The 5-Fold Necessity
1. PRAYER
"And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." [1 John 5:14-15]
2. BIBLE READING & STUDY
If we would assure our hearts before Him in the confidence that He hears us when we pray, we must be certain that we are praying according to His will. To know His will is to understand what His mind is considering whatever is at hand. Jesus promised: When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you [John 16:13-15]. Consider that in light of what the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:11-12, "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." We can know (we are supposed to know) what God's will is concerning us. The problem is that we are too ready to look upon things as they appear rather than how God says they are. I think here we should hear the voice of the Word of God speak: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" [Proverbs 3:5-6]. Realize this, you are both a natural and a spiritual person. The Holy Spirit will lead and guide us if we will follow Him, but, if we incline toward our natural understanding, we are dull of hearing God's voice and He is quenched. When we are left to ourselves, we are in danger of falling. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children" [Hosea 4:6]. We need to kindle a desire to know our God and His will. We will never know Him until we desire to know Him, and we can never know Him outside of His own personal revelation to us.
I would like us to really take some time to consider some very simple, basic (yet very deep) truth here by reflecting upon some Scripture passages. Listen to what the Word is saying to you.
Romans 8:5-7
[5] For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but
they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
[6] For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life
and peace.
[7] Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject
to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they
are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned.
If I would be totally honest with myself and turn to God in genuine sincerity and truthful repentance, confessing to Him that I have gone my own way and desire to turn and go His way, He will begin now to lead me in the right way of Victorious Christian Living to His glory and praise! He promises: "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" [Isaiah 55:6-9]. But if we will truly seek the Lord and call upon Him, we must do so in Spirit and in Truth. "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord . . ." [2 Corinthians 6:17]; "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" [Romans 12:2].
Hopefully, here is where we truly begin to understand that if we are to live the Victorious Christian Life, then we must learn to truly trust in the Lord. And, if we are to truly trust in the Lord, then we must have the confidence that He is with us. And, if we are to truly have the confidence that He is with us, then we must know that we are in His will. And, if we are to truly know that we are in His will, then we must know what His will is. And, if we are to truly know what His will is, then we must know Him intimately.
We hear a lot about "Quality Time" and "Bonding" with someone in order for a relationship to work. This is a timeless truth: "In order to really live with someone in harmony, we must have an understanding of their character, their desires, their likes and dislikes." God asks: "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" [Amos 3:3]. I would ask you, Have you considered God's thoughts on those things that take up your time?
So - - - How do we begin to spend quality time with God? How can we even hope to begin to "bond" with the Almighty? The answer lies as close as you will allow it. We begin by instigating a "Two-Way Conversation" by sincere prayer with an open heart and an open Bible.
There is no way we will ever renew our natural minds to know and understand, and truly live in the realm of, the spiritual mind until we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the realities of God's Word. It is impossible for us to know God outside of His revelation to us and His revelation to us is in and through and by His Word. However, we must also understand that our knowledge and genuine understanding of God and His will depend entirely upon our reception of His revelation to us. The heart that wants to know for the mere reason of knowing is a deceived heart and will never go any further than "knowing about" God and His will. The sincere heart that desires to know that it might do will begin to hear His voice through His Word, and soon the desire will turn to delight in doing. To this latter one much will be given, as long as he or she continues to live in the revelation he or she receives by doing what is commanded in that revelation. The Victorious Christian delights in doing the will of the Father and the Father delights Himself in the obedient Victorious Christian!
Accept the fact that the Bible is God's Word, and that it is His Word to you personally: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" [2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21]. And the reason: "That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" [2 Timothy 3:17]. Come humbly, reverently, into His presence through the opening of your heart and mind as you open His Word. Have an "ear" to hear and He will speak to you, and He promises: Unto you that hear shall more be given [Mark 4:24].
- Action to Take -
Be honest and open with God. Open your Bible and pray: "Father, please forgive me that I have not really tried to be what you would have me to be. Grant me the grace to begin anew with you right now. As I open my heart, please open Your Word to me. Speak Your will through Your Word, your servant is listening with a ready mind to do what is pleasing to You. Thank You for hearing me and for granting me the grace to hear You. In Jesus' name. Amen."
Now begin to read from Him by His Spirit and I pray that by the grace of God you will begin a spiritual journey into the transformation from the flesh to the spirit:
"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" [2 Corinthians 3:17-18]. And from here we, each one of us, begins to step out in the Spirit of Christ, saying: Lo, I come [in the name of Jesus] to do Thy will, O God [Hebrews 10:9]. God's richest blessings upon the each and every single one who serves Him in truth and sincerity, for this is the True Church of God! The Kingdom of God is made up of those who hear the Word of God and do it. Read Matthew 7:21-23 and Luke 6:46-49. You are building the house of your life right now.
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