IV. USING OUR SPIRIT AND OUR MENTAL FACULTY TO RECEIVE THE SPIRIT AND LIFE FROM THE WORD OF GOD
First Peter 2:2 tells us that we may grow by the guileless milk of the word. The term “of the word’’ in Greek is logikos. [This word, in Romans 12:1 translated reasonable, is derived from the noun logos—the word; hence, of the word; having the sense of pertaining to the mind (in contrast with the body), to the rational faculties; hence, rational, logical, reasonable. The milk of the word is not milk for the body, but milk for the soul, the inner being. It is conveyed in the Word of God to nourish our inner man through the understanding of our rational mind, and is assimilated by our mental faculties.] [Although the nourishing milk of the word is for the soul through the mind, it eventually nourishes our spirit, making us not soulish but spiritual, suitable for building up a spiritual house for God.]
[The Lord indicated that for giving life, He would become the Spirit. Then He said that the words He speaks are spirit and life. This shows that His spoken words are the embodiment of the life-giving Spirit. He is now the life-giving Spirit in resurrection, and the Spirit is embodied in His words. When we receive His words by exercising our spirit, we get the Spirit who is life.] [The Scripture is the embodiment of God as the Spirit. The Spirit is therefore the very essence, the substance, of the Scripture, just as phosphorus is the essential substance in matches. We must strike the Spirit of the Scripture with our spirit to catch the divine fire.]
A. By Pray-reading
Pray-reading is the best way to receive the Spirit and life from the Word of God. When you read the Word of God, do not read only with your mind. You also must use your spirit by calling and praying. Ephesians 6:17 and 18a says, “And receive…the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, by means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit.’’ When you read the Word of God, some word may touch you; immediately turn that into prayer. Suppose you are reading the above verses. You may pray, “O Lord, I am here to receive the sword of the Spirit. O Lord Jesus, You are the Spirit; I want to receive You. The Spirit is the word of God, Lord. As I am pray-reading your word, I am receiving Your Spirit. Hallelujah! I am praying in my spirit to receive You through Your word.’’ If you would pray like this, you will be energized by the Spirit and life, and you will be burning in your spirit by the divine fire.
B. By Reading
We need to read the Bible from cover to cover. Decide before the Lord how much you want to read every day. If you read three chapters from the Old Testament and one chapter from the New Testament every day, it will take you about one year to finish the Bible. If you read one chapter from the New Testament every day, it will take you about nine months to finish the New Testament. You need to set up your goal for Bible-reading and carry it out accordingly. As you are reading through, pray with the verses that touch you, write down what you see, then tell people around you what you wrote down. Tell your parents, your siblings, your partners, your serving ones, and your friends.
(Lesson Book, Level 4: Life—Knowing and Experiencing Life, Chapter 21, by Witness Lee)
