hesitation, we may express our lack of boldness to the Lord in prayer. Our hesitation may cause us to be inwardly veiled and bound. We may sense that our hesitation has offended the Lord. We should immediately respond by saying, “Lord, if it is Your will that I speak, please strengthen and motivate me.” We will then feel light within and begin to anticipate the evening meeting. Something within jumps at the thought of reading Romans 8:1.

This is not merely reading and not merely praying. After this we may intercede, receive burdens, guidance, light, and utterance. All day long we may repeat this verse, saying, “Hallelujah, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. When I am in Christ, who can condemn me? I am in Christ, and I can never go out. Hallelujah, I am in Christ. Hallelujah, I am not in Adam.” We want to speak this to those who ride the bus with us. At work we may say to our colleagues, “Do you not know that I am now in Christ!” This verse supplies, nourishes, and waters us throughout the day. It is as if we are walking on the clouds or drunk with wine.

In the evening meeting a brother may be moved by the Spirit to select the hymn: “‘No condemnation!’ precious word!” (Hymns, #297). After the singing, another brother may offer a prayer concerning no longer being condemned. We may then stand up and ask the saints to read Romans 8:1. We may also testify concerning how the Lord has opened our eyes to see that those who are in Him are no longer condemned. As we speak, we are released and full of the presence of the Spirit. As a result, the meeting is enlivened. As soon as we sit down, a brother may ask that we again sing “‘No condemnation!’ precious word!” After singing, another brother may pray, “Lord, we thank and praise You. We are in You, and we are no longer under condemnation.” Everyone is brought into the heavenlies. They feel that they are in the heavenly realm.

This example shows that not only are we filled and nourished, but we have afforded a way for the Spirit to supply other brothers and sisters. Many will be deeply impressed that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ. In the next Lord’s table meeting many will offer thanksgiving and praise because there is no longer any condemnation to those who are in Christ. This is the kind of reading and praying that touches God, eats God, and drinks God. Eating and drinking in this way brings God into our being.

The Way to Enjoy God through Reading with Praying

Reading the Bible Sequentially

I believe these examples are clear. Those who are saved and love the Lord will not find it difficult to practice this. It is very simple. We can begin to practice this in the morning or before going to bed. Simply go to the Lord. There is no need to select a special portion. We should simply follow our regular reading schedule. Whether we are in Genesis, 1 Kings, Matthew, or Ephesians, every word of the Bible is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16). Every word is His expression and contains the Spirit of God and life. We simply need to change our way of reading from the former approach of studying with our mind to eating and absorbing with our spirit. The Bible is God’s expression; it is His word. It is spirit, life, and food. We need to be clear that the Bible is not a book of teachings, commandments, or doctrines for us to study. Once we have a change of concept, half the work is done.

Examples of Enjoying God 
through Mingling Reading with Praying

For example, when we spend time with the Lord, whether in the morning or at any other time, we should have two kinds of Bibles. We should have the Bible that is engraved on our heart and sealed by the Holy Spirit, and we should have a visible Bible that we hold in our hand. It is preferable for the visible Bible to be a pocket-sized version so that we can take it with us and read it wherever we may be. In our reading we can mingle praying with reading; we can pray-read and read-pray the Bible. This kind of reading can be done at any time. It is not legal. However, according to our experience, morning is the best time.

Meditating to Turn the Word into Prayer

When we are ready to enjoy God through prayer, we should be calm, call our entire being back to our spirit, and touch the Lord. Spontaneously, we may utter a prayer, saying, “Lord, as I read Your Word, open it to me.” After praying, we can then read. We may read Romans 8:1-2, which says, “There is now then no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has freed me in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death.” We should not read these verses quickly. These two verses are sufficient for us to muse on. We should not muse merely on the words themselves; rather, our musing should be based on these words. In other words, we muse through and by God’s Word. We can muse on the Lord, His redemption, His indwelling, our union with Him, and His being life to us. We should read the verses again, not merely with our mind but by absorbing the riches in the Word with our spirit. We may say, “There is no more condemnation in Christ. How sweet it is to be in Christ! In Adam I was condemned and destined to die, but now I am in Christ. I am a person in Christ! In Christ there is no more condemnation. Therefore, in Christ there is no death!” After musing and meditating in this way, we will spontaneously be filled with thanksgiving and praising. We may say, “Lord, I praise You that I am in Christ. I am in You. Thank You! There is no condemnation in You.” It is difficult to determine whether this is reading or praying. Within the praying there is reading, and within the reading there is praying. It is our prayer, but the words are from Romans 8:1. This is to pray-read and read-pray. The two are mingled as one. The best way to absorb, eat, and drink God is to mingle our prayer and our reading in this way.

If we merely read the Bible, it will remain in our mind and be dead letters to us; we will not touch, eat, or drink God. When we turn the words that we read into prayer, the letter of the Word is brought into the realm of the Spirit and becomes a spring of water in our spirit. Hence, we are inwardly nourished and watered. After praying and reading in this way, the Spirit comes to us with the Word. We are enlightened and become clear concerning many things. By having the Spirit and the Word in this way, we enjoy God in a rich, deep, clear, practical, and strong way. We eat and drink Him and are filled with His Spirit and His word.

After some time we may proceed to verse 2: “For the law of the Spirit of life has freed me in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death.” We may speak to the Lord in the way of praying and reading, saying, “Lord, I know that the Spirit of life is within me. This Spirit of life is the Spirit. This Spirit is within me as my life. He enlivens and invigorates me. The Spirit is the Spirit of life within me. Thank You that there is a law, a spontaneous power, within the Spirit. This law is within me, causing me to overcome the law of sin and of death. Lord, my will can never deliver me from the law of sin and of death. But I thank You that You are within me as the Spirit of life. You are the law of life, the power of life, that spontaneously delivers me from the law of sin and of death.” This can be compared to reading, but it is also praying. In this way we touch God. This way of reading the Word is nourishing; it is not dull or dry. Through this way of reading we touch God, and His word is brought into His Spirit. The words of the Bible are like fine flour, and the Spirit is the oil. This kind of reading mingles the fine flour with the oil and mingles the oil with the fine flour. As a result, we are nourished and watered. This is the most profitable way to read the Word.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

HOW TO ENJOY GOD
BY MATCHING READING WITH PRAYING

Scripture Reading: Psa. 119:147-148; John 15:7; Dan. 9:2-4; 2 Cor. 3:6

READING AND PRAYING NEEDING TO BE COMBINED

This is the last chapter in the series concerning how to enjoy God. God has ordained two ways for man to enjoy Him. The first is through prayer, and the second is through reading the Bible. Praying and reading the Bible are as necessary as man’s two feet. In the previous chapters we combined praying and reading the Bible. Strictly speaking, we are not combining them, because they naturally go together. When we walk, we exercise our left and right feet. Every person who enjoys and absorbs God knows from experience that prayer should accompany the reading of God’s Word and that reading the Bible should accompany prayer. Praying without reading is the same as walking with one foot, and reading without praying is also the same as walking with one foot. In order to walk normally on the pathway of enjoying God, we cannot have one “foot” without the other. This means that whenever we absorb God, we need to match our prayer with reading and our reading with prayer.

It is difficult to decide whether reading or praying should come first. This is the same as considering which foot should move first when we walk. When we walk, we are unconscious of which foot moves first. Similarly, it is not only difficult but also unnecessary to decide whether we should pray or read first when we enjoy God. It is foolishness to instruct someone to always use their right foot or their left foot whenever they walk. They simply need to walk. There is no need to explain to the brothers and sisters what to do first and what to do next when they absorb God. Sometimes it may be more convenient to pray first and then read. At other times it may be more convenient to read first and then pray.

The Bible does not give us a particular sequence. In Psalm 119:147-148, when the psalmist rose in the morning, he first cried out and then mused upon the Lord’s word. These verses say, “I anticipated the dawn and cried out; / I hoped in Your words. / My eyes anticipated the night watches, / That I might muse upon Your word.” The psalmist prayed and then read the Word. In John 15:7 the Lord said, “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.” Here the order is first the Lord’s word and then asking. In other words, the order is first reading and then praying. Which sequence is correct? Both are correct. Sometimes we pray first and then read God’s Word. At other times we read the Word and then pray. This shows that reading the Word and praying go together; they are parallel to each other.

The Lord Being Enjoyed by Us 
in the Spirit and in the Word

The Scriptures and our experience confirm this. We enjoy God through prayer and reading the Word. In a previous chapter we saw that the Lord is the Spirit, the Lord is the Word, and the Word is the Spirit. If the Lord did not want us to enjoy Him, He would not need to be the Word, and He would not need to be the Spirit; He would not need to be our food and our drink. He is the Word, and He became the Spirit so that we can contact Him, absorb Him, eat Him, drink Him, and enjoy Him. He has only one purpose for us—that we would receive Him as the Word and as the Spirit. The Word is for us to receive. The Spirit is also for us to receive. The Word is visible and outside of us, and the Spirit is touchable and inside of us. One is visible, and the other is invisible. One is outside of us, and the other is inside of us. If we have only the Spirit and not the Word, the light we receive will not be clear. If we have only the Word and not the Spirit, the light we receive may be clear, but it will not be deep. In order to be clear, deep, accurate, and inwardly shining, we need the Word and the Spirit. The Lord must be both the Spirit and the Word.

In the book of Exodus God’s presence came through the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. The pillar of cloud typifies the Spirit, and the pillar of fire typifies the Bible. In the daytime the pillar of cloud led God’s children. At night when it was difficult to see the pillar of cloud, the pillar of fire gave them light. Actually, the pillar of fire at night was the pillar of cloud in the day. Without the pillar of fire, God’s children would not have had light at night. In the same way, if we only have the Spirit without the Bible, our vision of God will be unclear at “night.” We thank God that He has given us both the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. He has given us both the Spirit and the Scriptures. When we are inwardly in the light, it seems as if the Spirit as the pillar of cloud is sufficient, but when we are inwardly in darkness, we also need the Word. However, the Bible in itself is only letters. If we do not use our spirit, the Bible will not give us life. Having the Spirit without the Word may lead to error, and having the Bible without the Spirit may lead to death. In order to be accurate and living, we need to use our spirit to contact the Spirit and the Word.

The Lord has given us the Spirit and the Bible for our enjoyment. The Spirit within us and the Bible outside of us are indispensable. It is best to mingle reading with praying and praying with reading when we eat and drink the Lord. Shortly after we close our eyes to pray, we may open them to read the Lord’s word, and after reading for a few minutes, we may want to close our eyes to pray. In this way reading and praying are mingled to the extent that our reading is praying and our praying is reading. Within our reading is praying, and within our praying is reading. The two have become one, enabling us to touch, enjoy, and obtain God.