The Written Word vs Prayer

THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE BETWEEN STUDYING THE WRITTEN WORD and PRAYING TO GOD, THE LIVING WORD

Paul Roberts, Copyright © 2019

I’ve been diligently studying the Word of God since 1974, but lately I’ve come to the realization that I am not experiencing the consistent spiritual manifestation of His glorious and peaceful presence and power as

I once did.  After I was born again, initially, and for months thereafter, I spent hours in His presence and enjoyed fellowship with Him.  His presence was palpable.  Then, His presence faded for some reason.  I thought maybe this was just the way it is with God, so I adjusted to it.  In doing so I lost my perspective or the relative importance between knowing the living Word intimately and personally through lively communication with him through prayer and the mere gaining of lifeless knowledge from the letter of the written word through diligent study.

I made gaining knowledge through study of the written word an “end” in itself as though an increase in my knowledge of scripture would in and of itself, somehow, bring me into a closer personal relationship with the living God along with His manifest spiritual presence rather than using study to gain knowledge merely as a “means” to validate and authenticate the source of the spoken words coming to me from the mouth of the living God to my spirit by way of revelation from the Holy Spirit (John 16:13-15 KJV).  That “means”, or “my knowledge from study of the written word”, is not to be the object of my worship.  The living Word of God, not the written word, is to be the object of my worship.  The written word, inspired by God, is merely the infallible and legally admissible evidence of things not seen from the realm of the kingdom of God  which is spiritual in nature and therefore invisible (2^nd Corinthians 4:17-18; Hebrews 11:1-3, 6 KJV), that has been recorded for all generations to bear witness to or testify to the truth, who is Jesus, the living Word of God, who was made flesh and dwelt among us (Psalms 12:6-7; Luke 24:27; John 5:39; John 1:1, 14 KJV).  In Jesus, who is the living Word or the Word made flesh, dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9 KJV).

Jesus is not the letter of the written word.  The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life (2^nd Corinthians 3:6 KJV).  The written word only comes to life by way of the living God bringing it to life by opening His mouth and speaking it to the Holy Spirit according to God’s sovereign will and purpose for that particular time and season (Isaiah 55:11; Matthew 4:4; John 6:63b & 16:13-15; Hebrews 4:12 KJV):

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”  –  (Isaiah 55:11 KJV)

• “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” –  (Matthew 4:4 KJV)

• “—–the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.” –  (John 6:63b KJV)

“Howbeit 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 ( e. whatsoever he shall hear of the living Word from God’s own mouth, my addition), 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 KJV)

• “For the word of God is quick ( e. living and operative, translation), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” –  (Hebrews 4:12 KJV)

We live by every anointed word that proceeds out of the mouth of God by way of revelation from the Holy Spirit in response to our daily prayers for such, not by the words we come to know initiated by our own self-willed study (Matthew 4:4 KJV).  In turn the Holy Spirit then glorifies that living Word (i. e. Jesus) from the mouth of God by revealing His anointed words of faith directly to our spirit by-passing our sight or sense-based knowledge received from our five (5) physical senses.  These words of faith to direct our paths come in response to our acknowledging God through daily prayer (John 16:13-15; Proverbs 3:5-6; 2^nd Corinthians 4:17-18 & 5:7; Hebrews 11:1; Matthew 6:10-11 KJV).  The living words we receive from God through prayer, that we believe in our heart, and speak with our mouth are anointed with the Holy Ghost and power and will be effectual in accomplishing the thing whereunto God sends it (Isaiah 55:11 KJV).  The effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man availeth much power (James 5:16b KJV).  Our effectual (1^st John 5:14-15 KJV) and fervent prayers to God, not self-willed study, brings the supernatural creative miracle-working power of God to bear on that situation or circumstance which concerns us if we are walking uprightly with God (Psalms 138:8 & 84:11; 1^st John 1:7, 2:10-11, & 3:22 KJV).

The written word bears witness to or testifies to the truth that Jesus, the living Word of God, is the only name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12 KJV).  Jesus is God’s sole and sovereign plan of salvation for both Jew and Gentile.  Listen to the perspective or relative importance Jesus gave us between searching the lifeless letter of the written words of scripture (i. e. the Logos) and our personal communication with the living Spirit of the spoken (i. e. the Rhema) Word of life received from the mouth of God through revelation to our spirit in response to our acknowledging Him in prayer along with the purpose of the writings of scripture in bearing witness to the Word of life which the Holy Spirit gave to us through the apostle John as well as other apostles:

• “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.  And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God:  Who also made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit:  for “the letter” killeth, but ”the spirit” giveth life.”  –  (2^nd Corinthians 3:2-6 KJV)

• “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”  –  (John 5:39 KJV)

NOTE:  The written word merely testifies of the living Word but is not the living and eternal Word itself.  Studying the scripture through self-determination and self-effort apart from revelation from the Spirit of truth in response to our daily prayers for both revelation and an understanding heart produces nothing but pride and is just an exercise in futility (John 15:5b & 16:13-15; 1st Corinthians 8:1b-2 KJV).

“Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.  And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.  But if any man love God (i. e. the living Word, my addition), that same is known of him.”  –  (1^st Corinthians 8:1b-3 KJV)

The necessary prerequisite to a fruitful study of the written word is to receive fresh daily bread (i. e. fresh manna from heaven) from the living word spoken by the mouth of our heavenly Father which daily bread comes to our spirit by way of revelation through the Spirit of truth to direct our line of study in response to our daily prayers for such revelation of God’s will and purpose (John 16:13-15; Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 4:6-7; Ephesians 1:17-23 KJV).

Annual study plans, devised by organized religion, to read the Bible from cover to cover in one year or less, are all bereft of revelation through daily prayer.  Since it is not given to us to know the times or the seasons (Acts 1:7 KJV) which God has reserved for His personal use and power, we are, therefore, of necessity, bound to the need to acknowledge God daily in prayer in order to receive timely revelations from the Spirit of truth to direct our path (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV).  Otherwise, we will operate as did Martha rather than Mary (Luke 10:38-42 KJV).  Martha was concerned with “doing things right” according to tradition regardless the time or season, whereas Mary was concerned with “doing the right thing” at the right time according to revelation from the living Word spoken by the mouth of God.  We are to be still before the Lord each day in daily prayer, knowing that He is God and asking Him to direct our paths without leaning to our own understanding according to tradition.

• “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy might be full.”  –  (1^st John 1:1-4 KJV)

NOTE:  Those who saw and handled the living Word of eternal life were inspired by the Holy Spirit to use the written word to bear record and testify to us of the same so that our joy might be full.  That is to say, our joy will be full if we come to Him in prayer, believing through faith that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.   However, the written word is not that living Word who became flesh and dwelt among us whom we seek and communicate with in a living way through daily prayer.  Remember this obvious distinction between the written word and the living Word made flesh; the Bible doesn’t bleed, therefore, it is not the living Word of God made flesh who was nailed to the cross.

While I certainly gained knowledge through my study of the written word, that knowledge by itself was cold, sterile, impersonal, and bereft of love.  Therefore, my knowledge was lifeless (1^st Corinthians 13:1-3 KJV).  My knowledge of the written word through diligent study did not bring the presence of God which is the fullness of joy (Psalms 16:11 KJV).  I became so hungry for the presence of the Lord and the initial joy of my salvation after all these years of study that I began in earnest to ask Him for the spiritual manifestation of His presence as a living Person like I had at the beginning of my walk with Him.  Over time, here’s what the Spirit began revealing to me in my spirit which has given me a new perspective that has made my prayer life to the living Word of God preeminent to my study of the written word for the purpose of obtaining my spiritual direction (Proverbs 3:5-6; John 16:13-15; Philippians 4:6-7 KJV).

In the beginning, the living God spoke the living Word and the anointing  of the Holy Ghost (i. e. the anointing means the Christ or the wisdom and power of God – 1^st Corinthians 1:24 KJV) upon the spoken Word of God caused all things visible and invisible to come into existence in both the spiritual and the natural or physical realm.  The Greek word Christ is an exact translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, and the English word anoint is an exact translation of the Greek word Christ.  The word “Christ” or “Anoint” means to rub on or smear all over.  The word “Christ” refers either to the anointing of the wisdom and supernatural power of God of Isaiah 10:27 upon the spoken word from God’s own mouth, which He sends to us in response to our prayers for such, or the “Anointed One” of Isaiah 61:1 which is Jesus or the Word of God made flesh.  So, when translating the word Christ translate it as the “Anointed One” and his “anointing” and God will reveal to you whether it is referring to the “Anointed One” or the “anointing” or both since we really can’t separate the “anointing” from the “Anointed One” and visa versa.

For example, “I can do all things through Christ which (not who) strengthens me.”  In this passage of scripture the word Christ is referring to the anointing of Isaiah 10:27 not the Anointed One of Isaiah 61:1.  Jesus Christ, the “Anointed One”, brought the “anointing” into our midst during his earthly ministry and demonstrated the anointing of the Holy Ghost and power in Luke 4:18 when he stood up in the synagogue and opened the book of Isaiah to Isaiah 61:1 where it is written:

• “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” –  (Luke 4:18 KJV)

Before Jesus ascended, he instructed his disciples that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father.  He told them that they would receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:  and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.  After receiving this instruction from Jesus, his disciples went into an upper room and continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren, the number of them was about 120.  At the day of Pentecost while they were still in one accord and in one place they received power from on high as the Holy Ghost came upon them for effective service.

This power from on high is still available to us today if we’ll persistently ask for it through fervent and prevailing prayer.  Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to receive the promise of the Father or the anointing of the Holy Ghost and power with the evidence of speaking in tongues.  Regretfully, the body of Christ in large measure does not believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost and power with the evidence of speaking in tongues and remain bereft of the supernatural creative miracle-working power of God.  Mistakenly, they think they have received all the power of God there is to receive upon being born again of the Spirit and being water baptized with the baptism of John unto repentance.  Yet Acts 19:1-6 contradicts such heresy.

When those who won’t believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit pray, they pray from a carnally minded perspective which is confined to the low level of the limited power of the natural laws of physics rather than from a spiritually minded perspective which is not so confined.  A spiritually minded perspective believes in the supernatural nature of the immeasurable, unlimited, and greatly surpassing power of the Holy Spirit and His ability to override the natural laws of physics.  This carnally minded perspective of those in the church who refuse to believe in the Promise of the Father (i. e. the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues) is why the church, for the most part, remains powerless in combating the deception and wiles of the devil.  In Texas, we refer to those who claim to have something they can’t demonstrate as being all hat and no cattle.  The living Word spoken by the mouth of living God and the anointing (i. e. the Christ) of the Holy Ghost upon that spoken Word created all things visible and invisible, not the written word which came after God spoke the living Word.

So, the Word spoken out of the mouth of the living God or the living Word of God which was made flesh and dwelt among us has preeminence in all things including the written word even though the written word testifies of him (John 5:39 KJV).  For in him (i. e. in Jesus, the living Word of God) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9 KJV).  The word bodily in Colossians 2:9, refers to the physical flesh and blood body of Jesus according to the Greek translation shown in Strong’s Concordance.  According to Isaiah 9:6 the name of Jesus is called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  So, Jesus, according to the written word, is the fullness of the Godhead bodily or physically in the flesh.

After we’re born again of the Spirit, thereafter we are to take no thought for tomorrow nor are we to be careful for anything concerning those things we need for the support of biological life.  Instead, we are to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to us.  Additionally, upon being born again of the Spirit, old things are passed away and all things are become new.  Rather than going our own way by leaning to our own intellectual understanding based on what we learned in the past through sight or sense-based knowledge received through our five (5) physical senses, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving we are to let our requests be made known unto God for His direction in our lives through faith or the evidence of things not seen by way of the revelation to our spirit from the Spirit of truth which by-passes our five (5) physical senses.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Matthew 6:31-34; Philippians 4:6-7; John 16:13-15 KJV, my paraphrase).  Matthew 6:31-34, Philippians 4:6-7, and John 16:13-15 are companion verses of scripture to the verses of scripture in Proverbs 3:5-6 which state:

• “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Acknowledging God means to pray to Him for direction (Proverbs 3:6 KJV).  Being directed by the LORD by acknowledging Him in all our ways by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving is tantamount to being led by the Spirit who guides us into all truth and those who are led by revelation of the Spirit’s direction in response to their prayers to God are the sons of God (Proverbs 3:6; Philippians 4:6-7; John 16:13-15; Romans 8:14 KJV).  Through prayer and supplication to God with thanksgiving, His Spirit is able to restore our soul or transform us by the renewing of our minds from a carnally minded perspective to a spiritually minded perspective such that we might prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God (Titus 3:5; Psalms 23:3a; Romans 12:2 KJV).

The paths into which we’re being directed according to Proverbs 3:6 or, rather, the paths into which we are being led of the Spirit, are the paths of righteousness for His names sake (Psalms 23:3 KJV).  The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the LORD:  and he delighteth in his way (Psalms 37:23 KJV).  These steps are ordered by faith which is the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1; 2^nd Corinthians 4:17-18 KJV) and without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6 KJV).  When we walk by believing through faith or the evidence of things not seen by way of direct revelation to our spirit from the Holy Spirit, who reveals only that which He hears from the spoken word of God at just the right time or just the right season (John 16:13; Acts 1:7 KJV), rather than walking by our own intellectual understanding from sight or sense-based knowledge received through our five (5) physical senses, we will, in a living way, experience the spiritual manifestation of God’s presence and fellowship.  In His presence there is fullness of joy and the joy of the Lord is our strength ((Nehemiah 8:10b; Psalms 16:11 KJV).

Once the Holy Spirit provides revelation of faith or the evidence of things not seen to our born again spirit to direct our paths in response to our sincere and fervent prayers for such direction, then our study and learning from the written word based on that revelation of faith will become fruitful such that we can understand it, meditate on it and, over time, become fully persuaded to believe or establish that faith, or that evidence of things not seen, in our hearts.  Believing this revelation of faith in our hearts or believing in the evidence of things not seen from the Holy Spirit through the spiritual eyes and ears of our born again spirit (i. e. the spiritual eyes and ears of our spiritual or inner man), will restore our soul by renewing the thoughts in our mind such that we will do by nature the things contained in the righteous laws of the kingdom of God, which kingdom is spiritual in nature and therefore invisible to the natural eye of the natural man also known as the outward or physical man (Romans 10:10; 2^nd Corinthians 4:13; Hebrews 11:1; 2^nd Corinthians 4:17-18; John 3:3; Psalms 23:3; Romans 12:2 & 2:14-15; Psalms 1:1-3; 1^st Corinthians 2:14 KJV).

In other words, by the renewing of our minds through revelation of faith to our spirit from the Holy Spirit, in response to our prayers which acknowledge God as a living Person, we will be transformed from a carnally minded perspective to a spiritually minded perspective.  To be spiritually minded is to be mentally directed from the thoughts produced by the words engrafted into our spirit which represent faith or the evidence of things not seen that pertain to the invisible kingdom of God.  It is by grace through believing in the gift of faith through revelation in response to our prayers that we establish and fulfill the law such that God’s will can once again be done in earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 5:17-19; Romans 3:31; Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 8:3-4 KJV).

The Holy Spirit is showing me that I spend too much time in the scripture increasing my intellectual knowledge of the “written” word and too little time in prayer communicating with God to build a personal relationship with Him through the “Living” or “Spoken” Word.  Face time with the Lord in prayer to build an intimate or close personal relationship with Him is no different than face time with another human being to build a personal relationship——especially one’s own spouse.  Marriage is a great mystery concerning Christ and the church according to Ephesians 5:30-33 (KJV).

To emphasize once again the distinction and relative importance between having knowledge of the written word and having an intimate or close spiritual and personal relationship with Jesus as a living Person is to keep foremost in our mind at all times the obvious truth that the Bible wasn’t nailed to the cross because the Bible is not flesh and blood, and, therefore, it does not bleed.  This distinction between communicating with the living Word through prayer and studying the written word to establish an intimate and close personal relationship to enjoy God’s presence is in no way a put down of the written word.  Instead, it is to establish the relative importance between the “living Word made flesh” and the “written word which testifies of the Word made flesh”.  I was impressed by the Spirit to compare the amount of time I spend studying to the amount of time I spend in prayer.  The amount of time I spend studying the written word far outweighs the time I spend in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving——my unfortunate misstep in developing a closer personal relationship with God such that I could have more of His fellowship and His manifest spiritual presence which comes along with that fellowship.

The Lord impressed upon my spirit that studying the Bible at the expense of my face time with Him in communicating with Him in every thing by prayer is somewhat akin to the younger generation of my own children sitting at the dinner table with me with their face glued to their cell phone at the expense of acknowledging me and conversing with me in a face-to-face conversation.  This distraction of my children’s time away from communication with their own living father at the dinner table by virtue of their spending an inordinate amount of time infatuated by an inanimate cell phone has always impressed me as a father as their being indifferent towards me and my being set far below the respect and honor that is due me which is obviously disrespectful, dishonoring, and rude.  So, if my children are indifferent, disrespectful, and dishonoring in my presence, why would I want to visit them often and bless them with my presence?  The Lord seemed to be saying to me that’s how He feels when I’m being indifferent towards Him by my being distracted in spending an inordinate amount of time studying the inanimate or lifeless written word at the expense of seeking His face and spending quality time in communication with Him, the living Word, through prayer.

What an enormously subtle deception is the devils insidious subterfuge of causing us to disrespect and dishonor the living Word of God through quality face time with Him in daily prayer by distracting us with the legitimate need to study the lifeless or inanimate written word of God.  Following is the definition of the words “insidious” and “subterfuge” which will open our eyes to how the devil works his deceptions against both believers and unbelievers:

• “Insidious in it’s word definition means: 1a :  awaiting a chance to entrap:  TREACHEROUS  b:  harmful but enticing:  SEDUCTIVE  2 a :  having a gradual and cumulative effect :  SUBTLE  b  :  developing so gradually as to be well established before becoming apparent.”
• “Subterfuge suggests: the adoption of a stratagem or the telling of a lie in order to escape guilt or to gain an end.”

Organized Denominational Religion, through their traditions, have for the most part all fallen for this subtle deception concerning the false preeminence of study over prayer.  However, this masterful deception is not surprising since the devil, in his prideful knowledge as the anointed Cherub, was able to deceive and take with him a third of the angels in his fall from the 3^rd heaven while they were all in the very presence of God.

Most people will tell you that knowledge is power, but it is not the power of life itself.  There is no life-giving power but that power which emanates from the self-existent God Who is life itself and the creator and sustainer thereof.  Apart from Him there is no power of life.  Only when we love God and are known of Him and become one with Him do we have life.  We don’t have eternal life unless and until we are made a part of God.  God, according to His mercy, by grace through faith, has made it possible for each of us to become one with Him as members of His body through a blood covenant relationship called the New Blood Covenant.  The essence of a blood covenant relationship is that two become one by the shedding of blood which is also the essence of marriage.

Marriage is the great mystery concerning Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:32 KJV).  When a man has sexual intercourse with his wife, the hymen is broken and there is the shedding of blood.  The hymen has no medical function whatsoever other than to break when joined to a husband in the marriage bed.  Then the man and the woman become joined together as one flesh.  In the same manner, when the Lord comes into our hearts by grace through faith we become bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh in a blood covenant relationship (Genesis 2:23; Ephesians 5:28-33 KJV).

Once joined together with Jesus he becomes our sovereign head or, in other words, the head of the body.  As in marriage, we are given his name and the authority to act in his name provided we are being led by his Spirit in response to our daily prayers for his guidance into all truth which causes us to walk in accordance with his will and purpose for that particular time and place.  Apart from Him, that is the life-giving Vine, we can do nothing, even if we have understanding of all knowledge from the written and lifeless words of scripture (John 5:39-40 KJV).   Jesus, the living Word of God, said this:  “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”  No one knows how to create or sustain life except the One and only life-giver—the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2 KJV).  If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead now dwells in us he shall also quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in us (Romans 8:11 KJV).

According to the written word, “if any man thinks he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know” – (1^st Corinthians 8:2 KJV).  Mere knowledge puffs up or makes us prideful such that we begin to think of ourselves above measure (1^st Corinthians 8:1 KJV).  We become independent of God and become slack in our daily prayers to God for His direction.  Those, who, like the devil, think that knowledge is power and that knowledge in and of itself is eternal life, know nothing yet as they ought to know.   Therefore, they will not experience the presence of God nor the peace and fullness of joy that only His presence can bring us (John 5:39-40; Psalms 16:11; Nehemiah 8:10 KJV).

God refers to those who consider themselves able to understand all mysteries and have all knowledge and have all faith to remove mountains from diligently studying the written word as being nothing, if and/or when their understanding, knowledge, and faith are bereft of the nature and character of love which is the essence of the living God Himself.  Faith works by love.  Apart from love who is God Himself, we can do nothing.  Since God is love it can also be said that the words of faith only work when spoken by the mouth of the living God Who is love.  Listen to what scripture says concerning those who exalt the relative importance of studying the written word above our prayer life or our personal time communicating with God.  When we exalt studying the written word above our praying to the living Word, that is the essence of leaving our first love which is warned against in Revelation 2:4-5 (KJV).  When we put studying ahead of prayer, our prayers become impersonal, sterile, and rote which has an adverse effect on the quality of our personal relationship with God and being able to experience the joy of His presence:

• “Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.”  –  (1^st Corinthians 8:1b-2 KJV)

• “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.” –  (1^st Corinthians 13:2 KJV)

• “But if any man love God, the same is known of him.” –  (1^st Corinthians 8:3 KJV)

• “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”  –  (1^st John 5:3 KJV)

• “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. These things I command you, that ye love one another.”  – (John 15:14, 17 KJV)

• “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.  For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  –  (Romans 13:8-9 KJV)

NOTE:  God speaks of keeping all his commandments which commandments altogether are plural.  But, since “loving one another as he loved us” briefly comprehends obedience to all the other commandments, he refers to keeping all the commandments with the singular command of “love thy neighbor as thyself”.

• “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words:  and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him.”  –  (John 14:21-23 KJV)

NOTE:  Loving God, evidenced by loving others, is the key to God’s presence.  Loving others fulfills all the law (Jeremiah 31:31-33 [prophecy of the new covenant]; Romans 8:3-4 & 13:8 KJV).  Our ability to love others comes by acknowledging God in all our ways through prayer for His direction and guidance (i. e. Love’s direction and guidance since God is love).  His direction and guidance come through revelation from the Holy Spirit to our spirit in response to our prayers and our ability to walk in His direction and guidance is empowered by Christ or the wisdom and power of God which is the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Proverbs 3:5-6; John 16:13-15; Ezekiel 36:26-27 [prophecy of the new covenant]; Acts 5:32; Philippians 4:13 KJV).

• “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.  And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full [Remember, in His presence is fullness of joy].  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.  But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.”  –  (1^st John 1:3-7 & 2:10-11 KJV)

• “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” –  (Proverbs 6:23 KJV)  

NOTE:  The law, as well as being a light, is also the truth (Psalms 119:142 KJV).  However, it acts as a light only if and when it is securely hinged to love as it’s guiding principle or unchanging rule of governing action.  When the law is ministered in the letter, untempered by love, it is being used unlawfully with our born again brothers and sisters and, as a result, it kills rather than making alive (Romans 7:10 & 8:2; 2^nd Corinthians 3:6 KJV).  Relationships with others in the body of Christ are to be cultivated by believing through faith in the words of the righteous laws of the kingdom of God all of which are fulfilled by loving one another as he loved us.  The truths of the law must always be applied toward others in the body of Christ by a loving and merciful temperament as described in 1^st Corinthians 13:4-7 (KJV).  Remember, loving one another as he loved us, by grace through faith, fulfills all the commandments of the law.  To those outside the body of Christ who haven’t been born again, the law works death in them rather than life by exposing their sinful state as shown in Romans 7:14-25 (KJV).

What we are to take away from the above verses of scripture is this.  Unless we develop a close personal relationship with God through prayer and hear His spoken word to us by way of revelation from His Holy Spirit to our spirit, then we will walk in darkness apart from the light of His love.  If we don’t have a close personal relationship with love, Who is God Himself, then we will not love our brothers and sisters in the Lord and, as a consequence, we will not experience God’s manifest spiritual presence.  Revelation from the Holy Spirit in response to our daily prayers is the evidence of things not seen which is otherwise known as faith (2^nd Corinthians 4:17-18; Hebrews 11:1 KJV).  The evidence of things not seen, otherwise known as faith, pertains to those things of the kingdom of God which kingdom is spiritual in nature and therefore invisible to the natural eye.  This faith is the light of the truth and we are to walk by this faith rather than sight.  This faith works by love which is God Himself.

While spending time studying the written word is important and necessary, it won’t replace or supersede the priority and importance of spending quality time in daily prayer in coming to know Jesus personally as the resurrected and living Person that he is.  According to 2^nd Timothy 3:16-17 the written word is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  that the man of God may by perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.  But, while “good works” are necessary they won’t replace the priority of our first coming to the Lord in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to build an intimate or close personal relationship with Him such that He will open the scriptures to us by way of direct revelation to the eyes of our understanding of our inner man of the heart to direct our path into those “good works” and strengthen us with the anointing of the Holy Ghost (i. e. the Christ) to accomplish those works (Philippians 4:6-7; Proverbs 3:5-6; Ephesians 2:3-10; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Philippians 2:13 & 4:13 KJV).

Jesus’ intimate or close personal relationship with his heavenly Father motivated him to spend the early morning hours of each day communing with God in prayer——-not study.  Through listening to his heavenly Father while communing with Him in prayer, Jesus received his fresh daily bread or his revelation from God necessary to direct his path into the will and purpose of God for that day along with the necessary supernatural creative miracle-working power of the gifts of the Holy Spirit to accomplish that purpose (Acts 5:32 KJV).

God also showed Jesus “things to come” so that he would always be prepared and never be taken by surprise.  It is by diligently seeking God through daily prayer that I acknowledge that God is or that He exists as a living Being or Person.  By diligently seeking God and acknowledging that He exists as a living Person who speaks, He in turn rewards us by way of revelation from the Holy Spirit who opens the spiritual eyes of our heart to understand faith or the evidence of things not seen necessary to direct our paths into His will and purpose at a particular time or season along with the necessary supernatural creative miracle-working power of the gifts of the Holy Spirit to accomplish that purpose (Proverbs 3:5-6; John 16:13-15 KJV).   These revelations should all be validated by scripture to verify their source as being from God Who is the Truth.

Those ordained of God and called to teach His people are commanded to study to show themselves approved unto God, workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing  the word of truth (2^nd Timothy 2:15 KJV).  However, rightly dividing the word of truth for teachers and all members of the body of Christ comes only by way of revelation of the evidence of things not seen which is the gift of faith from the Spirit of truth which by-passes our five (5) physical senses and goes directly into our spirit in response to our requests for such revelation by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving (Ephesians 1:17-23 – prayer for revelation KJV).  The words of truth in our spirit concerning the evidence of things not seen (i. e. faith – Hebrews 11:1) then causes both workers and other members of the body of Christ to become spiritually minded or mentally directed by the thoughts produced from these seeds (i. e. words) of faith that have been revealed directly to our spirit by the Spirit of truth, a. k. a. the Holy Spirit:

• “Howbeit 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 KJV)

NOTE:  These verses of scripture are key in understanding the need for prayer to the living God to obtain the spiritual revelation necessary to open up the scripture or the written word to the spiritual eyes of our understanding (Ephesians 1:16-19 KJV).  Listen to what the above verses in John chapter 16 tell us in this regard:  (1) The Spirit of truth is the living or 3^rd Person of the Trinity assigned to guide us into the truth from the spoken or living Word initially received in response to our prayer by way of direct revelation to our spirit by-passing our five physical senses rather than through our study of the written word; (2) The Spirit of truth will not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear of the spoken or living Word from the mouth of God is that which he shall speak, not write; (3) the Spirit of truth will show us “things to come” when God is ready to reveal them to us since none of us know beforehand the times or the seasons which God has reserved for His personal use and power (Acts 1:7 KJV); and lastly, (4) what the Spirit of truth reveals to us will glorify Jesus whose name is the only name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12 KJV).  Once we receive words spoken by the mouth of the living God by way of revelation from the Spirit of truth in response to the prayer in Ephesians 1:17-23 for such, we can then use that revelation from the spoken word to begin a fruitful study in the written word to the glory of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

• “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 KJV)

NOTE:  Being spiritually minded or walking by faith doesn’t mean we are to presumptuously disregard what we understand by sight or through sense-based knowledge received through our five (5) physical senses.  For example, Jesus walked by faith but when the devil took a verse from the written word of God out of context to tempt Jesus to jump off the pinnacle of the temple, Jesus refused to presumptuously disregard the natural law of gravity at the behest of the written word quoted from the mouth of the devil to attempt to override the natural laws of physics.  Jesus would have never attempted to override the natural laws of physics unless he was first specifically authorized to do so by a spoken word from the mouth of the living God by way of revelation from the Holy Spirit to his spirit provided that word proved out to be true within the context of the full counsel of God’s wisdom as measured against two or three witnesses from the testimony of the written word as to the truth of that revelation.

Reading and studying the written word as the basis for mountain moving faith that can override the natural laws of physics by leaning to our own intellectual understanding should never be used to blind us to the reality of the dire consequences of breaching those things which are seen which are governed by the natural laws of physics.  Instead, real mountain moving faith that can overcome the natural laws of physics can only come by way of revelation spoken from the mouth of the living God—-not the written word (i. e. the Logos) standing alone apart from the spoken word (i. e. the Rhema).

Real mountain moving faith comes only by way of revelation from the Spirit of truth directly to our spirit by-passing our five (5) physical senses.  The Spirit of truth receives His revelation of the truth directly by word(s) spoken from the mouth of God the Father.  This faith from the Rhema Word of God gives us a perspective which provides us with the relative importance between those things which are seen of the physical realm and those things which are not seen of the spiritual realm.  Those things which are not seen concern evidence pertaining to the spiritual or unseen realm of the kingdom of God we never knew about until we were born again of the Spirit through believing in the faith provided by way of revelation from the Holy Spirit concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ and him crucified dead, buried, and resurrected.  Except a natural man born only of the flesh be born again of the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3; 1^st Corinthians 2:14 KJV).

By believing through revelation of faith or the evidence of things not seen from the realm of the spiritual or invisible kingdom of God, we understand that the physical and visible realm was created (Hebrews 11:1-3 KJV).  Therefore the power of the law of faith of the spiritual realm which rests solely on the spoken word of the living God is superior to and reigns supreme over the power of the natural laws of physics of the physical realm of the creation.  We also understand that this unseen realm of the Spirit is eternal and unchanging whereas the visible realm of that which is created is temporal and therefore subject to change (2^nd Corinthians 4:17-18 KJV).  So, if things go from good to bad in the physical realm of that which can be seen with the natural eye, they can be changed back from bad to good by the supernatural creative miracle-working power of those things or words from the mouth of the living God which cannot be seen or heard except with the spiritual eyes and ears of our heart or our inner man:

• “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal ( e. equally translated as being subject to change); but the things which are not seen are eternal.”  –  (2^nd Corinthians 4:17-18 KJV)

• “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  –  (Philippians 4:6-7 KJV)

• “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” –  (James 1:5 KJV)

Remember, it is not given to us to know “the times or the seasons” which God has reserved for His personal use and power (Acts 1:7 KJV).  Since it is not given to us in the written word to know the times and the seasons, we must stay in close communion with the living God through daily prayer to know what He’s doing or going to do at any given time and how He wants us to do to accomplish His will and purpose at that particular time.  However, only those who have become “the friends of Jesus” by an intimate or close personal relationship with him through face time in daily prayer will be shown what the Lord is doing at any given time or season.  Recall in John 16:13-15 we are told that by way of revelation from the Spirit of truth, we would be shown “things to come” but not by intellectual understanding learned through studying the written word on our own beforehand:

• “Abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except It abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches:  He that abideth in me, and I in him, that same bringeth forth much fruit:  for without me ( e. the Rhema or the living Word, my paraphrase) ye can do nothing.  If a man abide not in me, he is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.  If ye abide in me, and my words (i. e. my Rhema words, my paraphrase) abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth:  but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:  That whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.  These things I command you, that ye love one another.”  –  (John 15:4-7 & verses 14-17 KJV)

To emphasize my “misuse” of the written word as the means to build and obtain an intimate or close personal relationship to the living God and to experience His manifest presence, spiritually speaking, He gave me several scripture verses to make this point.:

• “And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.  But if any man love God, the same is known of him.”  –  (1^st Corinthians 8:2-3 KJV)

NOTE:  You can understand all mysteries and all knowledge available from study of the written word, but if you don’t have a personal relationship with the living Word of God you’re not known of God as a friend.  Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15 KJV).  His commandments were “spoken” words before they were “written” words.  Believing comes through faith and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the “Rhema” Word of God (i. e. the spoken Word of God).

• “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”  –  (1^st John 5:3 KJV)

NOTE:  One of the commandments of Jesus to us, after we’re born again, is to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness by seeking, asking, and knocking for it through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving (Matthew 6:33 & 7:7-11; Luke 11:5-13 & 12:32).  Remember, the kingdom of God is in the Holy Spirit according to Romans 14:17 which states:  “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”   So, seeking first the kingdom of God is essentially the same thing as persistently asking, seeking, and knocking for the anointing or  baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues which is the blessing of Abraham or the promise of the Father along with continually acknowledging God daily through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving allowing Him, through the Spirit of truth, to guide us into all truth to direct our paths (Matthew 6:33 & 7:7-11; Luke 11:5-13 & 12:31-32; Acts 19:1-7; Galatians 3:13-14; Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 8:14; Philippians 4:6-7; John 16:13-15 KJV).

That the baptism of the Holy Spirit and power with the evidence of speaking in tongues is a separate issue from the baptism of John or the baptism unto repentance when we first believed and were sealed with the holy Spirit of God unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14 & 4:30 KJV) as the earnest of our inheritance, is evidenced by the fact Jesus breathed on his disciples long before the day of Pentecost and said receive ye the Holy Ghost (John 20:22 KJV).  That these two baptisms are separate events is further reinforced by Acts 19:1-7.  Also, since the kingdom of God is in the Holy Ghost why would Jesus tell us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness which is in the Holy Ghost after we had already received and believed in the gospel message of Jesus Christ and him crucified through faith, been born again of the Spirit, received the baptism of John unto repentance, and received the holy Spirit as the earnest of our inheritance?

• “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.”  –  (1^st Corinthians 13:2 KJV)

• “For if any man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”  –  (Galatians 6:3 KJV)

NOTE #1:  If a man or woman studies the written word and by virtue of their pride in their knowledge of the written word they think themselves to be something when they are nothing apart from an intimate or close personal relationship with the living Word, they deceive themselves.

NOTE #2:  We are as nothing without abiding in Him and the Rhema word (i. e. the spoken Word of God) abiding is us through revelation by prayer.

• “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life:  and they are they which testify of me.”   –  (John 5:39 KJV)

NOTE:  The written word once revealed to our spirit by the Holy Spirit points to and glorifies the eternal and living Word who was made flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14 & 16:13-15 KJV).  Jesus existed before the Bible was written and I knew Jesus personally as a living person immediately after I was born again of the Spirit and before I knew one word from the written word recorded in scripture.  Again, the distinction between written word and Jesus, the living Word, is that Bible isn’t flesh and blood and, therefore, doesn’t bleed.  I would never have been able to understand and know the written word or any of the things of the Spirit as a natural man had not Jesus, who is the Word made flesh, opened my spiritual eyes through the new birth (1^st Corinthians 2:14; John 3:3 KJV).  Jesus, the living Word of God made flesh, made it possible for me to come to God and be born again of the Spirit by the shedding of his sinless and innocent blood on my behalf through his death on the cross as my kinsman redeemer according to the flesh through a virgin birth.

Jesus is the Rhema or Living Word of God who was made flesh and dwelt among men (John 1:14 KJV), not the Logos or the written word which was inspired by God and penned by men to establish the scripture as an attestation or witness to the truth of Word of Life.  Therefore, once again, the living Word has the preeminence in all things.  The Greek word Rhema is useful to distinguish between two meanings of God’s word which are (1) the “spoken word” and (2) the “written word”.   Rhema refers to “the spoken word” whereas Logos refers to “the written word”.  Rhema is that personal word from God that comes to us by way of direct revelation from the Holy Spirit to our spirit by-passing our five (5) physical senses.  Once the Rhema word is received by way of revelation then we can validate and authenticate it’s source or prove it’s spiritual source by measuring it against God’s standard and unchanging measure of truth—–the written word authored and inspired by the Holy Ghost and penned by men.

Studying the written word doesn’t replace communion with my heavenly Father in prayer.  When Jesus said, “the words that I speak unto you they are spirit, and they are life – (John 6:63b; Hebrews 4:12 KJV)”, we overlook a very important aspect of what he said in that verse which is:  “the words that I speak.”  Jesus is a Living Person who is the living Word of God that comes to us by way of revelation from the Father’s own mouth to the Holy Spirit who in turn reveals the living Word to our spirit in a living way as he did to his disciples on the road to Emmaus.  The words that I speak refer to that still small voice or Rhema word from the mouth of God that we hear personally in our spirit which goes directly into our heart by-passing our five (5) physical senses (1^st Kings 19:11-13 KJV).  The written word, in addition to it’s uses according to 2^nd Timothy 3:16-17, also allows us to validate or prove whether or not the spoken word that comes to our spirit by way of revelation is actually from the living Word of God or not.

When Father God, by way of revelation, speaks to us personally through Jesus the living Word, or the Word made flesh, it is always effectual because it is spoken at the right time or season and therefore carries upon it the anointing of the Holy Spirit or the supernatural creative miracle-working wisdom and power of the kingdom of God to make that personal word from God come to pass (Isaiah 55:11 KJV).  Remember, the kingdom of God is not in word but in power (1^st Corinthians 4:20 KJV).  While the written word is absolutely true and inspired of God, it is not eternal life itself (John 5:39 KJV).  Instead, Jesus said that the written word merely testifies of those things concerning himself who is, the Living Word made flesh (Luke 24:25-27; John 5:39; John 1:1, 14; Romans 8:3-4 KJV).  The scribes and the Pharisees had the written word but they didn’t know the living Word.  My personal testimony does not testify to my knowledge of the written word but of my personal encounter with the living Word who is God and who is love Himself.  Listen to how the living Word spoken from the mouth of the living God opened up the written word to the spiritual eyes and ears of the hearts (i. e. the inner man of the heart) of the disciples on their way to Emmaus:

• “And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.  And they talked together of these things which had happened.  And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus ( e. the living Word of God, my addition) himself drew near, and went with them.  But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.  Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:  Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.  And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went:  and he made as though he would have gone further.  But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us:  for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.  And he went in to tarry with them.  And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread (i. e. the living Word of God took bread, my addition), and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.  And their eyes were opened and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.  And they said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he (i. e. the living Word of God, my addition) opened to us the scriptures?”  –  (Luke 24:13-16 & 25-32 KJV)

Spending time studying on my own through self-effort and self-determination apart from prayer in order to experience his presence and gain more knowledge of God, is futile.  Any knowledge I obtain through my own efforts apart from revelation by the Holy Spirit in response to prayer merely puffs me up with pride (1^st Corinthians 8:1 KJV).  However when I commune with God in prayer, whatever the Holy Spirit reveals to me through faith as a result of prayer  humbles me to glorify Jesus instead of myself since I know I received it as a gift from God, not through my own study efforts (Ephesians 2:8-9; James 1:5 KJV).  There is nothing I have that I didn’t receive, so why do I boast as though I didn’t receive it (1^st Corinthians 4:7 KJV).  I can study from daylight to dawn ‘til my eyes burn, but unless and until I pray and receive revelation from the Holy Spirit in response to my prayers, the eyes of my understanding won’t be enlightened and my words and actions will be ineffectual in their application (Ephesians 1:16-19 KJV).

The call of God in 2^nd Chronicles 7:14 for us to humble ourselves, and pray, and seek His face (i. e. seek the spoken word at His mouth which is on His face through daily prayer), and turn from our wicked ways so that He will hear us from heaven and heal our land is not a call to one prayer or several prayers asking Him to heal our land.  Instead, it is a call to a lifestyle of prayer, to start acknowledging Him daily, so that He is able to continually direct our paths into the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake from now on and forever.  Our “wicked ways” referred to in 2^nd Chronicles 7:14 are those wicked ways of a lifestyle directed by set traditions, like Martha (Luke 10:38-42 KJV), based only on the stale knowledge of what we have already come to know through study of the written word and doing that which we intellectually reason to be right in our own eyes but not based on our awaiting the words of wisdom from God’s own mouth in answer to our daily prayers for such fresh manna to direct our ways.  God’s direction comes to us only by means of revelation from the Holy Spirit to our spirit in response to our daily prayers to God, trusting and acknowledging Him and asking Him for such direction (Proverbs 3:5-6; Matthew 6:9-13; Philippians 4:6-7 KJV).  The Holy Spirit’s revelation is made directly into the spiritual eyes and ears of our spirit (i. e. the eyes and ears of our heart or our inner man) by-passing our sight or sense-based intellectual knowledge received from our five (5) physical senses.

We must continually remember that to “every thing” there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven, yet it has not been given to us to know the times or the seasons which God has reserved for His personal use and power (Ecclesiastes 3:1; Acts 1:7 KJV).   We must also remember that “all things” work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28 KJV). Since I do not know the times or the seasons, I must acknowledge God in all my ways through daily prayer so that he can direct my paths that I might continually be in sync with his purpose for the particular season and time at hand so that all things will work together for good for me and my family individually and for all members of the body of Christ collectively (Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 4:6-7 KJV).  So, prayer is a must, not a luxury, if I’m going to see all things working together for good.  Therefore, I must give as much or more time in prayer to God, the Living Word, as I do in studying the inanimate letter of the written word if I want to build an intimate or close personal relationship with God to obtain the manifestation of His spiritual presence as a living Person.  In His presence is fullness of joy and the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10b; Psalms 16:11 KJV).

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