Do Not Just Speak of the Gospel; Take Practical Action

Today’s Main Verses for Pray-reading

Disciple all the nations

Matthew 28:19

Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

The fullness of the Gentiles comes in

Romans 11:25

For I do not want you, brothers, to be ignorant of this mystery (lest you be wise in yourselves), that hardness has come upon Israel in part, until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in;

All Israel will be saved

Romans 11:26

And thus all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come out of Zion; He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.”

Manifested before the judgment seat of Christ

2 Corinthians 5:10

For we must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done through the body according to what he has practiced, whether good or bad.

Abide in the Lord and bear fruit

John 15:4

Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

Bear much fruit

John 15:5

I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.

The faithful slave enters into the joy of his master

Matthew 25:21

His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.

Today’s Prayer Burden

Preaching the gospel is a commission given by the Lord to the whole church. We should not merely discuss whether it is important, nor remain in hearing, knowledge, and inward inspiration. May the Lord cause us to face the fruit we bear and the goals we have offered to Him. Have we responded to His commission in a practical way? May He stir us to rise up and act, turning our love for Him into the preaching of the gospel, practicing in vital groups, and loving Him in a practical way.

Today’s Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank and praise You! You have committed the gospel to us and given us a new life, making us participants in Your move on earth. Open our eyes, and forgive us for often hearing the gospel but remaining in doctrine and knowledge. We know that preaching the gospel is important, yet we do not take corresponding action; we love You, yet we bear no fruit. Lord, shine on us. Save us from being satisfied with outward spiritual practices; make us truly respond to Your sending.

Lord, give us an urgent spirit to see that the harvest is ripe and to rise up as the workers You send. Cause us not only to pray for the gospel but also to preach it to our relatives, friends, classmates, neighbors, and all who need it. Lead us to make a gospel list, pray for these people consistently, take the initiative to contact and visit them, and seize every opportunity to announce the gospel and bring people to You. Lord, save us from passing another year in the same condition. Make us face the fruit we have borne and the goals we have offered to You. Save us from being satisfied with wishes and slogans; cause us to answer Your commission with practical gospel action.

Lord, bless the practice of the vital groups. Make us one in heart and soul, coordinating with one another to preach the gospel, shepherd new ones, and perfect the saints. May we not only bring people to salvation, but also care for and supply them so that they love Your word, grow in life, and become functioning members. Shepherd every saved one; support the weak, restore those who have backslidden, perfect the new believers, and cause the fruit to remain. Lord, stir us to take the new way and love You in a practical way. Keep us from wasting the days that remain. Make us labor with You, so that the number of the saved may increase, all the saints may function, the Body of Christ may be built up, and the Bride may be prepared. Lord, may we give a faithful account to You when we stand before You. Amen.

Ministry Fellowship

1. The gospel commission is given to the whole church

Before the Lord Jesus ascended, He entrusted the disciples with the commission to preach the gospel. The endings of the Gospels record the Lord’s sending of His disciples. This commission was not given to only a few; it is for all the disciples. The Lord said, “Go,” and He also sent the disciples out two by two. When we were saved, we received a new life and a new commission. May the Lord keep us from regarding the gospel as the work of a few, and gain us to bear it together in the church life, advancing in coordination.

(Based on Witness Lee, Guidelines for the Propagation of the Lord’s Recovery, Message 4; Watchman Nee, Matured Leadings in the Lord’s Recovery (1), Message 12, “Handing Over for the Whole Church to Preach the Gospel.”)

2. Abiding in the Lord is for bearing fruit

John 15 shows that the Lord charges us to abide in Him and also speaks of the branches bearing fruit. A branch receives the life supply from the vine; bearing fruit is not an extra demand but the manifestation of the growth of life. We cannot say that we abide in the Lord while having no burden to bear fruit. May the Lord remove from us the self-deception that we can abide without bearing fruit. Through living fellowship with the Lord, may we bring people to Him in a practical way and continue to care for the new believers.

(Based on The Practice of the Group Meetings, Message 5, “Bearing Fruit and Taking Care of New Believers.”)

3. Give an account to the Lord by gaining people organically

We must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ. The Lord desires us to be fishers of men, gaining people in an organic and practical way for the building up of the Body of Christ. We should not treat this lightly. We need to pray much, even fast, and have a thorough dealing with the Lord. May He make us urgent to bear fruit, so that through us people may receive the gospel, God, Christ, and His wonderful salvation.

(Based on The Practical and Organic Building Up of the Church, ch. 4.)

4. The Lord will ask about our living and service when He returns

When the Lord returns, He will inquire concerning how we have lived, and we will give an account to Him. He will see whether we have borne, cared for, and perfected people and functioned in the church. May we live Christ, be truly for His recovery, and build up the Body of Christ in a serious way. Save us from wasting our days; may every gift and opportunity allotted to us become a way to serve You and supply others.

(Based on The Practice of the Church Life according to the God-ordained Way, Message 13.)

5. Set a goal for the increase of the church and labor in prayer

People often need a definite goal to move them to labor diligently. The fellowship in the source speaks of making a budget for the increase of the church after prayer and study, using the goal to press us to carry out the practice. If the time approaches and the goal has not been reached, we need to pray urgently, even fast, and give ourselves until the received goal is attained. May our goals not remain outward numbers, but drive us to pray, coordinate, and preach the gospel—without becoming slack or working by ourselves.

(Based on Practicing the New Way Universally to Arrive at the Whole Body Serving, ch. 1.)

6. The fullness of the Gentiles must come in

Romans 11 speaks of the fullness of the Gentiles coming in. We do not know what that number is, but God knows. Those being saved continue to be added until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. May the Lord show us His desire, so that we do not despise any gospel contact or become discouraged when there is no immediate result. May we faithfully pray for, contact, and shepherd people, cooperating with the Lord to complete His work.

(Based on God’s Complete Salvation in Romans, Message 28.)

7. Pray for the gospel of the kingdom, the overcomers, and the Bride

The source lists four matters that require our prayer: that the gospel of the kingdom be preached to all the nations, the number of the Gentiles be completed, the overcomers be produced, and the Bride be prepared. May the Lord place these burdens in us, so that our prayers would include not only our personal needs but also His move on earth. May we accept His commission in prayer and cooperate with Him in practical action.

(Based on Brother Yu, The Prayer for the Kingdom and the Action of Prayer, March 2020.)

8. Take the new way and love the Lord in a practical way

The fellowship in the source observes that many saints have loved the Lord, met for years, and been stirred to gain people for Him, yet often find it difficult to bring people to salvation, retain them, and care for them. The practice of the new way gives the saints a way to preach the gospel and people to care for. May the Lord gain us to seize the opportunity—not merely to be inspired, but to rise up and practice: contacting people, shepherding them, and perfecting one another in the church life. May we be those who love the Lord in a practical way.

(Based on Going Forth to Bear Fruit and Causing the Fruit to Remain for the Building of the Church, ch. 2.)