TAKING THE SHEPHERDING WAY
TO PREACH THE GOSPEL AND REVIVE THE CHURCH

SERIES One
Practicing the Church Life
according to the Framework of the God-ordained Way

Message Five
Praying with Vital Companions

Scripture Reading:

2 Tim. 2:22          But flee youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Matt. 18:19-20    Again, truly I say to you that if two of you are in harmony on earth concerning any matter for which they ask, it will be done for them from My Father who is in the heavens. For where there are two or three gathered into My name, there am I in their midst.

THE NEED FOR COMPANIONS

The young people must have such a life of fleeing and pursuing. However, when you endeavor to flee and pursue, you will find that you are not able to do so by yourself. The way to flee youthful lusts and pursue Christ is in the last part of 2 Timothy 2:22. This verse says, “But flee youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” You need “those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” By yourself you are inadequate. The key is to be “with those.” As a young person you may be very strong, but your strength means nothing. The enemy, Satan, is stronger than you are, but under God’s sovereign provision, you have “those.” You must pursue “with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

Our Having to Consider before the Lord
Whether We Have a Real Companion in Pursuing the Lord

The young people must make the decision to pick up some others as companions. Daniel had his three friends. Under the Lord Jesus in the New Testament none of the disciples were individuals. They were sent two by two; they all had companions. Peter and Andrew and James and John are referred to in the Gospels in pairs (Matt. 4:18, 21).

Young people need at least one companion. You must consider before the Lord whether you have a real companion in pursuing the Lord. Joshua could have said that Caleb was his companion, and Caleb could have said that Joshua was his companion. However, it is better to have three or four companions. Because of these perilous times, we need more companions. If we have four companions to support us from each direction, we will not fall, regardless of what storm may come. If one stands by himself, he will possibly be captured by the enemy. It is best for four or five young ones from junior high school to come together as companions. Let the young brothers be companions to one another, and let the young sisters be companions to one another.

We need companions not only because we are weak to stand by ourselves, but also because we are all so natural. According to our natural disposition, it is very hard for us to have companions. Our individualism is a pleasure to us. We enjoy our individualism so much. We may not care for a brother or a sister because they are not like us. We demand that others be like us. Wanting people to be like us is devilish. If we love the Lord, we should be able to go to any young brother or sister, not caring for what they are like. They may be slow or quick, dull or smart, like you or one hundred percent different from you. We should forget all the differences. We must have companions. If the young people would be grouped in this way, Satan will be put to shame. This is a great matter.

Do not have companions in a loose way. Do not take a brother as a companion because you like him and tomorrow reject him because you do not like him. If he is a brother, you must take him. This will subdue and break you. You need to be broken. Who will break you? Wives are good “breakers,” but I do not trust the wives to completely break the husbands. The good “breakers” are the brothers and sisters with whom you group yourself.

Coming Together with Companions to Call on the Name of the Lord,
Fellowship, Pray-Read, Pray, and Take Care of New Ones

The young people must look to the Lord to get four or five companions. Even the people in the world say that union is power. By myself I would not dare to do many things, but when I have four companions, I would dare to do anything. The five companions should always call on the name of the Lord together (2 Tim. 2:22). They should always come together to fellowship, pray-read, pray, and take care of new ones. One brother’s new ones should be another brother’s new ones also. In this way one group of five saints will have fifteen new ones under their care. All these new ones will be saved. The principle for the saints in both the Old and New Testaments is that they should be grouped together. The young people need to flee youthful lusts and pursue the Lord with some companions. (Fellowship with the Young People, ch. 1)

PRAYER

The Prayer in Harmony Bringing in the Heavenly Authority

These two or three do not come together to discuss things but to pray in harmony. There is the need of the harmony among men to have the heavenly authority. To pray in harmony is as musical sounds are in harmony. Whatever we say in binding a rebellious one must be like music to God and also to the enemy Satan for him to be defeated. If we are inwardly opinionated and dissenting, the devil knows our hearts. It is very difficult for husbands and wives to be in harmony. Even in the church life, it can be the same among the saints. As long as the elders are not in harmony, the eldership is lost. They will not be able to exercise the Lord’s authority.

Whoever is not in harmony to the extent that he rebels in the church life will suffer loss. The Lord Jesus set up an example which is a real shame to Satan, who is the great rebel. In the universe there is one person by the name of Jesus Christ who submitted Himself absolutely and continuously to His Father, standing in His own position to keep the harmony among the Trinity. (The God-man Living, msg. 15)

Desperate Prayers for the Lord’s Blessing

First, you have to fellowship with your companion through desperate prayers for the Lord’s blessing. We have shared previously that we need to look to the Lord for some companions. If you do not have a companion, pray desperately from tomorrow to get one. Without a companion, there is no way for you to start the vital group. Then you need to fellowship with your companion through desperate prayers. You should not just talk to one another. Talk means nothing. It is vanity. When you come together, it is better to turn your talk into prayer. If you talk, talk to the Lord.

Furthermore, we should not pray in a routine way. We should pray desperately, “Lord, I’m so barren; I’m not happy about this, Lord; help me get out of this.” This is genuine prayer. I do not want to pray routine prayers. If I pray, I must pray something out of my burden. In order to pray routine prayers, we do not need to exercise our spirit or to shed tears. But when we pray desperately from our spirit to discharge our prayer burden, we will weep. We must have this kind of genuine and vital prayer.

We need to have desperate prayers for the Lord’s blessing. We should pray, “Lord, we are nothing, so we have nothing. But You are the all-inclusive Lord, and You are the unsearchably rich One. We need Your blessing. Without Your blessing, we are dead. Without Your blessing, we are cold, not even lukewarm. Without Your blessing, we are just fruitless. We need Your blessing.” We must pray in a desperate way, “Lord, grant us the remaining fruit that we need. We have been barren for many years.” Such a prayer of desperation causes us to have a thorough repentance.

The Bible shows us something much, much higher than this. It shows us that God has an eternal economy, His eternal plan. We are here meaning business with the Lord to be one with Him for the carrying out of His economy. This is why we need to fellowship with our companion through desperate prayers for the Lord’s blessing. (The Training and the Practice of the Vital Groups, msg. 3)