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Every Christian understands that in order to have genuine growth in life, a believer must read the Bible and pray. In recent years many saints among us have been exercised in the matter of reading the Bible and praying. Since 1958, when we began to fellowship concerning how to pray-read the Word, eat and drink the Lord, and enjoy God, many saints, either individually or in small groups, have risen up to pray-read and to enjoy God together. Hence, many saints have substantial experience in pray-reading. We need to pay further attention to the exercise of our spirit in order to strengthen our spirit so that we can minister in the spirit and serve God as priests, thereby becoming a priesthood to be built up together to be the glorious dwelling place of God. Since this is the Lord’s leading, the way to go on has become clearer, and our speaking concerning this has become simpler. The way to go on is by pray-reading the Bible.
When we reflect on how the Lord led us to practice pray-reading, we must admit that we have encountered many difficulties in learning how to practice pray-reading. Nevertheless, pray-reading is actually very simple. Learning how to pray-read was not easy because it was new and unfamiliar, and even though we saw something, we still felt that the path was rugged and difficult. Whenever a person begins a journey toward a new destination, he turns here and there and looks left and right in order to find the way. When he reaches the destination, however, he often realizes that he could have taken a simpler and more direct way. It is the same with learning to pray-read. Even in 1958, when I released the messages on how to enjoy God by eating and drinking Him, I was not as simple and concise as I could have been in my speaking concerning the way of reading and praying, praying and reading, because our experience was still developing at that time.
The more we touch the matters of exercising the spirit, serving as priests, and ministering in the spirit, the more we have God’s leading. Now we are able to speak of a way that is easy, rich, simple, and expedient. We are not overturning our practice from the past; rather, we are providing a better way for the saints. Before we adopt a new practice, we must consider many aspects based on the situation of the saints. For example, if some saints cannot readily accept a new practice, we can begin by making modifications and improvements based on the old practice. We do not have to change everything immediately; we should allow the saints to adjust gradually.
When I first arrived in Taiwan, I got lost as I was hurrying home on a bicycle. When I stopped and inquired about directions, I realized that I was headed in the wrong direction. Even though I had lost much time, I dared not to go too fast when I turned around; instead, as I pedaled, I constantly checked to make sure that I was going in the right direction. It is the same with spiritual pursuit. We may feel that we are endeavoring to go forward, but because we are not clear about the way, we may take a meandering way and even temporarily be further from our destination. However, as we become skilled in taking a straight way to reach our destination, we no longer need to look at the road.
Pray-reading is a simple way. First, it requires the exercise of the spirit. Second, it enables us to receive a supply of God’s word without waiting vainly to be inspired and moved by the Spirit. Third, it is easy to practice. Even a new believer can learn how to pray-read as long as he has a desire. Fourth, it enables us to easily receive God’s word. Pray-reading can even help those who have difficulty speaking God’s word, because it takes away the excuse that they do not have any words or feelings. With pray-reading, it is easy to receive the word and touch the feeling in the word.
It is best to practice pray-reading in small groups of six or seven people. A saint who pray-reads by himself is too isolated, and pray-reading with just two saints can be difficult if only one is exercised. However, ten saints are too many. It is best for six to eight to pray-read together mutually. This can be likened to starting a fire with wood. One piece of wood is not enough, and it is even difficult to start a fire with two pieces of wood. However, it is easy to start a fire with six to eight pieces. When we pray-read with six to eight saints, there is a mutual kindling; the saints kindle one another, and a fire can be quickly ignited.
There is no need to use many verses when we pray-read, but there is no legality either. Recently, some saints were pray-reading the first three verses of Hebrews in a small group. The leading one felt that three verses were not enough, but in fact, these three verses are too much because of their rich content. Hebrews 1:1-3 can be divided into two sections. The first section is on God’s speaking of old in many portions and in many ways to the fathers in the prophets and of His speaking to us at the last of these days in the Son. The second section speaks concerning the person and work of the Son. Both sections are rich, and they should be pray-read and digested separately.
John 1:1-4 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not one thing came into being which has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” These four verses can be used as a section for reading and praying. Before praying with these verses, the main points should be mentioned but not explained, because explanations sometimes become a hindrance. It is sufficient to briefly mention the main points: The Word refers to the Lord Jesus, who is God. He was God in the beginning, and He was with God. He created all things, and all things came into being through Him. Life is in the Word, and this life is the light of men.
When we pray-read, any feeling that we have should be expressed in the way of prayer; if we have some feeling, we should not interrupt the prayer to speak, even in the way of fellowship. If we have some feeling, we should spontaneously express it in our prayer, and if we do not have any feeling, we can simply pray according to the verses that we are reading. If our prayer contains the words that we are reading, we will discover that the more we pray, the more feeling we will have. Furthermore, when one person prays, his prayer will stir up another person to pray, and then a third person will have some feeling to pray. When we do this, we will be like six or seven pieces of firewood piled up together and burning spontaneously. When one “piece” is on fire, the other “pieces” will catch fire. This kind of practice in pray-reading will then bring in fellowship.
We should read through the verses and then immediately enter into prayer. In the past we would spend an hour reading the Bible, but we would rarely pray. Some saints, who regularly attend the meetings for Bible-reading and Bible-study, understand the Bible, but it is still not easy for them to pray, because their spirits have not been exercised. This can be compared to a person who spends his entire day in a chair, sitting without much movement. When he wants to walk, his legs will not have much strength. Similarly, if we only listen to messages, read the Bible, and fellowship with one another, but we do not pray, our spirits will be very weak when it is time to pray. The present way of pray-reading is very simple: we pray immediately after reading, and we all pray. If we read the Bible for ten minutes, we need to pray for twenty minutes. This exercise greatly benefits the saints.
As a result of pray-reading, our spirits will be exercised, and we will have a thorough understanding of the thought in the Bible. When we turn the words of the Bible into prayer again and again through pray-reading, our spirits will be exercised, and the thought in the Bible will be transmitted into us. In this way we will have clear thoughts, rich utterances, and a strong spirit. By pray-reading in this way, the divine word will spontaneously be assimilated in our spirit to be our supply.
The practice of pray-reading is very easy; it is not difficult at all. When we pray with words from the Bible, there is no basis for saying that we have no words to pray. When we pray with words from the Bible, we do not need to use our own words. For example, when a brother is teaching others how to pray, the learners do not have to pray their own words; they simply need to repeat the words of his prayer. The Bible is the Lord’s words to us, and our pray-reading is our repeating of His words back to Him. For example, we can turn the words of John 1:1-4 directly into prayer, saying, “Lord, thank You that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God. O Lord, thank You. All things came into being through You; in You there is life, and this life is the light of men.” This is a very good prayer. Others can follow and use the verses to pray a few more sentences. For example, another brother can pray, “O Lord, You are the Word of God that speaks forth God. Without You we cannot know God.” This is a further step of turning the words in the verses into prayer. Then another brother can pray, “O Lord, You are the embodiment and the explanation of God; You created all things to explain God. If there were no heaven and no earth, we could not know God. But through the things that have been created, the eternal power and divine characteristics of God can be clearly seen.” Still another brother can pray, “Praise You, Lord. You are the Word, the explanation of God. You not only created the heavens, the earth, and all things, but You also became flesh and tabernacled among us. Your conduct and speaking as a man explained and manifested God.” Then another brother can pray, “Lord, I thank You and praise You. Your life in me is the light. With Your life, I am inwardly full of light. You are both the Word and the light, and You are also life. When this life comes into me, it shines within me. You are the Word that explains God and that enters into me to be life.” When we read the Lord’s word with prayer in this way, it is so rich. This kind of prayer is inexhaustible. Even if we vary in how we turn our words into prayer, no one will be without words or feelings. If six or seven people in a small group turn the Lord’s words into prayer in this way, everyone will be supplied inwardly, and everyone will be filled with the Lord.
When we pray, we do not necessarily need to close our eyes; we should never make closing our eyes into a regulation. In the Gospel of John, when the Lord Jesus prayed to the Father, He lifted up His eyes to heaven (17:1). There is no command in the Bible that we should close our eyes when we pray. Some people say we should kneel to pray, but there is no command related to this either. I am not against closing our eyes to pray; I often close my eyes when I pray, but this is not a regulation. Some who cannot recite the verses from memory can read the verses as they pray. While they are praying, it may seem as if they only are using their mind to speak, but actually they are exercising their spirit. This can be likened to a little child who is learning to walk; he needs others to guide, support, and protect him as he gradually learns to walk. When a saint is first learning to pray-read, it may seem as if he is using only his mind to pray the words of the Bible. Nevertheless, his spirit can still be activated. This is because prayer is a matter of the spirit, just as walking is a matter of the legs. With much exercise, his spirit will become skilled in prayer.
After we pray-read, the Lord’s words will be spontaneously realized in our daily living. For example, when speaking of the Lord being the light of life, someone can pray, “Lord, You are the light. When we touch You, You shine in us. Your light guides us every moment to minister and to serve, and it also releases us and restricts us.” In this way the Lord’s words will become part of our living and will even be realized in our daily living. When a saint is in the middle of a painful situation, for example, the words from his pray-reading can shine within and enable him to turn from his present situation and afflictions to prayer. There are still many details related to how to receive the best benefits from pray-reading, but pray-reading will help the saints greatly. In summary, we need to endeavor to turn our Bible-reading into prayer. This is a simple way to exercise our spirit, to receive the supply from the Word, and to enjoy the Lord practically.
