By Tom Shanklin

I thought you would enjoy this message I taught at Living Word Ministries International Bible School in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It’s on the very important subject of the devotional life of a minister of the Gospel.

The message focuses in particular on the need for ministers of the Gospel to read, study, meditate and practice God’s Word. This is God’s only way for the minister to have the power for a successful ministry.

The students were very excited and receptive to the Word.

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Tom teaching at Bible School in Chiang Mai.

MINISTERS DEVOTIONAL LIFE

Here’s some of the key scriptures and main points:

The Need to Know God

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” Philippians 3:8-10, KJV.

Relating to God’s Word…

1. Read it

“Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” 1 Timothy 4:13, KJV.

2. Study it

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15, KJV.

3. Meditate it

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8, KJV.

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalms 1:1-3, KJV.

4.Do it!

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:21-25, KJV.

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