V. HOW TO PRACTICE THE PRIESTHOOD
A. Be Revived Every Morning to be Saturated with the Lord
In the Old Testament, the priests start to offer sacrifices to God in the morning. Therefore, [we also must enjoy the Lord in the Word every day early in the morning to have a new start each day (Psa. 119:147-148). According to God’s principle in His creation, He ordained to have a new year, a new month or a new moon, and a new day. Within every year we can have three hundred sixty-five new starts. If we failed for three hundred sixty-four days, we still have one more opportunity to have a successful day. We may have failed today, but then the Lord tomorrow is still here waiting for us. Tomorrow morning we will have another chance to have a new start. Within every twenty-four hours, there is a new chance for us to have a new start and be renewed.
To have a new start is not hard. It is so easy. Just rise up a little earlier and say, “O Lord Jesus. O Lord Jesus.’’ You do not need to shout loudly to bother others. Just say, “O Lord Jesus.’’ To say this makes a big difference. Sometimes I forgot to call on the Lord immediately after I woke up. That became a big loss to me. As soon as I realized this I said, “Lord Jesus, forgive me for forgetting You.’’]
After calling on the Lord, you need to pray-read a few verses. The Holy Word for Morning Revival can be very helpful. Read and pray-read one or two pages a day. Use your spirit with the Word to touch the Lord. Memorize the verse that you enjoyed the most. Then write down what you enjoyed to share with other saints, later. It helps to have your morning revival material by your bed before you go to sleep, so you do not have to look for it in the morning.
By having a morning revival every morning, you will be filled up with God to perform your priestly duty.
B. Bear the People on Your Heart to the Lord in Prayer
You need to pray unceasingly to fellowship with the Lord, by calling on His name and by using the verse you memorized in the morning. You also need to pray specifically for your friends’ salvation at set times, by yourself and with others. Praying refreshes us, strengthens us, and directs us in our priestly function. John 15:16 says, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and I appointed you that you should go forth and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you.’’ The asking is not for anything we want, but is specifically for fruit-bearing. James 4:2b says, “You do not have because you do not ask.’’ Based on these verses, if we ask we will have. The more we ask, the more we will have.
C. Beget Through Gospel Visitation
Sometimes people say that prayer does not work. After they pray, they stay home to wait for the Lord to work. Others may say that they are not effective in the gospel, yet they do not pray. Praying and going are two aspects of our co-laboring with God. On one hand, we need to pray much. On the other hand, we need to go much. We should not pray without going, nor should we go without praying. Eventually, if we do not pray and go, we will be disappointed and stop our praying and going altogether. According to John 15:16, we are chosen by the Lord to bear fruit. The way to bear fruit is to be pruned by the Father, to be cleansed by the Lord’s word, to abide in the Lord, to let Him and His word abide in us, to ask the Father for remaining fruit, to love one another, and finally, to go forth. If we do all of the above without going, it is still not adequate. We must go to where the people are, and also invite them to come. We sometimes give up if they do not come. The proper way is to go. Go to visit people as God visited us. Go and speak the word to convert them to the Lord. The little booklet Mystery of Human Life is very helpful in gospel preaching because it summarizes the Bible regarding God’s economy, man’s condition, and God’s salvation. Baptize your friends after they pray to receive the Lord. This is the God ordained way to function as a gospel priest. This is a wonderful experience that you should have.
(Lesson Book, Level 5: The Church—The Vision and Building Up of the Church, Chapter 19, by Witness Lee)
