Here are four most fundamental things that we Christians must do in following the Lord. They are these: reading God’s word, praying to God, performing our duty and practicing God’s word. Our spiritual lives mainly include these four aspects. If we can practice them in our everyday life, we will meet the conditions for being the true Christians.
First, we must read God’s word. Since believing in the Lord, we have been reading the scriptures for decades without interruption. Then how do we read God’s word to achieve results? To achieve this, we need to grasp the truth and seek God’s will from every one of God’s word, pray-read and pound carefully rather than read like viewing flowers on horseback or only memorize the letters of scripture. We should earnestly read God’s word and seek with sincerity to gain the Holy Spirit’s work. Then we can understand the truth as well as the Lord’s will.Second, we must pray to God. In John 4:23-24 it says, “But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” Actually, the process of our praying is also the process of worshiping God. But there is a condition here, that is, we must worship God in spirit and in truth. If we hope that our prayers can be approved by the Lord, we should quiet our heart before praying and think about what we want to pray and what the Lord’s will is in the environments we encounter every day. After that, we should pray according to the Lord’s will instead of only asking Him for things. Rather than speak repetitious words aimlessly, or just repeat the same prayer, we should accurately know our own difficulties and then seek God’s will earnestly, speak what is in our heart to God honestly. We can never make big or empty talk, or make empty promises before God without fulfilling them. What’s more, we should keep God’s place in our heart and exalt Him all the time, seek out God’s will and look toward Him in all matters, seek His guidance and enlightenment, and make prayers of submission. Only by practicing in this way, can our prayer achieve the effect of worshiping God.Third, we must perform our duty. Mark 10:29-30 records, “And Jesus answered and said, Truly I say to you, There is no man that has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundred times now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” In addition, the Lord Jesus said, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:22-23). Every Christian has the duty he should fulfill. Some Christians offer themselves to God and spread the gospel in various places for decades; some give alms to the brothers and sisters who truly believe in the Lord and pursue the truth; some support the brothers and sisters who are negative and weak; some receive those who spread the gospel from far away, and so on. These are what we always do in our life, but truly fulfilling our duty is to do for God: You should do it unadulterated and solely for satisfying the Lord. It is not doing business with the Lord to gain the blessing or crown, nor is it for earning the praise of others. Only if we fulfill our duty carrying such a mentality will we please the Lord. Otherwise, our fulfilling duty and expending are just for our personal schemes, desires and demands, which is not following God’s word or obeying His will, and the Lord Jesus will condemn us, saying, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
Fourth, we must practice the truth. Practicing the truth is actually putting the Lord’s word into practice. The Lord Jesus expressed many words of teaching. For example, He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like to it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). Practicing the Lord’s word is doing God’s will. To achieve that, we shall love the Lord with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. However we expend in our duty, we should do it willingly without personal intentions or ambitions. Whatever trials or refinements befall us, we should not complain against God or rebel against Him, or even betray Him. Instead, we should submit to God and love God, be loyal to Him unto death and stand witness for Him. When practicing the Lord’s word, we should not hold on to the literal meaning of His word but seek the Lord’s will hidden in it as well as the essence and true meaning of the truth. Only then can we truly practice the truth.
These are the four things that we should keep in our belief in God. Only when we grasp these four fundamental things, can we please the Lord. Otherwise, we will have no direction and no goal in our belief, nor will we make much progress despite many years of our following God. So, to succeed in our faith, we have to grasp these key things.
