Lesson Book, Level 3: Two Spirits—Two Spirits - the Divine Spirit and the Human Spirit, by Witness Lee

VII. PRAYING IN SPIRIT

[Finally, in chapter six of Ephesians, Paul says that we need to pray at every time in spirit (v. 18). This prayer is the prayer of a member of the Body identified with Christ on the throne, all the time claiming, proclaiming, giving command to the Lord, and binding the enemy. This is not the prayer of a beggar, not begging prayer, not the prayer of the poor sinner, not the prayer of the poor, weak saints pleading with the Lord, but the prayer of the Body, the prayer of members of the Body identified with the Head.]

[We need to see the Body in the spirit, to be built up in the spirit, to be strengthened in the spirit, to be renewed in the spirit, to be filled unto the fullness of God in the spirit, and to pray in spirit as members of the Body, identified with the Head. If such is the case, spontaneously we will have the church life. If not, it will be hard to have the church life. We may have a lot of talk about the Body life and a lot of teachings about the church, but we will have no way at all to realize what the church life actually is. I urge you again and again to turn to the spirit because the church life is in your spirit.]

SUMMARY

The Body of Christ is a matter absolutely in spirit, in our human spirit. In order to see the Body, we need a spirit of wisdom and revelation. The building up of the church is also in spirit. Furthermore, in order to be strengthened into the inner man, we need to be in spirit. We need to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and we need to pray in spirit. Through the exercise of our spirit we will be filled unto all the fullness of God to produce the church life.

QUESTIONS

  1. Why can we say that the book of Ephesians shows us that the Body of Christ is related to our human spirit?
  2. What is the problem with trying to understand the church with our mind?
  3. Why is the building up of the church the result of turning to our spirit rather than lingering in our mind and emotions?
  4. Why is our spirit in Ephesians 4 called the spirit of the mind?
  5. What verses in Ephesians show us:
    1. The seeing in the spirit.
    2. The building up in the spirit.
    3. Being strengthened in the spirit.
    4. Being renewed in the spirit.
    5. Being filled in the spirit.
  6. Quoted Portions from (Lee/LSM) Publications

    1. Life-study of Ephesians, p. 570.
    2. To Serve in the Human Spirit, pp. 31, 32, 34, 36-40.

    (Lesson Book, Level 3: Two Spirits—Two Spirits - the Divine Spirit and the Human Spirit, Chapter 23, by Witness Lee)