Many have fail to realize that the most important preparation to giving Bible studies is not finding a neighbor, co-worker or friend to study with, or finding the right bible lesson guide , memorizing all the texts, or practicing your delivery. While these may have their place, they will be utterly fruitless without the preparation of your heart. God wants to see your friend eternally saved. He wants to work through you to make that a reality. But if your heart is not beating in unison with His, if you have unconfessed sins or an unsurrenderd heart, God is greatly limited in what He can do through you. It is therefore important that we take time to have our heart right with God before even approaching our neighbor, co-worker or friend to take Bible studies.
What steps can we take to surrender our heart daily?1. Devotional LifeDaily Bible study fortifies your mind with the truths of Scripture, opens before your mind concepts and ideas that make the Scriptures more plain to you and your Bible study contact, and keeps you from the path of the enemy.
“It is a sin for those who attempt to teach the Word to others to be themselves neglectful of its study … Of all men upon the face of the earth, those who are proclaiming the message for this time should understand their Bible, and be thoroughly acquainted with the evidence of their faith. One who does not possess a knowledge of the Word of life, has no right to try to instruct others in the way to heaven. ” Gospel Workers, p. 249
What this is saying, is that if you are not spending time in Bible study you are not going to have anything to share. You will be feeding people stale bread that you received second-hand from someone else. Such bread cannot give life. You must go to the fountain of life yourself and feast and then take what you have received to the one who is hungry.
“ The life of God, which gives life to the world, is in His word. It was by His word that Jesus healed disease and cast out demons. By His word He stilled the sea and raised the dead; and the people bore witness that His word was with power. He spoke the word of God as He had spoken it to all the Old Testament writers. The whole Bible is a manifestation of Christ. It is our only source of power. ” Gospel Workers, p. 250.
2. Prayer LifeA look at the example of Jesus reveals the importance of prayer for anyone engaged in soul-winning.
“The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.” Isaiah 50:4, 5
“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” Mark 1:35
“And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” Luke 6:12
Before meeting with others, Jesus met with His Father. This should be an example to us that we should spend the early morning communing with God, receive instructions for the day. We need to do the same in order to become an effective Witnessing Church.
3. Surrender of Self“In choosing men and women for His service, God does not ask whether they possess learning or eloquence or worldly wealth. He asks: ‘Do they walk in such humility that I can teach them My way? Can I put My words into their lips? Will they represent Me?’ God can use every person just in proportion as He can put His Spirit into the soul-temple.” Testimonies, vol. 7, p. 144
“The worker for God should be prepared to put forth the highest mental and moral energies with which nature, cultivation, and the grace of God have endowed him; but his success will be proportionate to the degree of consecration and self-sacrifice in which the work is done, rather than to either natural or acquired endowments.” Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 583
A heart emptied of self is a heart that can be filled with the Holy Spirit. The less there is of me, the more there can be of Christ. And when Christ is supreme in the life, we will be able to work the works of Christ.
“There is no limit to the usefulness of the one who, putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart, and lives a life wholly consecrated to God.” Christian Service, p. 254.
It is by daily beholding Jesus that the self in our lives becomes disgusting to us and we choose to set it aside. The following quote is a prayer you should say on a daily basis in order for self to disappear and Christ be seen. It has been helpful to me in my daily walk with God.
“No man can empty himself of self. We can only consent for Christ to accomplish the work. Then the language of the soul will be, Lord, take my heart; for I cannot give it. It is Thy property. Keep it pure, for I cannot keep it for Thee. Save me in spite of myself, my weak, unchristlike self. Mold me, fashion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Thy love can flow through my soul. It is not only at the beginning of the Christian life that this renunciation of self is to be made. At every advance step heavenward it is to be renewed.” Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 159, 160
So “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1, 2
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IV. Other Situations
