Though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body. (1 Corinthians 10:17 NLT)
We do feed upon Christ in prayer. To put that in
another way, there is an imparting of Himself to His Own in prayer. We may go to
prayer in weariness, and rise in freshness; we may go to prayer exhausted, and
rise renewed. Is it that we have simply uttered some form of prayer, prayed some
prayer? We know quite well if that is so we do not get up very much invigorated.
Formal praying does not bring very much Life. Going through a form of prayers
sometimes only ministers death. But really seeking the Lord, reaching out,
taking hold of the Lord, giving ourselves up to the Lord in prayer, never fails
to have renewing, uplifting, strengthening results. You say prayer may wear you
out? Yes, but there is a wonderful strength that comes by wearing out prayer.
There is vitality given to the spiritual life even in prayer that tires us
physically, and we go in the strength of it. Yes, prayer is a way in which
Christ is ministered to us by the Holy Spirit. Prayer is a way in which we feed
upon Christ; He becomes our Life....
We feed upon the Lord, and He becomes our
Life when we recognize the Divine order of spiritual fellowship. That is a
Divine order. You have it brought in with Acts: "And they continued steadfastly
in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in
prayers." There is a tremendous means of grace, a tremendous enrichment of
Christ in the fellowship of the Lord's people. I believe the enemy will get
believers, when they are together, to talk about anything under the sun rather
than about the Lord. It is easy when you meet together with the Lord's people to
be carried off with all kinds of matters of interest, and not to begin to talk
about the Lord; but if you do there is always an enrichment, always a
strengthening, always a building up; it is the Divine way. Fellowship is a means
of imparting Christ to the believer. And wherever spiritual fellowship is
possible, you and I ought to seek it, look after it, and cherish it. There are all
too many of the Lord's children today, who have no chance of spiritual
fellowship, and who would give anything to have it. The Lord would have us at
least two together. That is His order, and there is something in ministering
Christ to one another. There will be something lost unless that is so. These are
ways in which we feed upon the Lord.