Hymns 389
Scripture Reading:
Eph. 6:17-18 And receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God, by means of all prayer and petition. By means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints.
BEING APT TO USE THE MORNING REVIVAL MATERIALS
When we enjoy the Lord with the morning revival materials in the morning, we must exercise to depend less on the mind and more on our spirit, reading sentence after sentence. Not only should we read the words, but we also need to use our spirit and push out our spirit to turn the words into prayer, which will bring forth Christ. Then our spirit will touch others’ spirit. When we use our spirit to read the Scriptures to others, this kind of reading will touch the spirit in them. This will affect them. We all need to learn to pray and read the Bible with our spirit to push out the word. The word entering into others will become the Spirit, which touches the spirit within them so that they can gain Christ in the spirit as the life supply. This is very important.
Needing to Repeat-read, Emphasize-read, Vitalize-read, and Pray-read
Concerning the Bible verses of each day in the Holy Word for Morning Revival, it is best to repeat-read, emphasize-read, then vitalize-read, and pray-read. To repeat-read is to read with repetition, and to emphasize-read is to read with stress. Besides repeat-reading and emphasize-reading, we also need to “vitalize-read.” To vitalize-read is to do what we mentioned before in the example of Genesis 1:1. As we read this verse, we can give thanks to God, thanking Him for creating the heavens, the earth, you, and me. Reading in this way will vitalize us. This is to apply the word in a flexible way without diverging from the subject and main points. We have seen the need to repeat-read, emphasize-read, and vitalize-read. Now we also have to add pray-reading. If we want to read the Bible in a living way, none of these four ways of reading can be omitted. For example, when we read a verse and find it very good, we can first repeat-read it, then emphasize-read it, then vitalize-read it, and then pray-read it. These four ways combined together form an effective method for reading. Pray-reading contains repeat-reading, emphasize-reading, and vitalize-reading. These four ways mingled together is the best reading method.
Depending More on the Spirit
Knowledge is empty and the letter kills; only Christ is reality and only the Spirit gives life. Thus, there must be prayer, confession of sins, and the abundantly rich filling and saturation with the Spirit of Christ before reading. In reading, there should be the practice of depending less on the mind and more on the spirit, rejecting the old way of knowledge and emphasizing the new way of life. Sentence after sentence that is being read should be pushed out by the spirit with life that others’ spirits may be touched for them to receive the life supply of the pneumatic Christ. This point can be considered to be the most important.
USING THE HYMNS IN A FLEXIBLE WAY
In the home meetings, hymns are also indispensable. Hence, there is a hymn attached to every lesson. We need to learn to use the hymns in a flexible way and not to sing in a rigid way every time. For example, if a hymn has six stanzas, you do not need to sing all six stanzas. You may sing only the stanza that is suitable. If only the chorus is suitable, you can sing only the chorus. Sometimes you need to match the singing with a small testimony, not a lengthy one that will use up the time. Never extend the meaning of the text or develop an understanding based on inference. Never think that you are experienced. Once you extend and infer, you will easily be side-tracked from the subject and the central lane. (Bearing Remaining Fruit, vol. 1, msg. 13)
Further Reading: Bearing Remaining Fruit, vol. 1, msg. 13; The Organic Practice of the New Way, msg. 4
