Spiritual Deaf-Mutes
Deaf mutes are often born with their vocal organs intact, but because they are deaf they do not hear speech, therefore they are unable to speak, unless they receive special education to enable them to speak. Likewise, to speak to God, to pray to Him, it is important to listen to Him, to heed His word, to hearken to His speaking. That is the easiest, most natural way to learn to pray, just as naturally as a normal child born in France learns to speak French and one born in Germany learns to speak German. You see, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” This brings us to the topic of replacing unbelief with faith, so please read on!
Contact God When Reading His Word
Scripture Reading: “Ye search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of Me and ye will not come to Me that ye might have life” (John 5:39,40).
Commentary: Our Lord Jesus Christ looked with a broken heart to the unbelieving Pharisees and admitted that they did indeed diligently search the Scriptures.
The problem was that they did so thinking that in the Scriptures they had eternal life. They thought! A purely mental exercise.
But in their Scripture reading, they failed to come to Him, in spite of the fact that the Scriptures testified of Jesus and pointed to Him as the only one that gives eternal life.
Too many today also read the Scriptures in the Pharisees’ style, analytically, studiously, mentally, cranially.
But somehow, they fail to add one more essential element to their reading and that is, to read so that your reading is a coming to Jesus!
Of course, I am not advocating for you to throw your brain away! You might need it tomorrow at work, or you will be fired! Obviously, it is good to be a good analytical student!
But do not forget that our dearest Lord Jesus is a being with feelings, that loves to be loved.
Therefore, also read your Bible in a devotional way, in such a way that your reading is a coming to Jesus, to commune with Him, to talk with Him, to dialogue with Him!
If you do, you will be enlivened, quickened, lifed, if there is such a word! He will give you life eternal. Rivers of life will flow in, through and out of your innermost being, as a continuous spring of living waters.
Prayer: Life-giving Father, You gave me eternal spiritual life when I believed in Your Son as my Lord and Savior.
I will search Your Word not merely to acquire Scriptural data, I will read it studiously to have a daily living encounter with You!
May my Bible reading always be a real coming to You!
May You and I always meet together as I read Your Word!
Help me to be balanced in my Bible reading, not to abandon studying Your Word, yet not neglecting the devotional aspect in my Scripture reading, to love You, to kiss You!
You have greatly encouraged me to keep coming to You as I keep coming to read Your Word because as I so do, You will always keep giving me life, eternal life, rivers of living waters flowing from my innermost being! Oh boy oh boy oh boy! You mean this thing is going to go on for ever and ever? Oh, Wow! Oh thank You dearest Heavenly Father. It is sure dry everywhere else! But in You, I have found life, life, abundant life, rivers of living waters! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
From Dialogues With God – Chapter 19 & 20