We should be Christians inwardly, not merely outwardly. The outward things refer to our mind, emotion, and will and to all the outward activities. This is similar to the two levels of Chinese boxing. On one level you develop the outward skills, learning the correct postures and stances, but after learning these things, you still may not hit the mark. On the other level you develop the internal strength that enables you to hit the crucial point of your opponent with a fist. It is the same with Christians. Some people preach unceasingly and at great length, but you may feel that the words they speak float in the air and do not touch your deepest feeling. Some people, however, may not speak much, and their words may be simple, but their words can enter into your deepest part. When you go home, their words and their messages still prick you in your heart. Why is that? It is because those words came from their inner being, their spirit, which is deeper than their mind, emotion, and will.
As Christians, we should first develop our “internal strength” and then our “outward skills.” For example, when a person kneels down to pray in the morning, he may have a set prayer. Either he does not pray, or once he prays, he recites a whole set of prayers. In the past the Chinese had to read books such as The Three-Character Classic, the Book of Family Names, The Analects, and the Book of Mencius and had to memorize them one by one. The prayers of some Christians are similar to the reciting of The Three-Character Classic or the Book of Family Names. Although this may not be wrong, the question is whether the Lord is “wearing” them and praying in them in their prayers, or whether they are praying according to their own will. The elders have their own set of prayers, the ones who are responsible for the home meetings have their own set of prayers, the deacons have their set of prayers, the brothers have their set of prayers, and the sisters have their set of prayers. Once they open their mouths, we know almost exactly what they are going to say. This kind of prayer may be only a religious prayer, a religious ritual, and a religious formality.
Our prayer should come from our turning to our spirit and touching our spirit. Many of our prayers are formal—not in spirit but apart from our spirit. Formal prayers are surely of the mind, emotion, and will. Hence, we must rid ourselves of these formalities and turn from the outside to the inside. When we pray from the deepest part of our being, we spontaneously touch the intention of God and cooperate with Him outwardly in action.
When we come to the Lord, we should not stay in our mind. Rather, we should pray directly to the Lord according to our inner sense. For example, in the Lord’s table meeting, the prayers of the brothers and sisters are precious, but they often just repeat one another. One time a brother stood up and prayed, “O Lord, we thank and praise You. We are here around Your table and see how great Your love is!” After he finished his set of prayers, a sister stood up and prayed, “O Lord, we really thank and praise You. We break the bread to remember You.” These words were not from the spirit but from the mind. They were set prayers. Some brothers and sisters are more capable. They are able to memorize many doctrines concerning the Lord’s being born as a man, His living on the earth for thirty-three and a half years, His crucifixion, His death, His resurrection, His ascension, His becoming a High Priest and a Mediator, His interceding for us in the heavens, and His second coming. The more they pray, however, the lower the spirits of the saints sink. Eventually, no one is able to even say amen. For this reason, we need to have our mind, emotion, and will broken so that we may enter into our innermost part to pray.
As saved ones, we have been enlivened in our spirit. The Spirit of the Lord, Christ, the almighty God, and the resurrection life are all in our spirit. When we turn from our mind, emotion, and will to our spirit, we touch God. Although sometimes it is not that easy to touch Him at the beginning, we do not need to be anxious. When a car is first started, the engine is cold, but after a short while, the engine begins to warm up. Hence, the more we pray, the more our spirit will be stirred up, and the more we pray, the more our spirit will be burning. Throughout the day, we have to exercise to turn from our mind, emotion, and will to our spirit and learn to stay in and be calm in our spirit to touch the Spirit. Once we touch the Spirit, we touch life, and we receive life. This is spiritual reality. Only what comes from within, from the spirit, is genuine spiritual reality.