Rev 2:7,11,17,29 and 3:6,13,22 – He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Our primary interest as a believer should not be in merely latching onto a doctrinal “system” or particular form of systematic theology, but to humbly seek the Lord with a whole heart, to know and follow Him, and to be able to hear from the Spirit, daily. Everything is hinged on our ability to hear from the Spirit which is why in each of the messages to the seven churches in revelations Jesus ended the message by saying “He that hath an ear, let him *hear* what the SPIRIT saith unto the churches”. Notice he didn’t say “scripture”, he said “Spirit”. Ironically, the main reason we have difficulty understanding and properly deciphering scripture is precisely because we do not know how to hear from the Spirit who authored the scriptures.

Without that, we will end up just picking and choosing whatever form of theology appeals to us from the smorgasbord of interpretations and then convince ourselves that we have the right and proper mix based on a human level of reasoning. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts (Prov 21:2). It’s far more important that our hearts are warmed while communing with God in the prayer closet than just our heads being filled in the study. The scriptures are the inspired “tablets of testimony” that testify of the Lord and are the result of the Holy Spirit moving upon men’s hearts during *their* times of diligently seeking and following after the Lord. This has always been God’s primary method of speaking to His people and He wishes to speak to each of us in similar fashion, the Holy Spirit moving upon our hearts primarily during our times of prayer. Obviously study does have its place, but as an addendum to, and confirmation of, the impressions made upon our hearts during our times of praying and seeking His face. 

The reason it is so hard for many to accept and walk in this is because prayer, real and earnest prayer, is an intensely spiritual task and the flesh reels and fights against it with any hold it has still remaining in us. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please (Gal 5:17). When you become determined to put in the required time and intense effort needed to move beyond the distractions of the mind and meet with and hear from God through the Holy Spirit in the prayer closet, your flesh, as well as the forces of darkness in high places, will wrestle vehemently against it. Our minds wander, we get distracted and lose heart and our times of prayer dwindle, or become cold and mechanical. Perhaps we rattle through a list of petitions, but there is no real communion with the God who “stands at the door and knocks” and desires to meet with and commune (sup) with his people (Rev 3:19). So our devotional times are reduced to just reading a couple chapters of the Bible or some devotional book hoping we can “get something out of it” rather than rich times of warm fellowship with our father and friend. 

Don’t look for this kind of steadfast and rich fellowship with God when you are in the Church worship service, look for it when you are alone with God in the prayer closet. The quality of our relationship with the Lord is not measured in the Church service, but in our day to day walk with Him. If the primary place we “meet with God” is in the assembly, it will be woefully inadequate to carry us where it really matters, in the day to day. The Church service should really be a glorious gathering together of saints who have been enjoying rich fellowship with God all week long and filled with a practical walk of righteousness, and enjoying peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, ready to encourage and sharpen one another in the faith.

Rom 4:17-18 – For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.